Compatibility of roll film backs for Mamiya 645

<p>I want to purchase a spare 120/220 roll film back for my Mamiya 645 Pro. I've seen some backs advertised for "Mamiya 645" that look slightly different externally to the one that originally came with my camera. I'm wondering if these might be earlier or later model backs, and whether or not they would be compatible with my 645 Pro. Can someone enlighten me as to what variations there are in Mamiya 645 120/220 roll film backs, and also their respective compatibilities with the various 645 manual focus bodies (Super, Pro, Pro TL)? </p>

<p>The Super, Pro and Pro TL backs can all be interchanged. There's a slight difference in profile between the backs for the Super and those for the Pro series, but the fitting is exactly the same. The way that the darkslide lock works is different between models as well, but all the backs are still swappable with each other.<br>

There's also no difference between backs for 120 or 220 film, it's only the insert that decides which type of film can be used. Inserts can be bought separately, and the ones for the earlier M645, J and 1000s cameras can be used in the later interchangable magazines. So all-in-all Mamiya made a pretty good job of maintaining compatibility between their various models of 645 camera.<br>

Just make sure that there's no slack or visible gap between any back you buy and your camera body. The plastic faceplate tends to warp on these magazines, and the metal release catch can get a bit worn too. The Pro backs seem to be a bit better in this respect than the ones for the Super, but this might just be down to age and use.<br>

Another common problem is poor electrical contact between the back and the camera body, making the shutter release inoperable. This can usually be cured by simply cleaning the contacts, or by rotating the ISO speed selection knob backwards and forwards a few times.</p>

 

<p>Great, thanks Joe :-) </p>

<p>So basically there is no difference between backs for 120 and 220? they are identical and can accept both types of inserts, is that right?</p>

New to Mamiya med format and this was exactly the answer I was looking for.

Thanks