History of 645 Format ?

<p>A few months ago I was startled to see old folders in 645 format. (And this was discussed here on PN.) For years, I was under the delusion that Mamiya invented the format in their c1970's SLR's. They actually were the first to create an SLR in this format.</p>

<p>(Which unlike most other roll cameras, utilizes a vertical film path. The camera shoots in "landscape orientation". With the width of the film, being the width of the frame. In most roll film cameras the film travels horizontally, so that the width of the film, is the height of the frame.)</p>

<p>I know that CZ's "Ikonta A" models in 645 were made from 1933-1940. Does anyone know who invented the format, and when it was invented? Did Zeiss?<br /> I can't find any reference to this. From the only picture I could locate, it is obvious that the camera shot in "portrait orientation". The side by side film chambers and the tall VF seem to indicate this.</p>

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<p>You already found out that the 6x4.5 format is very old. (Don't know who invented it, but it wasn't Zeiss either.)</p>

<p>But did you know that you could put a 6x4.5 magazine behind an SLR way back in 1956 already, making Mamiya's SLR late by about 20 years?<br>

And Mamiya 'beat' Zenza Bronica to it by only 1 year. Given how long it takes to develop a camera, they didn't have a real 'head start', were not 'leading' the trend either. </p>

 

<p>The Japanese surely loved the format. Many of their pre-war medium format cameras are 645, so the later 645 SLRs are just another incarnation of this hugely popular format in Japan. In Europe (and the US) 645 was more like a niche market (maybe, like the 2x3 small large format, marketed to women).</p>

<p>But which was the first true 645 camera? I have no idea...</p>

<p>I have some old Rada 6x9 backs that came with 6x6 & 6x4.5 masks. Camera itself dates to around 1926 but not sure about the backs.<br>

Someone will know, quite a few here with extensive knowledge of the history of photography.</p>

<p>645 is "half frame" of a standard 2x3" image on 120/620. One gets 8 shots with the 6x9cm format; and 16 or 15 with 6x4.5cm. A Kodak duo six of 1933 is 4.5x6cm on 620 film.</p>

<p>4.5 x 6cm is about the same as a 1950's 127 Brownie Bullets horizontal image too</p>

<p>Just a note: The 16 exposure negative produced by the older cameras is ever so slightly smaller than the modern 645 format. I found that out when the lab I used sometime ago used a modern negative carrier in their enlarger. With present day scanning this may not pose a problem.</p>

<p>This is a bit off topic, but did anyone ever compare the image quality of 645 and 6x9 folders? I heard that the pictures from 645 folders are actually sharper than then later ones because of film flatness issue.</p>

<p>Camerapedia has two Japanese SLRs for 6x4.5 cm plate backs, including this one from 1927:<br>

http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Simplex_Reflex<br>

The article says none of them are known to have survived.</p>

<p>It wouldn't surprise me if some of the European makers like Thornton-Pickard made cameras in this size too.<br>

In fact, yes: this catalogue for the Soho Reflex, on the CameraEccentric site, shows it was available in 4.5 x 6 cm (2 5/16 x 1 3/4 inch; they call this size the Baby Soho). 'It makes its appeal to travellers, ladies, and those to whom weight and size are a consideration'. The camera and three double dark-slides cost 24 pounds. There's no date given, but I would think 1930's.<br>

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/soho_1.html</p>

 

<p>Doesn't surprise me too much that the 645 format was popular in Japan. As mentioned 645 is half frame 6x9. The 1/2 frame 35 mm camera was also very popular there at one time - far more popular than it ever was in the US. I suspect that the cost of film and processing was much higher relative to income, thus the popularity of the format.</p>

<p>Found <a href="http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Japanese_4.5%C3%976_folders"><strong>this page</strong></a> in the Camerapedia about the many Japanese 645 folders. As I said, they really loved the format... The page claims that in 1932 the ZI Ikonta 520 was the first camera to use the 645 format on 120 rollfilm. So apparently it as not that old (plate cameras don't count, I think).</p>