Mamiya Universal or Polaroid 600 SE

When the Mamiya Universal attaches a Polaroid back, what image size does it give? I want to make sure the image

size is almost as big as the paper size which is 3.25" x 4.25" I think. If so, isn't it advantageous to get an

Universal with a Polaroid back instead of a Polaroid 600 SE? I don't know ....? thank you.

The image from a Mamiya Universal with Polaroid back is 3 3/4 inches by 2 7/8 inches, or 95mm by 73mm.

 

I don't know whether a Polaroid 600 SE would give you a larger image, but I doubt it, since as I understand it, they're basically the same camera (with slightly incompatible lens mount).

 

I also don't know whether any other camera gives a larger image with this film, but again I doubt it, since the border I get on the picture is white, not black, which makes me suspect that the image size is limited by the film.

Thank you. Because if I shoot using a Hasselblad 500 C/M with a Polaroid back, the image is just a contact print,much smaller than the available Polaroid print size. So I was thinking maybe the Universal would do similar thing too, like a contact print. While the Polaroid 600 SE is designed to be a Polaroid camera first, so it would make use of all the film and print size ... That's my silly logic. But good to know that the Universal takes full size Polaroid picture. I like to try the Polaroid as a photographic end, not as proof, so I prefer to have bigger print size if possible.

 

Thank you.

The Polaroid lens mount was different, because, according to Polaroid, the Mamiya lens mount, being slightly smaller, would vignette slightly on the Polaroid image since the 120 roll film only needed to cover 6x9 instead of 9x12. I somewhat remember dark corners on the Polaroids on an old Mamiya Super 23.

Some of the Mamiya Press/Universal lenses don't completely cover the Polaroid frame, but some do. I think the ones that do have "P" on them, as does the 75mm 1:5.6, which does cover the full Polaroid frame.

I have the Univrsal with the Polaroid back. It does take full size Polaroid prints. A great focusing hood for it is the "Model P". I have that and it shows the full size Polaroid image. (Also the 6x7 and 6x9)The 75mm, 100mm and 127mm cover the whole Polaroid image. the others do not.

For the Mamiya Universal, when you attach a Polaroid back, you do not any adaptor, do you? I read some information here and there and I am not sure. I know the Mamiya Lenses, all 3 of them 75, 127, and 150 for the Polaroid 600 SE are not compatible with the Universal body. So what I read here is that even all the lens for the Mamiya Universal can be used with a Polaroid back attached but only specific lens for the Polaroid back would give un-vignetted images...Those Mamiya Lens for Universal for Polaroid backs are 75, 100 and 127 ...so they are like for Universal but for Polaroid.

 

Thank you all.

That's right, you don't need an "M" or "G" adaptor to use the Polaroid back. The 75mm, and I believe also the 127mm, lenses cover the full Polaroid frame, but the 100mm 1:2.8 doesn't quite cover it. Not sure about the 100mm 1:3.5, or any of the others, but the manual implies that only the 75mm and 127mm cover the full Polaroid frame, though the 100mm (which one?) is also mentioned in the context of Polaroid photography.

 

I believe that there are two versions of the 75mm and 127mm lenses (maybe others too), one version for the Universal (75mm also fits earlier Press cameras, at least after removing a small screw) and one for the 600 SE. They are almost identical, but apparently slightly incompatible (due to a marketing decision). The 75mm and 127mm also work fine on the Universal for 6x9, 6x7, 6x6, and 645 format, of course.

My Robb Smith book on Mamiya Professional systems, says the 100mm does cover Polaroid. But, it doesn't say which one.My 100mm, 3.5 does, though.

Regarding "which 100mm covers Polaroids?" - The 100mm f2.8 is a Planar type lens, while the 100mm f3.5 is a Tessar type. Tessars normally have slightly larger angles of coverage than Planars, so at a given focal length, a Tessar will have a slightly larger image circle. The 100mm f3.5 should therefore cover a Polaroid slightly better.

 

That's the theory anyway, but note:

 

* While a Planar loses to a Tessar in coverage, it generally wins in image quality towards the field edge. (The Tessar might put more light into the corners, but it's normally ugly, blurry light...you might get away with this by ensuring that whatever's at the edges is well outside the depth-of-field anyway).

 

* Using the 100mm f2.8 at a wide f-stop allows you to somewhat hide the coverage cutoff in the natural vignetting roll-off. Or when using a flash indoors, even at smaller f-stops, it's natural for flash to roll-off in the corners of a room and of a picture, so coverage is not noticed.

 

* Using _any_ lens at close (portrait or macro) distances increases the image circle over what you get at infinity.

 

So when I use my 100mm f2.8 to shoot Polaroids of my kids, indoors, at 1-3m distances, I can't really see any obvious coverage problem, and the pics are great!

<p>Regarding "The 75mm, 100mm and 127mm (for Mamiya Universal Press) cover the whole Polaroid image. the others do not."<br /> <br />I was shopping for a Mamiya <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamiya_Press#Lenses">Universal Press</a> that included the 65mm f/6.3 and 100mm f/3.5 and the seller provided some <a href="http://postimg.org/image/gg4eoqjwp/">example photos</a> shot on Fuji fp-100c with the 65mm and additionally with the 100mm and macro extension tubes for close up shot of some still life... the 65mm shows subtle vignette and the 100mm sharp vignette on the far corners. It appears the image circle (circle of illumination) for the 65mm and 100mm do not quite cover fp-100c instant film (3¼ × 4¼" (85 × 108 mm). Compatible with Polaroid Type 100 packfilm (also known as "Type 660"))<img src="http://s28.postimg.org/vouc2idl9/polaroids_post.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="379" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Not mentioned here was the 90mm 3.5. Any info on this?</p>