Where can one buy Mamiyaflex equipment reasonable?

[charles_l._lauderback]

A/ Are there any models of the Mamiyaflex one should avoid for the

casual or slightly above usage of this camera?

B/ What is the minimum combo/system one should go with that

provides some flexibility? Pick two lenses of those available. .....reasonable prices associated with..??

C/ In light of above.....what is the best buy? What $$ range would

that be? Where would the best buys be found?

Would a kiev be a better choice for the money? If so what setup is recommended. Thank you for your assistance. I am a complete beginner....not to photography but to any down to earth

knowledge of the equipment side of things...need stuff that takes

reasonable beating from a poor, poor, 25 yr old horsewoman who wants to work in photography.....again, thanks for the input.

[j.hein___]

A very good source of info on the Mamiyaflex TLR (Iguess that's what you ask about) are Graham Pattersons wbpages on this:

 

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http://www.btinternet.com/~g.a.patterson/m_faq.htm

 

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Personally I would go for a C330f, C330s or C220f. With the lenses I would definitely buy all black ones. The older chrome ones cause trouble in servicing. No spares for the shutter available. You don't give the subject you are interested in so it is hard to recommend lenses. If you are interested in a wide angle lens, go for the 55mm. It is the widest available for this camera. Don't think of geting the 65. Horizontal coverage of this is less than of a 35 lens in 35mm.

 

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Nothing can be bought new, so every thing has to be traced down second hand. In my view it is the best value for money MF arround at present. Hope that helps.

[mike_rosenlof]

There are often ads for Mamiya TLR equipment on rec.photo.marketplace, I recently bought a (second) C-330F there at what I consider a good price. The Ebay (www.ebay.com) auctions seem to have them continuously. KEH (www.keh.com) is a reputable used camera dealer. There are others too.

 

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I (respectfully) disagree with the previous comment to avoid the 65mm lens. I've had one for years, and it was a good pair with the 135mm. I didn't have an 80 until recently. Wider is not always better - as many wide angle outdoor landscape photos can attest. As with all lenses, you will find that sometimes the 65mm is too short, sometimes too long, and sometimes it works perfectly.

[mike_rosenlof]

To answer more of your questions...

 

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Mamiya still supports at least the 330-F and S models. It would surprise me if they don't support the 220F also. Don't know about earlier models. They also still support the black lenses. Older lenses have a chrome ring around the shutter. Other service people can work on them, but parts may be hard or impossible to find. I think Mamiya can remount older lenses in new shutters, but that's not cheap.

 

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I had a 135 and a 65mm combo for years and was pretty happy. The 135 is a very sharp lens. The 65 is sharp, but less so. I have 11x14 prints from each in front of me now that look good. I'm fussy about what I consider a sharp print.

 

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I recently got an 80mm, and it too could pair well with the 135 for a two lens kit. Having a f/2.8 lens is nice. It really depends what kind of use you have in mind. If you plan on doing lots of indoor groups of people, you'll want something wide - the 65 or 55.

 

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Shutterbug magazine has many used camera dealers' ads and can give a good idea of prices. You can usually do better buying from an individual directly, but sometimes finding the individual is harder...

 

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Kiev? Hard to say. It sounds like there are gems and junk from Kiev. Get a 330 in good condition and it's unlikely that you'll have junk.

 

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My user tip after 16 year of experience with this system is get and use lens hoods. For the 65 or 55 mm lenses you need to get the mamiya hoods. Others vignette with the lens wide open. For (at least) the 80 and 135, a tiffen 49mm metal hood with a 46->49mm step up ring works very well.

[mark_hubbard]

While I would generally agree with most of the above advice, your emphasis on low price ("poor, poor horsewoman") would actually suggest shopping for the older camera and lenses, which can save you hundreds of dollars. An early Mamiyaflex body, or a C2, C3, or C33, is now priced at 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of a C330 and up body. Expect to pay no more than $150 for one of these older bodies. Likewise, the so-called chrome lenses (more accurately designated as having the Seikosha shutters rather the newer Seiko shutters) are an excellent buy right now, because just about "everybody" knows to avoid them for lack of replacement parts. This potential drawback is moot if you can pick up a chrome lens for less than the price of repairing a black lens. $75 to $150 for a chrome lens (depending on length and complexity) would be a great price. <p>As for length, it's hard to beat the recommendation for the 80 and 135, since these were the two least expensive and simplest lenses made for these cameras, and they correspond to the standard Rolleiflex f2.8 and the Tele-Rolleiflex in length. <p>The chrome lenses are insanely great, sharp, contrasty and coated lenses for the money, and although Mamiya America will no longer service them, who cares? Chances are that if the shutter has worked OK for the last 40 years, it's probably going to work OK for a few more years.

[sheldon_hambrick]

Although a lot of times, I'd like something wider, one of my favorite shots of all time was taken with my black 65mm.