Mamiya c330

[kai_teufel]

i wanna buy such an old camera. 220, 330 but are there big

differences between quality of the lenses? are newer better than the

older? has anyone a good link where they are described?

is a c3 f example in pic quality as good as c330??

has anyone compared to Rollei 6000, which are very cheap to get now

too?

[pavelp]

The whole Mamiya TLR-C system is using the same line of lenses. You can get almost-complete information about the system at <a href=http://webdisk.berkeley.edu/~grahamp/mfaq/m_faq-mamiya.html>Graham Patterson's website</a>.<br><br>

 

The cameras were made in two lines C2 (C22, C220) and C3 (C33, C330). The C2 line was for serious amateurs and C3 for professionals. The above mentioned website has most of the details, I'll just add that C220f is the final model in C2 series and C330s is the final model in C3 series. I know for sure that C330s has the brightest screen out of C3 series and C220f is supposed to have same type of screen as the C330s. <br><br>

 

Lenses are either chrome (earlier) or black (later). The coating changed number of times and there's an ongoing hot discussion about whether multicoating was ever used. Supposedly the lenses with aperture click stops, blue dot and purple coating are the best.<br><br>

 

The optical formula for all lenses stayed same except for 105mm and 180mm lenses. Newer version of 105mm lens is 105mm D and 105mm DS and newer version of 180mm lens is 180mm Super (and it's really a super lens). There are three version of 80mm lens. 80mm/f2.8 (chrome or black) is the standard lens. The economical version is 80mm/f3.7 (I would stay away from this one). There's also newer version called 80mm/f2.8S (black only) which has supposedly better coating but unfortunatelly cheaper viewing lens. But either 80mm/f2.8 or 80mm/f2.8S are great normal length lenses.<br><br>

 

I do not have Rollei6000, so I cannot answer your last question.

[trw]

The main difference between the 220 and the 330 is that the 330 has a meter but the 220 doesn't. The newer all-black lenses are purported to be better than the older chrome ones. I get really nice results from my C220, but I have to carry a meter (or 35mm SLR with a meter in it), or guess the exposure.

 

A C3 and a C330 should give identical picture quality if they have the same lens. A C330 is more likely to have an all-black lens. Make sure you ask before buying.

 

http://www.williamsphotographic.com/ocr/mf/mamtlr.html for more info

 

The Rollei 6000 series are SLRs; the Mamiya C series cameras are TLRs with interchangeable lenses.

 

The main differences from a useage perspective are that the TLR has no mirror movement (so it's quieter and more stable), but there is paralax error (what you see is not quite what you get), it's difficult to preview the effects of a polarizer, and you need two of any filter you use to be able to preview the effects.

 

Also, TLRs are bulkier than SLRs, but the focusing movement is in the camera, which makes the lenses lighter, but also makes it possible to focus past infinity, making nothing in focus.

[skygzr]

None of the Mamiya TLRs have meters.

 

All lenses work on all bodies so the C3 takes the same pictures as the C330s (with the same lens, of course).

 

The "3" series has a moving parallax indicator that really helps in composition. The C330f is the best of the lot, IMHO. The 330s is a good camera but seems wildly overpriced.

 

The only lens I didn't like was the 250mm. It wasn't as sharp as the others (at least the one I had).

 

It's a good system if you don't mind the quirks. I used one for years and was very happy with it.

[garyowen]

I'm not much of a testimonal writer, but I still have and use the Mamiyaflex C-2 I purchased in 1960 . I also have a C-330 pro and a Pro 330 F they have all functioned flawlessly for all the years I have owned them. They say the later Black lens have a better lens coating than the older chrome models but I've noticed no differance in the photo quality, which is excellent in both. The TLRs don't come meter, however a metered finder is availible. Feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any further questions. I'm certainly not an expert on the Mamiya TLRs but I do have years of experiance with them.

[todd_k.]

Get the C330s, the ease of changing/upgrading the focusing screen is well worth the additional expense.

[fc.moreira]

Hi kai

I havea a C330 with a Black 80mm. 2.8 and a Chrome & Black 180mm. They are both superb lenses and I cannot observe all that difference in my pictures taken with the old 180mm. Both lenses produce excellent pictures, and I am really happy with my C330 system. I have also a Rolleiflex equipped with a 80mm Xenotar 2.8 and I can tell you that the C330 is a real good competitor. Hope you enjoy yours.

[craig_andrew_yuill]

I've owned both the C330f and C220f for a number of years. The main difference between the two is that the C330 is more complex mechanically than the C220. The C330 has a parallax indicator in the viewfinder that moves as the lens is being focussed, whereas the C220 does not. (This is irrelevant if you use the camera on a tripod with a Paramender attachment, which moves the taking lens into the exact same position as the viewing lens.) The C330 has a film-wind crank, whereas the C220 has a simpler, ratcheted knob. The film winding and shutter cocking are linked and accomplished in one step in the C330. They are not linked and must be done separately on the C220. The C330 has a proper shutter release button in the base of the camera as well as the shutter-release "handle" on the right side. The C220 only has the latter. The C330 has interchangable focussing screens, whereas the C220's focussing screen is fixed in place. The last models of either line where the C330s and C220f. Both contained a fair amount of plastic, which made the cameras lighter, but (in my opinion) less robust. They also had easier-to-grasp-and-use film knobs on the left side than those on previous models. I so seldom use either camera, but when I do it's the C220f.

 

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The best lens was probably the last version of the planar-design 80mm f/2.8, which had a multi-colored coating on it (and which I got with my C220f). The flare control on this lens is superb, and the images are very sharp and contrasty. It was better than previous 80s. Another good lens is the Tessar-design 135mm f/4.5, which has characteristics similar to the last 80. The 55mm f/4.5 is not bad. It can be quite sharp, but it can also be quite flarey. It requires vigilant use of a lens shade. Hope this helps.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Re <i>None of the Mamiya TLRs have meters.</i><BR><BR>Here my C3 has a porro prism; it has mirrors instead of a prism and a CDS TTL meter that still works really well. It is many decades old; probably about 4 decades at least. One the metering porro finder was a standard offering for along time. It uses modern 1.5 volt batteries on most of them. Some older ones used 1.35 volt mercurys. To use the meter the lollypop CDS swings in place; one can use it as a spot meter.

[david_m]

All of the Mamiya TLR line are really only suitable for a tripod. They are very heavy and unwieldly to hand hold. With a longer than normal lens, they are even worse. So I'd advise against one except for in a studio, unless you are a masochist with very strong arms.

[picturesque]

David, I used a Mamiya C330f mostly handheld to shoot weddings for over 15 years, except for during the ceremony and possibly time exposures, as have countless other wedding photographers. You get used to the weight, and with the right bracket, you can handhold with pretty slow shutter speeds, especially since there is no mirror slap.

[stephen_kruft]

One item in the earlier messages is not exactly right - no Mamiya TLR has a meter. There are two accessory finders for the "newer" ones with very basic meters in them.

 

I don't agree that these TLRs are mainly useful with a tripod. I carried a C330 around for many miles (still do sometimes)and so did lots of people who did weddings years ago. They are not light and I always used a wide strap, but I found that they could be carried and used easily enough. They are much lighter than, say, an RB67 - now that is basically for tripods.

[conrad_hoffman]

It's a tank. It's a brick. It weighs more than any other TLR (expect maybe a Gowland). In a pinch it would make a good weapon. In spite of all that, you absolutely can hand hold it. It's not a camera for casual wandering about on vacation, but if your purpose is primarily to take photos, it's not that bad to carry.

[huntrbll]

These can be used hand held, but if you do so try to pick up a bracket with a grip...it makes hand holding much easier. If you are into taking portraits, look for one of the later manufactured 135mm lenses. Square prints from the 6x6 neg are eye-catching. If you want to print standard rectangular prints you can take a fine tip marker (don't use a permanent marker) and carefully draw horizontal and vertical crop lines on the ground glass that correspond to the print format you are going to use. A nice aid in composition. I shot with a Mamiya TLR in and out of a studio for a couple of years.

[skygzr]

Kelly and Stephen -

 

Yes, you are correct. There are metered viewers available. The previous post had implied that 330s had meters and 220s did not, which was incorrect. I should have been more specific.

[siu_fai_au1]

I have both a 6008 set (50, 80, 150) and a Mamiya C330 set (55, 80, 135, 180 Super). Even after buying the 6008, I still do not want to part with the C330. A three lenses C330 set is actually much lighter than any three lenses 6x6 SLR set, so for me it is much more suitable for travel. I really don't understand why people keep saying that they are heavier than others. They are if you are comparing them with a fix lens TLR but simply not if you compare them with any other 6x6 system. The C330 is also smaller than the 6008.

 

The down side is that the Zeiss optics is better. The simple single coating on the Sekor is simply not on par with the modern HFT on the Rollei. Contrast is lower and the lenses are more prone for flare.

[pavelp]

Mamiya C330s with the 80mm lens is about 1500 grams. The Holy Rolleiflex is 1150g or so. There must be a place on the INTERNET where people can go, copy a paragraph about how Mamiya C330 is so terribly heavy and then paste it wherever they want to. It's little repetitive to tell the truth.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Pavel nice point about the weight!<BR><BR>Once I used my C3 and 180mm at an airshow; and then I swapped out to a wider hideous strap that I HATE; so my neck wouldnt be cut off! One can get decent shots at 1/500 second and panning; the focus is basically infinity; or close to it. Using a hood; long hood benefits the contrast alot. Here I have really not used the C3 much with a tripod. The C3 and 180mm weighs 2 to 3 times what my Rolleiflex Standard weighs!. My C3 was a wedding photogrphers kit that I got long ago.