scott_sharp

<p><img src="file:///Users/scottsharp/Downloads/photo-294.JPG" alt="" />To add to this older thread, I may have one of the earliest M4 bodies. Serial number 1175261 - I assume that is only the 261st or 262nd M4 camera produced into the 1966/67 batch of 3000 cameras? <br>

Bought this last January and due to be sent in for a CLA. However everything functions and the body is still in excellent shape. A testament to Leitz workmanship.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I don't live that far from Kurt's, so that may be worth checking out, though I don't have a problem mailing equipment off for service either.</p>

<p>I have a collection of older Nikons, (F's to F3's) and while they tend to work flawlessly, occasionally they need repair or servicing. Any suggestions on someone reasonable and knowledgable to work on these classics.</p>

<p>Marcin,<br>

I hope the service manual provides the information you need. Let us know how the work on the M645 1000s body goes and whether changing the capacitor solves the slow shutter speed problem. I've had that same shutter problem on one of my 1000s bodies as well.</p>

<p>I Googled Mamiya Repair Manual and came up with one for the M645 at Scribd.com.<br>

Try this link: <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/19303025/Mamiya-M645-Service-Manual">http://www.scribd.com/doc/19303025/Mamiya-M645-Service-Manual</a><br>

Good luck, let us know how it works out on the shutter.</p>

<p>If the Mamiya equipment as a whole is in close to mint condition, I wouldn'ty send it back just because the lens had some fungus. Try having the lens cleaned. I had a Mamiya Sekor C 110mm I bought with fungus and sent it off to Paul Ebel Lens Services. He cleaned the lens at a reasonalble cost and it has been a great performer since then. I recommend Paul, he is excellent and works on Mamiya equipment as well as using it himself.<br>

Good luck</p>

You'll enjoy using your Mamiya M645 camera. From the photo it looks like you also need a focusing screen. You need that regardlees of whether you use a WLF (waist level finder) or a prism finder. Personally I've found the prism finder more accurate for focusing. I use the non-metered prism finder and carry a hand-held meter for exposure calculation.

I just recieved the Mamiya Tele-Converter 2X N with the original box and instructions. I'll post some of the information

from the instruction sheet.

 

Automatic Photometry:

When using either of the AE Prism Finder N, AE prism Finder FE401, there is no need of exposure compensation,

since its metering system automatically functions. When an independent exposure meter has been used,

photograph after opening the just metered aperture by two stops.

 

Flash Photography:

When auto flash photography is used, or calculation is based on the guide number, use an aperture two stops

lighter than the set f value.

 

Focal Length and Intensity of Light: (Table) Master Lens focal length listed first with the Effective Change in Focal

Length and Aperture listed second:

1) 150mm f/2.8 converts to 300mm f/5.6 2) 150mm f/3.5 N converts to 300mm f/7 3) 150mm f/3.8 N/L converts to

300mm f/7.6 4) 200mm f/2.8 Apo converts to 400mm f/5.6 5) 210mm f/4 N converts to 420mm f/8 6) 300mm

f/2.8 Apo converts to 600mm f/5.6 7) 300mm f/5.6 N converts to 600mm f/11 8) 500mm f/4.5 converts to 1000mm

f/9 9) 500mm f/5.6 converts to 1000mm f/11

Patrick,

 

I have the 110mm f/2.8 C and use it quite often on my 1000s. It is a very sharp lens, excellent for portraits and landscape and not that common. You should get beautiful results. If you want a wider lens I'd recommend the 55mm f2.8 N and for a longer focal length the 150mm f/3.5 N. The "C" version M645 lenses are the older versions, the "N" designated lenses the newer versions with updated coatings. I've never noticed a difference with my older 110mm C lens. It is still one of the sharpest M645 lenses I own.

 

You'll enjoy shooting with your 645J. The Mamiya lenses are quite sharp and very affordable on the used market. You'll enjoy building a lens collection as time progresses.

 

Have fun with your new equipment.

4 x 5 backs for that camera come up on the auction site from time to time. I found one for my two 5 x 7 Agfa Anscos after searching for a month or two. At one time I had three of those cameras, now I have two and only one that is in usable condition. Your camera is in mint condition and looks like it never left the confines of the studio environment. Very nice purchase. These are solid cameras and you'll enjoy using it. Good luck.

You might try Paul Ebel Lens Services. I've had him clean several of my Mamiya M645 lenses with great sucess.

Pete,

You need a film crank or winder knobs specifically made for the ealier M645's like the 645, 1000S and 645J. Check with KEH, I've had good luck picking up a film crank as well as a WL and prism finder from them for my 1000S. Good luck.

I can't comment on the 210 or 300mm, the longest lens I have is the 150mm. But if you are looking for a good compromise between the 80mm and 150mm lengths try the 110mm in either C or N versions. Mamiya has discontinued this focal length but I find the 110mm C my most used lens and it stays on the camera in place of the 80mm.

The "Golden Dagor" was a way for Goerz to give a facelift to the Dagor lens and a marketing ploy. Companies do that all the time. I have a couple of these Gold Rim Dagors as well as the regular garden variety black rim Dagors. They are all good lenses with great coverage in a relatively small size. The genuine "Golden Dagor" has a gold anodized aluminum barrel not brass. The regular Dagors have a brass barrel that is painted black. So if someone has polished off the paint down to the brass it is sometimes hard to diffentiate the two. If you are in doubt ask the seller specifically and make sure the seller has a good return policy. The coated versions will command a higher price. Good luck.

I have two of these lenses, the 30cm and the 45cm. I have tried out the 45cm (450mm) and it was very good though because of the weight it tested the limits of my camera?s front standard. These were not lightweight field lenses but they should work fine for general purpose LF photography.

 

Information from a re-printed Zeiss catalog of the 1930?s.

?The Apo-Tessars are well corrected with respect to all those qualities which affect their performance as process lenses, and their residual errors are reduced to within very narrow limits.? Focal lengths listed: 24cm, 30cm, 45cm, 60cm, 75cm, 90cm, 120cm, (all f/9) and a 180cm f/15.

I just bought two 9 x 12 cameras. The first camera (a Voigtlander Avus) came with two holders. The second camera (a Zeiss Ikon Ideal) didn't come with any holders. However looking the camera over I discovered that the back had been modified sometime in the past to accept 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Graflex film holders. This camera is worth less because of the modification but actually more usable.

 

The camera on the Auction site you are interested in looks exactly like my Zeiss Ikon Ideal. The camera looks slightly newer than mine, with the rim set Compur shutter, has a nice case and what looks like a couple of holders. Looks like a nice package altogether. The Ideal was made between 1927 to 1938 so there should be a fair number of the film inserts available. It may take some searching however.

 

The 9 x 12 film size isn't that much smaller than 4 x 5, but the cameras fold down to the size of book. I think the format and the cameras have some interesting potential.

 

Have fun with the new format.

Very clever idea Rafael. And a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to find the right size mounting flange for an antique lens. I take it you angle the pointed tips in just enough to engage the threads of the barrel or shutter, then screw it in right?

Does anyone have the lensboard measurements for a 5 x 7 Improved Seneca View.

This camera has black lacquer paint with nickel hardware. I need the following:

the outside dimensions,,, the edge width and thickness,,, and the back

measurements.

I'll be eternally grateful to whoever takes the time to post these measurements.

Thanks, Scott

Hi Christopher,

 

I have the longer focal length though a smaller size sibling to your Golsen portrait lens. The inscription on my Golsen lens reads: Special Rapid Rectilinear, No. 2086, Eq. F.13 8 x 10, Ralph J. Golsen, 146 State Street, Chicago. The focal length is 13 inches, the actual dimensions of the lens are 3 1/4 inches long with no hood, 2 1/2 inches wide, and it weighs about 12 ounces whithout the flange. This Golsen RR lens is almost identical to an 8 x 10 Dietz Rapid of the same focal length. A set of Ross waterhouse stops fit perfectly in the slot for the Golsen lens. This is a managable size and weight lens even on a 4 x 5.

The camera needs to be adjusted for the new top rail. I wouldn't use brute force nor sand the rail down. Send it in to Marflex or some other competent repair shop to have an adjustment to the clamps underneath the front standard made. You might also call Ken Ruth at Photography on Bald Mountain. As I remember he works on Technikas. Good luck.

Thanks for everyone's replies. The Pledge on the film holders sounds like a novel idea. I might just try that. As to the GG I've decided to try the Satin Snow glass to see if that will be an improvement on the stock Wisner GG. If not, I may look at a Beattie or Maxwell screen. I do like the way my Wisner looks. Having grown up around wooden boats, the camera has a nautical look about it. The important thing is, it should work well in the field and be relatively easy to take apart and clean. I'm looking forward to taking it up to the Sierras this summer.

Hello,

 

I recently bought a Wisner Technical Field 4 x 5 used. The camera was in very

good shape but I have a couple of questions regarding the GG back.

1. The springs for the GG frame are very stiff. I took them off and tried

bending them but they are still too stiff. Anyone tried the bail installed by

Richard Ritter? Does it make a difference?

2. The actual ground glass grid lines are wearing off. These grid lines are

clear and I wanted to know if anyone had an idea how they were applied to the

glass. Were the lines decals, varnished, lacquered or etched on? Any idea how

to restore them?

 

Thanks, Scott

In San Diego you might call Chrome 2345 B Kettner Blvd.. In North County San Diego I recommend North Coast Photographic Services in Carlsbad. I use them regularly with great success for color work in a variety of formats including 4 x 5.

The Golden Dagor sometimes called the Gold Rim Dagor dates from the mid-1950's. The front barrel on a Golden Dagor is gold anodized aluminum. The earlier Dagors had either black painted brass barrels or unpainted aluminum barrels. For the Golden Dagors you're looking at serial numbers in the 78X XXX to 8XX XXX range. The glass should be single coated with a light blue or sapphire blue coating. The the Gold Dot Dagor (the last Dagors made by Goerz) date from the mid to late 1960's. Beware that there are some Dagors that are being marketed on fleabay as Gold Rim Dagors that are not. Someone has polished the brass barrel of an earlier Dagor (sometimes removing the black paint)leaving a shining brass barrelled Dagor. Again the real Golden Dagor has a gold anodized aluminum barrel. I have several Dagors in different focal lengths and they are all excellent. You won't be disappointed. Good luck with your purchase.

Robert,

 

The current version of the Sinar F1 & F2 are all black. Type this post title in the forum search feature for a more detailed answer: Sinar F / F1 differences.