Read the posting Rules: please post your pictures with tags! In any case, here’s a visual comparison. The RB67 Pro SD also features multi-format versatility, revolving back and bellows focusing. But let’s review and add perhaps a little more color. The Mamiya RB67 Professional was first released in 1970, and most sources state that the Mamiya RB67 was originally designed to complement and extend the Mamiya C-Series TLR (twin-lens reflex) camera range, and their very specific methods of use, as well as classic 6×6 cm image size. And given that it’s 100% manual, it’ll work in even the most extreme conditions. So after really focusing my attention on this camera once again, and really thinking about why I still love it so much, I’ve come up with seven anecdotes that best describe what keeps me coming back to the RB67. Some people called them soft and others got a sharp optic. The first is basically a box and dark slide, into which a film insert is placed. While the Canon AE-1 was the first camera I ever owned, that camera was a hand-me-down. It was certainly a step-up from the hobbyist connotations of the smaller 35mm SLR, but the RB is also a humble camera. When I bought my RB, nearly two decades ago, it was already an old camera and had been succeeded by the much more technologically advanced RZ67 series of cameras, as well as the newer iteration of the RB-series, the RB67 Pro-SD. The shutter speeds appear to be smooth and on the money. It uses a locking ring system, with the ring itself on the lens barrel. By “considerable,” I mean 2 lbs., 1.5 oz., which is just shy of a kilogram at 948 g. The waist-level finder is about 7 oz. Very heavy. In any event, the design of the lenses on the RB is, frankly, weird — and totally in keeping with the weirdness of the rest of the camera. Let’s start with the back of the camera, and move our way forward. Much like you find on a Mamiya C-Series TLR, on either side of the body, at the bottom, you have two large knobs. There are different focusing screens that were available for the RB, and mine has a split prism in the center, which I appreciate. What I discovered in the process is without question the quirkiest camera I’ve yet had the pleasure of using. The RB67 was much more of an indoor beast, finding a … Find great deals on eBay for mamiya rb67 pro s and mamiya rb67 pro sd. A partial disassembly of that piece, some cleaning, and just the very slightest touch of machine oil in just the right spot got that working like new again. In either horizontal or vertical orientation, pairs of solid lines will show in the viewfinder to indicate the boundaries of the film area for making accurate compositions. During the last two decades it has earned its reputation as the "workhorse of the pros". 1. What a workhorse and great camera! The variety of obscurity of some of the accessories is exciting to me, even if I stick to solely working with a prism finder model 2 or a waist-level finder and a few 120 film backs. RB67 Pro vs Pro-S. Hey guys I just purchased an RB67 Pro (first model) and was wondering what major differences there are between this model(1970) and the Pro-S(1974). Ohnehin sind die Preise auf Webseiten quasi immer billiger. the lens aperture manually or meter lenses (such as the lens, those PXW-FS7 Sony NEX-3, Actual product may not fit this the lens is be disrupted. KL lenses all shipped with an adapter attached to the lens so that they can be mounted to Pro-SD bodies. I still own an RB67ProS that I bought new from B&H in the mid 1980's! Multiple backs would solve the problem in the field, but the other issue is that the film insert can easily just fall right out of the back when the door is opened; something you do with some care. The Mamiya RB67 Pro-S works for me as a practical complement to my Mamiya 7 II, and can do many things that the beloved rangefinder cannot. That may well be true, but I don’t see any reason to limit its use to studio settings, but then, I have no qualms with heavy cameras in general. Enter new zip code to refresh estimated delivery time. As for the combination of cocking the shutter and advancing the film back, I could do it in my sleep... as well as loading roll film. I’d been intrigued by what I’d heard about the Mamiya RB67, and started keeping my eyes open for one. The Mamiya RZ67 is one of my "bucket list" cameras. It’s worth nothing that no matter which viewfinder you choose, the camera will automatically indicate the orientation of the shot in the focusing screen. In some images it’s not particularly noticeable, but it’s there. Certainly they’re better quality images than you can manage with comparable 135 film (they’re roughly 2.7x bigger), but if you’re going for quality, bigger is better, and the very common 6×6 cm images of a typical TLR or Hasselblad provide that while also offering an interesting square format image that you either love or hate, it seems. Speaking of those sliding latches, they are a Graflok 2×3 system. When all that work was done, I was pleased, except for one thing: the light seals. Even though that setup weighs roughly 9-10 lb, since it is a compacted and dense weight, it is easier to handhold than, say, a DSLR with a 300mm f/2.8 that is very forward-heavy. Beyond this, the camera system is simple, with its pieces locking into place using latches—shutter speeds and apertures are easily selected via the lens-based ring, and focus is controlled with two synced wheels guiding a rack-and-pinion system. The first model, the RB67 Pro, came out in 1970 and was made until … The second is also a two-piece system, but the pieces are configured differently. (Camera Wiki has more details on the RB if you’re interested.). On the top of the body is the viewfinder system. by Karen Nakamura . I am aware that you have to do some math. ** Obviously, many cameras shoot multiple formats with simple back and/or image mask changes, and there are cameras — such as the Rolleicord Va and Vb — which have kits available that contain replacement film advance mechanisms and masks to shoot other sizes. Database contains 4 Mamiya RB67 Pro S Manuals (available for free online viewing or downloading in PDF): Operation & user’s manual, … There’s no skirting around the issue that the camera is very heavy and cumbersome, but I have shot it handheld with a prism and 250mm f/4.5 lens with great success, albeit during daytime with 1/125-second shutter speeds and higher. Rational 6 x 7cm format Being an SLR with a built-in bellows, it’s the perfect camera for shooting close-up subjects, as well as using longer telephoto lenses. Has anyone done a shutter timing test on RB lenses? And as someone who shoots primarily in the vertical orientation, its somewhat squat aspect ratio sits well on a book page and almost perfectly translates to the classic 8 x 10, 16 x 20, and 20 x 24" print sizes. R-lock must surely be named for the RB, and is the attachment system on the camera body itself. As I own both cameras I was interested to compare the Hasselblad vs Mamiya RZ67 Pro II. Page 40: Special Pointers In Using The Mamiya Rb67 Pro-S 0 Special Pointers on Using the Mamiya RB67 Pro-S Various safety interlock devices are provided for the Mamiya RB67 Pro-S to eliminate failures through care- lessness. It is, simply put, huge. It takes two hands to unlock it, and two to lock it back on. Using the RB67 has actually been a lot of fun, and the camera takes amazing images. Compared to other classic cameras articles I’ve worked on, where I’m shooting with a camera I either do not own or do not use frequently, this article is a bit different, since the RB67 is still one of few cameras I use on a very regular basis. In addition to my Mamiya 7 II, the RB67 has become the second most-used camera I own, and my main camera for portraiture, still-life, and tabletop shooting. First of all, I have to say that with the Mamiya RB67 Pro as well as the Pro S and Pro SD, you are holding a reliable and high-quality camera in your hands. One of the things I find weird about it is that in portrait (vertical) orientation, the dark slide pulls out from the bottom of the camera, which is fairly awkward in the field. Ask Question Asked 4 years, 2 months ago. Sure, it’s not very amenable to things like street photography, where the camera would be about as discrete as wearing a thong to Starbucks during the morning coffee rush. (1450g)Pro-S roll film holder 15-14/16 oz. It went through a few iterations before production eventually stopped in the early 2000’s. The lens mount is there too, of course. I understand that the RZ shutters are consistent and accurate:- any comments? It is a wonderfull camera!!! And like the rest of the camera, it’s big and bulky, but I’d hardly label it as difficult or fussy. Speed up future orders, see order history, create wish lists, and more. You can find a reasonably authoritative lens guide (along with other RB info) on this web site. It’s not the RB’s fault, but as with any camera that has a dark slide, I very often find myself unable to take a shot when I want to because so much can be missed, starting with the failure to remove the dark slide prior to trying to take a picture. But that enormous focusing screen makes focusing easy even when the split prism portion is giving you fits with eye alignment. (When using Mamiya KL lenses with the RB Pro-S and RB67. Overview and Personal Comments. This adapter should be removed to mount to Pro/Pro-S bodies. It’s a camera I will continue to use for as long as I shoot film, it’s a camera that cannot be bested for what it does best and, for me, it’s a camera that has immense sentimental value. Maybe it’s the fact that my other camera is a rangefinder, and an extremely poor choice for close-up work, but I really love that the RB67 uses a bellows for focusing. Find great deals on eBay for mamiya rb67 pro sd. If you’ve ever picked up or held an RB67, you know the camera is basically a fancy looking anchor. Though I’ve thus far been lucky enough to not have to not have any issues with my camera, I’ve read on online forum… On the up side, while the camera doesn’t have a dark slide holder in the conventional sense, the slide does slide into a space on the left side of the body (from the photographer’s view). If you decide you want to buy one of the backs listed below through eBay, then I get a small cut which I use to run this site. Mamiya RB67 Pro S Manuals & User Guides. After this process — which for the RB67 took a few hours — the camera actually seemed to look pretty good. The closeness depends on the focal length of the lens; longer focal lengths can’t get anywhere near that close. The RB67, on the other hand, signaled a change for me and represents the moment I began to take photography more seriously. Shop with confidence. The shutter is cocked manually by pressing down the large lever on the right h… To be honest, most cameras I buy are actually pretty filthy by my personal standards. It’s hardly detectable at all in these: Despite the light leaks, I did prove that both the camera and the lens work properly, and they take really nice images! Searching all the usual suspects (most of which are somewhere on my directory page) I came-up completely dry. I anticipated that, and immediately ordered a complete set of seal and rotating adapter seals from Gray at USCamera (see my directory). To be honest, I can’t imagine holding the camera up to my eye to take a shot each and every time; it’s just big, heavy and awkward. One of the coolest things about medium format is that there are so many ways to make use of the real estate. I’m always browsing brick-and-mortar camera stores both locally and when I travel, as well as the major online shops. User Manuals, Guides and Specifications for your Mamiya RB67 Pro S Digital Camera. It offers full mechanical reliability. At first, I found the lens mounting system in this camera to be pretty weird, because I’d never encountered one that worked this way, but I quickly understood and got used to it. Viewed 329 times 2. Deal. The email address you entered was an invalid email. What Is Your Favorite Film and Camera Combination? The other part of the RB67’s name, the 67 part this time, stands for 6 x 7 format, which is roughly a 6 x 7cm image area. Not too square, not too long. All photos werer shot on expired 120 Ilford Delta 100 film and developed in Kodak Xtol developer. Tell us about it in the Comments section, below. I will always be thankful for that camera! More on those results later; for now, let’s talk about the camera more generally. I enjoy reading about these classic cameras. The lens mount adapter ring comes with Sekor C lenses. It's the perfect portrait lens in my opinion. Beyond the examples provided earlier, here are a few favorites from my RB67: Measurements — Camera Body with Roll Film Holder, Height: 5-21/32in. It’s pretty much all metal with a few touches of plastic. Piggybacking on the bellows, I really like the lenses themselves, too. The system comprise of a camera body, viewfinder, back adapter, film back, and lens. Generally, that’s 50 mm for 135 cameras, 70, 75 or 80 mm for 6×4.5 or 6×6 medium format cameras, 90 mm for 6×7 medium format cameras, or 100 mm for 6×9 medium format cameras — in most cases (there are always exceptions to rules). Beyond the image size, however, I was interested in the cameras that expose these enlarged images, and with 6×7, one of the most affordable and most highly regarded of the lot is the Mamiya RB67. The lever actually cocks not only the shutter, but the mirror, according to the owner’s manual. There are so few moving parts or fickle adjustments that pretty much anyone can learn this camera in a matter of minutes. remove the lens mount adapter ring.) Only the viewfinder seems a bit flimsy compared to the rest. Shooting handled is possible, but all day would quickly become a pain.An important note regarding the RB67 … Regardless, the original 1970 model set the tone for the whole RB67 (and later, the RZ67) series cameras. 5 out of 5 stars (9) 9 product ratings - Mamiya RB67 Pro S Medium Format … Its size is perhaps one of my favorite things about this camera, however. Mercury Camera has a very detailed write-up on the Graflok 23 system, including how Mamiya utilized it, and it’s an interesting deep-dive read if you want to know more. (228mm) (with 90mm f/3. It allows closer-than-expected focusing distances with pretty much all lenses, it feels intuitive to focus with a rack-and-pinion system, especially considering the size and weight of the camera, and it helps to keep the prices of the lenses down, since they have a much simpler design than a lens with a built-in focusing helicoid. As I mentioned, it is a Graflok 2×3 (or simply “Graflok 23”) compatible attachment system, the one used by many “baby” Graflex Graphic cameras. The shutter is released from a single button on the front right of the camera and there are two levers to cock the shutter and wind the film. I prefer the term fixed focal length lens in those situations. As a result, according to most sources, the Pro S is the most abundant of the RB67 cameras on the used market. With the prime lens I wanted, and the light seals replaced, it was time to get some more shots under my belt with this unit. Mamiya feels confident that the extensive versatility and capabilities of the Pro-S will meet and satisfy the requirements of all photographers. At the low end is not a bulb setting, but a time setting, labeled T on the ring. It has a pop-up magnifier of course, which is also huge. How far DO they "drift out" accuracy wise? Working from the back (camera body) to the front, the first ring on the lens barrel is the locking ring. Ironic, no? In fact, the lens shows barely any signs of ever being used; a couple of small wear marks in the anodized finish is about it. And I agree that the rotating back is a feature that other cameras should have emulated!