From: tjl@cbnews.cb.att.com (timothy.j.lipetz)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Mamiya 645 View Camera (sort of)
Keywords: medium format view camera
Date: 10 Sep 92 21:57:53 GMT
Organization: AT&T



A MAMIYA 645 VIEW CAMERA (sort of)

Since there has been so much discussion of the
benefits of tilt and rise lately, I thought I'd
describe what I have been doing with it lately.

I have a Mamiya 645 Super.  In addition to the
usual method of operation I also use it as a
mini-view camera.  I've wanted to do this ever since I
saw that that the bellows unit has swing, tilt, rise
and shift on the front standard.

Because of the room in the camera body for the
mirror swing plus the size of the standards,
Mamiya lenses can only be used on the bellows at
close-up distances (after all that is why they sell
a bellows unit.)  I figured I could put a
barrel lens (aperture control but no shutter or
focusing control.) on it and have a fairly
useful view camera.  (Remember the M645 has a focal
plane shutter.)  I've done it and it works
extremely well.

In addition to the bellows unit (new $900, I found 
it used for $350), all I needed was a body cap
and a lens.  Of course, I drilled out the body
cap and mounted the lens in it thereby allowing
the assembly to be mounted like an ordinary
lens (except, of course, there is no aperture
coupling so I do have to stop down manually
before each shot and through the lens metering
is not quite as useful as with my other lenses
although it is still possible. - in any case I
use a spot meter.)

I get all the advantages of the lens movements, and
yes tilt is wonderful.  I also use a fair amount of
drop (front tilt plus drop plus tilting the whole camera
up gives the equivalent of back tilt.)  Plus I get
the advantages of roll film and polaroid backs,
plus all the safety interlocks (no more pulling out
the film holder before the dark slide is in.)  Plus
I have my choice of ground glass viewing with the
folding lens hood, or prism viewing.  Plus the image
is right side up.  Plus I have an accurate electronically
controlled shutter with up to 1/1000 sec (Okay, so I
usually shoot long exposures.)  Plus, when I want to
do last minute (or between bracketing) checks of focus or
composition, I only need to flip up and down my mirror
lock-up and maybe open up the aperture, compared
to using a view or technical camera {put in dark slide,
pull out film holder, maybe replace ground glass,
open lens shutter, maybe open lens aperture, adjust and
climb under dark cloth, reset aperture, cock the shutter,
maybe remove ground glass, put in film holder, remove
darkslide, (and ask myself what did I forget this time :-)) }
And best of all when I switch from view camera photography to
medium format on a tripod photography, to
hand-held-power-winder-auto-exposure-shoot-a-moving-target
photography, I continue to work with a system that I
am familiar and comfortable with.

About the only limitation on the approach is that
I am limited to somewhat longer lenses.  The film plane
to front standard on a closed up bellows is about 100mm.
Since I want some movements even at infinity, and most
lenses mount with the rear nodal point somewhat ahead
of where the body cap naturally fits, about 120mm is
the lower limit for a lens.

I am using a Schneider Componon S 135mm f5.6.

Yes, that's right.  It's an enlarging lens.  (and
a pretty good one at that!).  It is also a modern
design multi-coated flat-field barrel lens with
an image circle big enough for a 4x5 negative.  Which
makes it ideal for my 645 view camera.  Only under the
most extreme movements do I have to worry about coverage.
I was a little concerned about how well it would perform at
infinity, since I have heard that enlarging lenses are
optimized for a 1:6 ratio.  I didn't have to worry.  I have
some 16x20s from my first two rolls of Agfa Ultra that are
wonderful.

Anyhow, I thought some people might be interested in this
fairly successful experiment.  I think that it is also a
nice reminder that manufacturers can not be all things to
all photographers, and that we can use what they sell as
a starting point and then build and customize from there.
In fact, if you look at old photo magazines, there were
more questions like, "How can I build a ... ?" and less
like "Which ... should I buy?"

In this case building it myself was extremely easy.  Figuring
out that I could assemble it easily from available parts
was the fun part.

Timothy Lipetz
tjl@cbzoo.att.com
(614)848-3614
Newsgroups: rec.photo