Mamiya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Type | Camera and lens manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | May, 1940 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo,  Japan |
| Key people | Seichi Mamiya, founder |
| Industry | Digital Imaging and Photography |
| Products | Cameras, Optical and other products |
| Employees | 200 |
| Website | Mamiya Japan Mamiya America Corporation |
Mamiya Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. (マミヤ・デジタル・イメージングー株式会社 Mamiya Dejitaru Imejingu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese company that today manufactures high-end cameras and other related photographic and optical equipment. With headquarters in Tokyo, it has two manufacturing plants and a workforce of over 200 people.
Mamiya originally achieved fame for its professional film cameras, especially medium-format film cameras such as the Mamiya RB67, RZ67, and C-220/C-330, used by advanced amateur and professional photographers. Mamiya also heralded the establishment of the 645 format for professional photographers, of which its current 645 model is the 645AFDIII. Mamiya has been recently developing digital products, namely the Mamiya ZD products and a new D range of quality lenses.
Contents |
[edit] Gallery
 Mamiya C330 twin-lens reflex camera |
 Mamiya 645 Super |
 Mamiya RZ67 Pro I |
 35mm SLR Mamiya ZE |
[edit] History
Many Mamiya models over the past six decades have become collectors' items. The earliest Mamiya-6 medium-format folding camera, the 35 mm Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL, the lightweight 35 mm Mamiya NC1000, the 6×6cm medium-format C series of interchangeable-lens twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras, and the press cameras of the Super/Universal series are highly valued. Mamiya also manufactured the last models in the Omega line of medium format cameras.
[edit] Medium format
In 1970, Mamiya introduced the RB67 6×7 cm professional single lens reflex (SLR). The RB67, a large, heavy, medium-format camera with built-in closeup bellows was innovative and successful. Previous medium-format professional cameras used the square 6×6cm format which did not require the camera to be rotated for photographs in portrait orientation, problematical with large and heavy cameras when tripod-mounted. The RB67 had a rotating back which enabled photographs to be taken in either landscape or portrait orientation without rotating the camera, at the expense of additional weight and bulk. The RB67 soon became widely used by professional studio photographers.
The RB67 was followed by the improved RZ67 in 1982. These cameras established Mamiya as medium-format professional camera manufacturers, together with Hasselblad, Rollei, Bronica and Pentax.
The Mamiya ZD and the Mamiya ZD Digital Back were announced in September 2004 and first shipped to Europe in March 2006. The ZD is a large, professional digital SLR camera with a 22 megapixel digital sensor manufactured by Dalsa. The ZD Digital Back fits the 645AFD camera models and provides it with digital functionality.
[edit] 35mm
Mamiya started manufacturing 35 mm cameras in 1949, with 35 mm point-and-shoot compact cameras being introduced later. The excellent Mamiya-35 series of rangefinder cameras was followed by the Mamiya Prismat SLR in 1961 and the Mamiya TL/DTL in the mid-to-late 1960s. The SX, XTL and NC1000 were other 35 mm SLR camera models introduced by Mamiya. One of Mamiya's last 35 mm SLR designs was the Z-series. The original entry-level ZE model was an aperture-priority-only SLR; the ZE-2 added manual exposure; the ZE-X added shutter priority and full program automated mode, and (with a dedicated flash and an EF-series lens) focus-priority flash exposure). In these models the aperture ring had no direct connection to the diaphragm, allowing the camera body to override the set aperture, and the lenses could communicate a considerable amount of information to the camera body via electrical contacts on the mount.
The Mamiya ZM, introduced in 1982, was essentially an advanced version of the ZE-2, with some of the features of the ZE-X. It was the last Mamiya 35 mm camera produced. It had an aperture-priority automatic time control, based on center-weighted TTL readings, an automatic shutter-speed range from 4 seconds to 1/1000, and a manual range from 2 seconds to 1/1000. Visual and audio signals indicated over- or under-exposure, pending battery failure, or excessive camera shake. Metering modes, shutter release, self-timer, manual time settings and the ergonomics of the camera body were also improved.
In 1984 Osawa, one of Mamiya's major distributors, filed for the Japanese equivalent of bankruptcy and, soon after, Mamiya discontinued 35 mm camera production to focus on the medium-format professional market.
[edit] Mamiya America Corporation
In the United States, the trademark for "Mamiya" is not owned by the original company in Japan but rather by a wholly separate entity called Mamiya America Corporation, (M.A.C). As such, any and all products that bear the name "Mamiya" are controlled by them and has this resulted in a considerable rise in retail pricing when comparing the same products to ones sold outside the US. M.A.C. also owns the tradename "Sekonic" (light meters).
[edit] Camera products (as of 2008)
[edit] 6×4.5cm format
The Mamiya 645 manual focus series
- The M645 (discontinued) was manufactured from 1975 to 1987. Non-interchangeable back.
- The M645 1000S (discontinued) was manufactured from 1976 to 1990. Non-interchangeable back.
- The M645J (discontinued) was manufactured from 1979 to 1982. Basic entry-level camera, non-interchangeable back.
- The Mamiya 645 Super (discontinued) was manufactured from 1985 to 1993.
- The Mamiya 645 Pro (discontinued) was manufactured from 1993 to 1998.
- The Mamiya 645 Pro-TL (current model) was first released in 1997.
- The Mamiya 645E (current model) was first released in 2000. Entry-level camera, non-interchangeable back, popular among beginners.
The Mamiya 645 auto focus series
- The Mamiya 645AF was first released in 1999.
- The Mamiya 645AFD was first released in 2001.
- The Mamiya 645AFD II was first released in 2005.
- The Mamiya 645AFD III is on the market since June 2008 and is also available branded as a Phase One camera (known as Phase One 645AF).
The 22 megapixel ZD Back for the 645AFD II and, with an adapter, the RZ67 Pro IID, was announced at the 2006 Photokina. In March 2008, Mamiya announced new products 80 mm D lens, 150 mm D lens and 45-90mm D lens. These, along with the 645AFDIII, and an adapter to use digital backs with the RB camera series, will be available later in the year.
[edit] 6×6cm format
- 6/6MF — electronic 6 cm × 6cm, 6 cm × 4,5cm and 35 mm rangefinder camera (discontinued)
[edit] 6×7cm format
- RB67/Pro-S/Pro-SD — mechanical 6 cm × 7cm SLR medium-format camera
- RZ67 Pro I/II/IID — electronic 6 cm × 7cm SLR medium-format camera
- 7/7 II — electronic 6 cm × 7cm rangefinder camera
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Mamiya Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. (Mamiya Japan)
- Mamiya America Corporation
- R.Herron's Collecting Mamiya 35 mm (Collector site for Mamiya 35mm)
- Karen Nakamura's Mamiya RB67 Pro Site
[edit] References
- Shell, Bob (1992). Mamiya Medium Format Systems (Hove Pro Guides). United Kingdom: Hove Books. pp. 208pp ill.. ISBN 9780906447765.
