Mamiya 220f - a few questions

xtolsniffer · Oct 9, 2015

Hi all,
I decided that I needed more medium format in my life. I have a lovely RB67 kit which is wonderful but I wanted something a little more portable. It's not just the weight of the RB67, but the bulk as well. I've played with a few folders, which I also love, but the quality wasn't quite there for me. Then the opportunity to acquire a nice Mamiya 220f came up, with a 'blue dot' 80mm f2.8. I didn't know how I would deal with the 6x6 square format, but so far I love it. I also love the camera. A little bit smaller than the RB, but a whole kilogram lighter. I'd like to add a strap to it, but my RB strap won't fit (it's the fitting with the round studs). Would a strap from a Mamiya 645 camera fit? Also, it takes 46 mm filters, which are expensive and hard to find to say the least. I would probably add an orange and a green, but has anyone had any success with a 46-49mm step-up ring and 49 mm filters? I'm not sure it would go inside the lens shade.

Ta!

bernard_L · Oct 9, 2015

Also, it takes 46 mm filters, which are expensive and hard to find to say the least.

How hard did you look? this one is 10GBP and located in GB. And, IMO, you should buy a yellow filter before an orange or green. Plus, I would recommend yellow-green instead of green (but in addition to yellow). Plus, sometimes you need a little patience to find some items on e**y (but
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOYA-46mm-Y-k2-YELLOW-FILTER-/272002814257?hash=item3f54a19131

Enjoy your C220. You should aim to have more than one lens; if you stay with just one lens, you might as well have bought a Yashica mat 124, lighter, smaller. The 55mm is quite nice for landscapes (nature or urban), and has the same filter diameter as the 80mm.

Chrismat · Oct 9, 2015

If you are going to use 49mm filters on a 46mm to 49mm step up ring, you may want to consider a standard 49mm rubber lens hood on the 49mm filter. I've done that using both the C220 and C330, and it's worked out fine. I'm not sure if the strap from a Mamiya 645 would work.

Chris

MattKing · Oct 9, 2015

The 65mm lens has a 49mm filter size, so the lens shade for it might fit on a lens with a 46mm to 49mm step up ring.

The problem with using the step-up rings is that you then cannot use the matched lens caps. But the lens cap for the 65mm lens might work there too.

I'd suggest contacting Graham Patterson: http://grahamp.dotinthelandscape.org/

sagai · Oct 10, 2015

I have found that my 49mm filters for my om lenses perfectly fit on the 46mm c330f 80/2.8 lenses when the outer ring of the filter is "clipped" to the lense!
In such a way no adapter needed, solely a tiny bit if paper may be to smooth this clipping thing.

Blighty · Oct 10, 2015

I use a Cokin 'A' filter holder (and filters) coupled with their modular lens hoods. Works fine and the image cut off through the viewing lens isn't as bad as you'd think and easy enough work around. You do have to use an old 46mm filter (sans glass) to act as a spacer though. I know it sounds like a bit of a faff, but you'll find more used Cokin 'A' filters of the variety you need than traditional round filters in 46mm thread plus you can use grads as well.

xtolsniffer · Oct 10, 2015

Excellent tips there, thanks everyone! The 49 mm tip is especially handy as I already have a stock of 49 mm filters from my OM system. Turn them over and use them as a push-fit filter. A bit of blu-tack in the mount holds it on fine. I also have an old Cokin A system holder lurking around somewhere too...
One of the happy find is that I occasionally do infra-red work, and being able to see what you are taking through the viewing lens with the IR filter over the taking lens is a real treat.

benjiboy · Oct 11, 2015

I suggest you consider instead of buying the C220F you think about buying as C330F because the auto parallax correction is worth whatever the price difference is if any.

blockend · Oct 11, 2015

I had a C330f and it was a lovely camera, with very nice lenses. I never thought of it as small, especially with the hood up, the handle out and the bellows extended, but compared to an RB67 it is! Although it has bellows extension, a parallax indicator and exposure markers, you need a paramender attachment and a sturdy tripod to use the camera successfully for close ups. It isn't a reflex camera like the RB, and still too big for my present 120 needs, but the Mamiya TLRs are lovely cameras nonetheless.

Kirks518 · Oct 12, 2015

As an owner and user of both the C220 and C330 (plain, not F's or S's), I would agree with benjiboy.

Not only does the 330 series give you the parallax correction in the vf, but also the bellows exposure compensation. The 2 series gives it to you in the silly (IMHO) Mamiya bar coding graph on the side of the camera. So, you focus/compose, then look at the lines on the graph, and follow them to the parallax indicator, which is a little mark on the graph. Then you look at the bottom of the graph to determine your bellows compensation. Umm.. yeah... convenient.

Yes, the C330 series will cost you more, but in the long run it's well worth it, especially if you do any relatively closeup work.

When I got the C330, and put the 180mm on it, I was completely shocked to learn how quickly parallax comes into play with longer lenses.

And don't forget about the automatic shutter cocking on the C330 series, another huge plus.

250swb · Oct 12, 2015

xtolsniffer said:
Also, it takes 46 mm filters, which are expensive and hard to find to say the least.

46mm is along with 39mm one of the 'standard' sizes for Leica M lenses, as such they are pretty common and easy to find. You may have to go further afield than a local camera shop if it doesn't stock Leica equipment, but all the main filter manufacturers from cheap to mega expensive do 46mm filters. Ebay is also a good source.

Steve

xtolsniffer · Oct 13, 2015

Thanks for all the useful replies everyone. I bought a 220 in the end as a bit of an antidote to my RB67, the saving of a few hundred grams on the 220 over the 330 (plus a bit of cash) seemed worthwhile to have a lightweight MF alternative to my RB. I have no issues with separate shutter cocking and film advance anyway as that's what I do with the RB, as well as look at the side scale for exposure compensation too. I'm looking forward to getting to grips with a square frame. I might keep my eye out for a 55mm lens, though good ones seem to go pretty fast. I've never been a tele sort of guy, and an 80mm and 55mm should cover 99% of my needs I think. The tips on tracking down filters have helped. Not as cheap getting a 46 mm vs a 49 or 52, but they are out there at least.

xtolsniffer · Oct 15, 2015

Having done a bit of measuring, I've found out that RB67 straps won't fit onto the 220 TLR because the metal on the RB strap ends is too thick. The hole is wide enough but the posts on the 220 strap attachments have a narrower gap in them than on the RB67 so the strap ends won't slide on. I've ordered an Op/Tech pro strap with the 'B' ends, so hopefully they will fit both the TLR and the RB67...

xtolsniffer · Oct 19, 2015

Just for the sake of the archive, the Op/Tech Pro strap with the 'B' connectors fits the lugs of both the Mamiya 220f TLR and the RB67...

mrosenlof · Nov 10, 2015

The lenses that take 49mm filters (65, 180, 250) are a little tough on the TLRs. The lens barrel is about half normal thickness, and Mamiya sold special thin filters to match. This all means that with standard 49mm filters, you can't fit the slip on lens hoods, or lenscaps, you also can't put standard filters on both the taking and viewing lenses.

The filter threads are fragile on those lenses because of the thin metal. They originally came with a stronger ring screwed into the filter threads. Many are now missing because they got lost the first time a filter was screwed on the lens.

None of this is *that* bad, but is a bit inconvenient, and worth knowing if you're going to buy one of those lenses.

The 180 super is a really useful lens to me (I tend toward longer lenses).

Mamiya 220f - a few questions

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