This website is operated by Mamiya UK and it's licensees, which includes Mamiya web store and eBay store. This history covers information collected at this website and information collected offline by us.
Mamiya originally achieved fame for its professional medium-format rangefinder film cameras such as the Mamiya Six (1940) and the Mamiya Press (1962) series. It later developed medium-format industry workhorse single lens reflex cameras: RB67 (1970), RZ67 (1982), and 645 (1975): 13 and twin-lens reflex C series, all of which were used by advanced amateur and professional photographers.
Many Mamiya models over the past six decades have become collectors' items. The earliest Mamiya Six medium-format folding camera, the 35 mm Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL, the lightweight 35 mm Mamiya NC1000, the 6×6 cm 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 Rapid series of medium format press cameras.
Mamiya has entered other business markets over time by purchasing other companies. Until 2000, it made fishing equipment such as fishing rods and fishing reels. In 2006, the Mamiya Op Co., Ltd., Inc. transferred the camera and optical business to Mamiya Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. The original company, doing business as Mamiya-OP, continues to exist and makes a variety of industrial and electronics products. It also makes golf clubs, golf club shafts and grips, and golf balls through its subsidiaries Kasco and USTMamiya.
The first camera released was the RB67 Professional in 1970. The system comprise of a camera body, viewfinder, back adapter, film back, and lens. The camera body itself is quite simple and fully mechanical. It does not require any battery power. The shutter button is located on the front bottom right of the camera. It can be locked with a twist of the collar. The shutter is cocked manually by pressing down the large lever on the right hand side of the body. The mirror within the camera and shutter in the lens are cocked at the same time. There are two focusing knobs on each side of the camera body similar to the Mamiya C series TLRs. The focusing screens are also interchangeable. The most common back adapter included in the system is the rotating back. The naming of the camera RB67 stood for Rotating Back 6 × 7.
The RB67 was originally designed to supplement the Mamiya C series 6 × 6 TLR system and the multi-format Mamiya Press rangefinder camera system (6 × 4.5, 6 × 7, 6 × 9, others) but has surpassed them in popularity. Back adapters for using Mamiya Press roll film and instant film backs are also available. Due to its heavy weight (almost 2kg for the body alone) the RB67 is often said to be unsuitable for use hand-held use. This isn't necessarily true - with a decent neck strap the RB67 can easily be used on the move. The flexibility of the RB67 system made it one of the most popular studio cameras in the 1970s.
The Mamiya RZ67 is a series of medium format system cameras primarily designed for using 120/220 film. It consists of three models: (a) the original Mamiya RZ67, introduced in 1982; (b) the Mamiya RZ67 Pro II, introduced in 1995; and (c) the Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID, introduced in 2004. The original RZ67 design was by Tsuneaki Munakata, who also designed the Mamiya ZM and Mamiya M645 Super.
The name "RZ" was derived from the RB67, where "RB" stands for revolving back. It was expected that the RZ series might replace the RB series, but this did not happen: at least until 2010, the RB67 Pro SD and the RZ67 Pro IID were both still being sold new. The RZ models can use many of the RB components, such as lenses and backs, but with limitations, as the RB series cameras are completely mechanical, while the RZ lenses have Seiko #1 electronic shutters and electronic components are used throughout the camera. Being completely modular, the camera can be configured in many ways. Lenses, viewfinders and backs can all be exchanged and full auto exposure is possible with some of the finder options. The RZ models can mostly be found in studio settings as they are quite bulky due to the revolving back construction, but as they are now quite affordable in the used camera market, more of them are in the hands of enthusiasts, who also use them on location. The RZ67 IID was sold coupled with Leaf Aptus II digital backs as the RZ22, RZ33 and RZ80 until 2010; since 2011 it has been listed as a 'legacy product' at the Mamiya Leaf site, but all models are also listed as compatible with current (as at 2015) Leaf Credo backs.
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