Mamiya/Sekor CWP
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| image by kym. (Image rights) |
The Mamiya Camera Co. Ltd. was established in 1940 to produce twin lens reflex cameras using medium format roll film. The range of interchangeable lens Mamiyaflexes was highly successful. The company entered the 35mm SLR market at about at the same time as most of the reputable Japanese manufacturers did in 1959. Their first family however was not a very ambitious one, despite using the Exakta bayonet lens mount. This was the low cost range of Mamiya Prismats. Then, in 1963, a rethought model was launched, using the at the time quite popular, but soon obsolete 42mm Praktica screw mount. This was the Mamiya/Sekor.
The Mamiya/Sekor CWP or sometimes, just Mamiya/Sekor, was the first screw lensmount 35mm SLR camera from Mamiya Camera Co. Ltd. It was launched in 1964, the same year as the quite similar Canon FX, but two years after the Minolta SR-7. It stayed on the market for two years. It has a built-in exposure meter with the CdS cell positioned just in front of the wind-on lever. A High - Low meter range switch is situated coaxially under the shutter speed dial, on which the film speed is set lifting and turning it using a scale on the perimeter. The meter read-out window is next to the rewind knob, showing F-values to be transferred to the lend aperture ring. The camera has neat design, but a slightly rough and heavy feel. The focusing screen has a micro prism centre spot, surrounded by a ground collar and Fresnel rings. The finder has a 19mm (¾") thread for accessories. An automatic frame counter is visible under a window in front of the wind lever. The standard lens is the Mamiya/Sekor 1:1.8 f=55mm in black with a 52mm chrome filter ring, and an M - A slide aperture selector switch.
The CWP body has some are slightly out of the ordinary features; the self-timer at the front has a release button in the wind lever hub. The missing meter switch is already mentioned, draining at all times the 1.35volt mercury cell sitting in its base compartment; covering the cell minimises the drain. The rewind button is raised to disengage the film cassette, but the back door has a latch at the side. The tripod socket is moved forward on a base plate protrusion not found on many SLR cameras. The strap eyelets are stamped out, possibly of stainless steel. However, TTL metering was taking over, and the much improved model 1000DTL, based on the CWP, followed.
Links
- Prismat SLRs on Ron Herron's Collecting Mamiya 35mm site.
