Mamiya RB67
The RB67 is a professional medium format SLR camera by Mamiya. It takes lenses with the RB mount. Lenses are equipped with leaf shutters and focus is set using a bellows arrangement, so the camera body itself is quite simple and fully mechanical.
Due to its heavy weight (almost 2kg for the body alone) the RB67 is often said to be unsuitable for use hand-held. This isn't necessarily true - with a decent neckstrap the RB67 can easily be used on the move.
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| Anatomy of an RB67 image by Raphael Borges (Image rights) |
Contents
Cameras
RB67 Professional
The original camera is called RB67 Pro, and released in 1970.
RB67 Pro-S
The RB67 Pro-S was released in 1974. It improved upon the previous model by having an orientation indicator for portrait or landscape mode on the rotating back. Multi exposure control is now possible on the Pro-S roll film back.
RB67 Pro-SD
This revision was released in 1990. It supports L series lenses along with 6x8 backs.
Backs
The usual size for an RB67 back is 6x7, hence the name. Mamiya backs are also available in 6x4.5 and 6x8 (only compatible with the RB67 Pro-SD). Backs from other manufacturers that have the Graflok fitting may be used.
Mamiya backs from the Press system are compatible with the RB67 with the use of the P-adapter. The P-adapter converts the RB67 back into a Press back similar to the one on the Mamiya Press Universal camera system.
Use of Polaroid instant film is also supported. Mamiya did not originally have a dedicated Polaroid packfilm back designed for the RB67. It required the use of a separate P-adapter to mount the instant back that was designed for the Mamiya Press. Later; dedicated RB67 Polaroid backs are introduced that mounted directly to the RB67 instead of through a P-adapter.
Lenses
Original
The original lenses were released along with the RB67 Pro in 1970. They only have a single anti-reflective coating.
C
The C lenses were released with the RB67 Pro-S in 1974. These lenses are multi-coated.
K/L
The K/L lenses are a slightly newer design with better coatings than the C lenses. The K/L is a code to indicate which bodies the lenses are compatible with. K indicates the Pro/Pro-S bodies and L indicates the Pro-SD bodies.
L
The L lenses are compatible with the Pro-SD only, due to the fact they need a larger "throat" to mount on the camera. The only L lenses are the 75mm Shift lens and 500mm APO lens.
Lens list
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Zoom
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System
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Lens
Focusing screens
Finder
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Body
Film backs
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Adapters
Instant
Mamiya Press backs
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Bibliography
- Kamera no ayumi. Zen nihon shashin renmei sōritsu 50-shūnen kinen (カメラのあゆみ・全日本写真連盟創立五〇周年記念, History of cameras, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the All Japan Association of Photographic Societies). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1976. No ISBN number. P.107.
- Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp.133 and 169.
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). P.648.
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Item 2171.
Links
In English:
- Mamiya RB67 at medfmt
- Mamiya RB67 at photoethnography.com by Karen Nakamura
- Mamiya Cameras Instruction Manuals - English at Mike Butkus Orphan Cameras
- Mamiya RB67 Guide
In French:
- Mamiya RB67, RB67 Pro S on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
In Japanese:
- The 6×4.5 and 6×7 SLRs in the Camera Museum of the Mamiya official website, covers the RB67 Professional, RB67 Professional S and RB67 Professional GL
