Mamiya Six

This article is about the camera made in the 1940s and 50s. For the 1990s camera, see Mamiya 6.

The Mamiya Six is a series of 6×6 folders with a coupled rangefinder, made by Mamiya from 1940 to the 1950s. All of them are focused by moving the film plane. Some have Zuiko lenses.

Evolution

The Mamiya Six I, II and III were wartime and immediate postwar models, and had both eye-level and waist-level finders. The coupled rangefinder was combined with the eye-level finder. As a result, there were three windows at the front of the top housing. The Mamiya Six III added an exposure counter with double exposure prevention.

With the Mamiya Six IV, introduced in 1947, the waist-level finder disappeared. It remained the sole model until 1953. The Mamiya Six V added the dual 6×6 and 4.5×6 format capability, with an exposure counter functioning with both formats. The Mamiya Six K was a simpler model, with film advance via red windows.

In 1955, the Mamiya Six IVB introduced a squarer body design, easily recognized by the square rangefinder window. Its features were similar to the model IV. The Mamiya Six K2 was similar to the model K with the new body. The body design was slightly modified again for the Mamiya Six IVS and simpler Mamiya Six P.

From 1955, the Mamiya Six Automat and the later Automat 2 added a coupling between the shutter cocking and the film advance.

Pictures

Mamiya Six III no.23875, Compur shutter (T, B, 1–300), Nikkor 7.5cm f/4.5 lens no.75183. Pictures courtesy of eBayer badman664. (Image rights)

Mamiya Six IV no.35446, Zuiko 7.5cm f/3.5 lens no.38265. Pictures courtesy of Adrian Gotts. (Image rights)

Further reading

In Japanese:

• Kitano Kunio (北野邦雄). Mamiya Shikkusu no sho (マミヤシックスの書, The book of the Mamiya Six). Tokyo: Kōgasō, 1942.
• Ōba Eiichi (大場栄一). Mamiya Shikkusu no tsukaikata (マミヤシックスの使い方, How to use the Mamiya Six). Tokyo: Kōgasō, 1956.

Links

General links

In English:

• Mamiya history page at Ron Herron's Mamiya 35mm site
• Mamiya Six III, formerly at Robert Monaghan's Medium Format Photography website (archive copy dated 8 May 2006, at the Internet Archive); brief notes on the camera, and archived bulletin-board discussion.
• Mamiya Six IV in English and in Japanese at Cosmonet Classic Camera
• Mamiya Six IV among other cameras at Cameras Downunder
• Mamiya Six Automat II at Silverbased

In Swedish:

• Mamiya Six, lot no.120 of auction no.31 (2 November 2008) by LP Foto

In Japanese:

• Mamiya Six I in Ranzōsha's camera pages
• Mamiya Six I and more pictures in Miyazawa Noriyuki's camera site
• Mamiya Six K2 at Japan Family Camera
• Mamiya Six IV at Aya's camera site
• Mamiya Six IV at Itō Sadanobu's camera collection
• Mamiya Six IV at doraDD's clacamera blog
• Mamiya Six K at Minosan's blog
• Mamiya Six K at Tak's Page
• Mamiya Six KII at Awane-Photo's camera museum
• A page about folders with a Mamiya Six Automat (archived), at Nekosan's website (archived)
• Mamiya Six at kosaka's site
• Mamiya Six Automat at Hayata Camera Laboratory
• Mamiya Six Automat 2 in Horikoshi Seiichi's Photofriend stream
• Mamiya Six (non original grey finish) in SCR's camera website
• Mamiya Six at Shashin wo tanoshimu

In Chinese:

• Mamiya Six and other Mamiya Six at www.ccc2000.net

Instructions

In English:

• Mamiya Six IVB on this and the following pages at Guide to Classic Cameras

Original documentation

In Japanese:

• Advertisement for the Mamiya Six I and III published in the 22 December 1943 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Japanese camera page of the Gochamaze website
• Advertisement for the Mamiya Six I and III dated 1942 or later, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura

Repair notes

In French:

• Mamiya Six restoration notes at Dirapon's website

In Japanese:

• Mamiya Six IVB repair notes at Takasaki Motohiro's camera repair page
• Mamiya Six repair notes at Kan's Room