OddCameras.com              Mamiya Universal Lenses  

This page deals with the lenses for the Mamiya Universal, the Super 23 and the Press system. It will also show the lens attachments as extension rings and the Polaroid Splitters.

Here are most of lenses for the Mamiya system:

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A Universal with a Fuji Instax back and the 127mm lens mounted. On the left side from top: 50mm and finder, 75mm and finder, 65mm and finder. On the right side from bottom: 100m F3.5, 150mm and 250mm F5. All lenses are coupled to the rangsfinder. There is a 100m F2.8 and a 250mm F8, the latter not coupled to the rangefinder which I do not own.

Let us have a look at the different lenses, from the shortest to the longest.

50mm

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The lens, its caps and the finder.

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From front.

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This is a short lens.

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Seen from the back.

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Finder seen from front.

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This is a multi-formt finder with frames for the Polaroid format lenses, 75mm, 127mm and 150mm. The whole viewing area is approx the 50mm size.

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Set to infinity.

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Set to 1m.

The 50mm lens is a
super wide-angle lens, for 6x9 format it's the equivalent to a 21mm lens in 24x36mm. It's a very nice and sharp lens. On Polaroid format there is some vignetting at the corners. The lens is coupled to the rangefinder. For the field of view and the parallax compensation you need a finder.

65mm

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The lens and the finder.

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From front.

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This is an ultra compact lens.

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Seen from the back.

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Finder seen from front.

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Seen from top, you still have an accessory shoe.

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This is an old version for the offset accessory shoe of the Press model.

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Set to infinity.

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Set to 1.5m or 5 feet.

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A newer version with black finder.

The 65mm lens is a
wide-angle lens, equivalent to 28mm in 24x36mm format. It's a very nice and sharp lens. On Polaroid format there is some vignetting at the corners. The lens is coupled to the rangefinder. For the field of view and the parallax compensation you need a finder.

75mm

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The lens, its caps and the finder.

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From front.

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This is not a small lens.

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Seen from the back.

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Finder seen from front.

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Finder seen from the back. It has bright frame lines for 6x9 and Polaroid format + indications for 6x7.

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Finder, set to infinity

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Lens with shade.

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Seen from the front.

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Shade folded

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Seen from the front.

This is the wide angle lens for Polaroid format. In Polaroid it's the
equivalent to 27mm in 24x36mm format, in 6x9 it's a moderate wide angle, 32mm equivalent. As all lenses of this system, it's a sharp and contasty lens.

90mm

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The lens, from front.

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This is a short collapsible lens.

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Lens extended.

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Seen from the back.

This was the old standard lens for the Press models. It's collapsible for the use with the bellows extension. A good, sharp and contrasty lens which built the reputation of Mamiya medium format lenses.

100mm

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The lens, from front.

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This is a short collapsible lens.

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Lens extended.

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Seen from the back.

This was THE standard lens for the Super 23 and Universal models. It's collapsible for the use with the bellows extension on the 23. A good, sharp and contrasty lens which continued the reputation of Mamiya medium format lenses. I own three of these, they all just cover Polaroid format. There are people who claim that it's not always the case. There is a F2.8 version, a nice lens, but it shows vignetting on Polaroid. 100mm is 42mm equivalent on 6x9 and 36mm equvalent on Polaroid.

127mm

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The lens, grom front.

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This is a bigger lens.

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Seen from the back.

This is the new standard lens which covers Polaroid format. For Polaroid it's 46mm 24x36mm equivalent, for 6x9 film it's 54mm. As usual, it's a good quality lens.

150mm

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The lens, its hood and a filter.

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From front.

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This is a longer lens.

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Seen from the back.

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Lens with hood.

This lens construction dates from the beginning of the series, the lens shown is a newer one. It easily covers Polaroid format. In Polaroid it's 54mm equivalent, in 6x9 64mm. Nice and contraty, as all the others.


250mm

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The lens, its caps and a Mamiya body for size comparison.

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From front.

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This is a big and massive lens.

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As the lens is much heavier than the body, even with a back appached, the tripod socket is on the underside of the lens.

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Seen from the back.

For its focal length, this is a luminous lens. But it's big and massive. In 6x9 format it's 107mm equivalent. It weighs more than 1.8kg. There was a F8 version, not coupled to the rangefinder which is not as heavy.


Extension rings

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Extension rings and their original case.

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The set contains no. 1 which attaches to the camera, 
the no. 2 which holds the lens and the extensions no. 3 and no. 4 to screw in between. There is an extra no. 5, slightly longer than no. 3 which was included in later sets.

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No. 1 attached to the camera, nos. 2 and 3 attached to the lens.

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Everything screwed together.

The extensins rings are a nice and easy accessory for macro photography. You will a ground glass to set focus.


Polaroid splitters

There are two different splitters to take passport photographs on Polaroid film. There is the Standard Tetraphoto Attachment, which takes 4 identical small standard passport photos on one sheet of Polaroid or Fuji Pack 100 film. And there is a Duophoto Attachment for 2  bigger photos on one sheet. Both attach to the 127mm lens.

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Both splitters, both masks and the special Polaroid back.

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Thw Tetraphoto Attachment and its case.

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Seen from the mount side.

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Seen from front, cap open.

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Viewer side.

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Mounted. To put this combination on a tripod, you have to take off the grip and put the tripod fixation instead.

Both splitters need a special Polaroid back and a mask.

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The Polaroid back with the Tetraphoto mask installed.

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Back open, dark slide half open.

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The Duophoto adapter.

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Seen from the mount side.

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Viewer side.

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Cap on.

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Mounted. The camera can be put on a trpod the ordinary way.

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