Mamiya 645
The Mamiya 645 camera systems are a series of medium format film and digital cameras and lenses manufactured by Mamiya and its successors. They are called "645" because they use the nominal 6cm x 4.5cm film size from 120 roll film. They came in three major generations: first-generation manual-focus film cameras, second-generation manual-focus film cameras, and autofocus film/digital cameras.
Mamiya 645 Manual Focus System
Mamiya 645 manual focus cameras
All seven of the manual-focus Mamiya 645 cameras can use the same lenses and film inserts. The two generations use different viewfinders, grips, and other accessories that are not always cross-compatible.First Generation
- The M645 was manufactured from 1975 to 1987. This was the first model to offer a 6x4.5 cm frame, allowing 15 shots on a standard 120 roll film. The M645 was a true system camera, with interchangeable viewfinders and lenses. It used an electronically controlled cloth focal plane shutter offering speeds of 8 seconds to 1/500 second in one-stop increments. The camera featured a mirror lockup, as well as selectable multi-exposure. Film was carried in cartridges that could be pre-loaded, but no capability existed to allow changing of film magazines mid-roll. A waist-level non-metered finder was available, as well as a non-metered pentaprism and three varieties of through-the-lens metered prisms. The metered prisms read the aperture dial through a mechanical coupling on the lens. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 C or the 70mm f/2.8 C E or the 80mm f/1.9 C.
- The M645 1000S was manufactured from 1976 to 1990. This camera added a 1/1000 second shutter speed to the M645, as well as a self-timer and a depth-of-field preview lever. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 C or the 80mm f/1.9 C.
- The M645J was manufactured from 1979 to 1982. This was a stripped-down version of the M645, with the mirror lockup knob and second shutter button removed. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 C or the 80mm f/1.9 C.
Second Generation
- The Mamiya 645 Super was manufactured from 1985 to 1993. This was a new camera with a molded plastic shell on a diecast metal frame. Its features are the same as the M645 1000s, but it added removable film backs, whereby a dark-slide could be inserted and the back removed mid-roll. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 N, or the 80mm f/1.9 C or the 80mm f/1.9 N.
- The Mamiya 645 Pro was manufactured from 1993 to 1998. It added a self-timer and a smoother styling. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 N or the 80mm f/1.9 N.
- The Mamiya 645 Pro-TL was manufactured from 1997 to 2006 and is functionally similar to the 645 Pro but adds through-the-lens flash metering. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 N or the 80mm f/1.9 N.
- The Mamiya 645E was first released in 2000. This was an entry-level version of the M645 Pro without switchable backs or viewfinders. It did have a light meter built in to the viewfinder, however. The standard lens was the 80mm f/2.8 N or the 80mm f/1.9 N.
| Model | Body / Frame Construction | Years | Slowest Shutter | Fastest Shutter | Flash Sync | Weight | Switchable Backs | Switchable Finders | Mirror Lockup | Self Timer | Multi Exposure | DoF Preview on Body | Shutter buttons |
| M645 | Metal / Metal | 1975-87 | 8s | 1/500s | 1/60s | 920g | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Two |
| M645 1000S | Metal / Metal | 1976-90 | 8s | 1/1000s | 1/60s | 965g | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Two |
| M645J | Metal / Metal | 1979-82 | 1s | 1/500s | 1/60s | 910g | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | One |
| 645 Super | Plastic / Metal | 1985-93 | 4s | 1/1000s | 1/60s | 895g | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | One |
| 645 Pro | Plastic / Metal | 1993-98 | 4s | 1/1000s | 1/60s | 980g | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | One |
| 645 Pro-TL | Plastic / Metal | 1997-06 | 4s | 1/1000s | 1/60s | 970g | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | One |
| 645E | Plastic / Metal | 2000-06 | 4s | 1/1000s | 1/60s | 1340g | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | One |
Mamiya 645 Manual-Focus Lenses
The Mamiya 645 Manual-Focus lenses will work on all manual-focus bodies. They will also work on autofocus bodies such as the Mamiya 645AF, Mamiya 645DF and Phase One 645DF, but manual-focus lenses will require light metering after the lens has been stopped down, unlike native autofocus lenses. Third-party adapters exist to use these manual-focus lenses on Nikon F mount, Canon EF mount, and other cameras. These lenses will not work on the Phase One XF unless modified. All Mamiya 645 lenses are multi-coated. Nearly all have curved aperture blades, rendering smooth backgrounds at wider aperture settings.The internal shutter in the first-generation 645 bodies only supported flash synchronization at 1/60th of a second. This made outdoors fill flash difficult, and so some lenses were equipped with a built-in leaf shutter which supported flash synchronization at all speeds up to 1/500th of a second. Leaf shutter lenses had a separate PC socket. In order to take advantage of the faster speeds the internal shutter had to be fired at 1/30th of a second or slower.
Lens abbreviations
- A or APO — the lens has an apochromatic design
- C — the lens is stamped “Sekor C” on the lens barrel. All manual-focus lenses for Mamiya 645 are Sekor C lenses, which Mamiya used to designate multi-coated lenses.
- E — only for the 70mm f/2.8 E lens sold as a kit with the original M645, apparently late in the M645's production run to differentiate it from the leaf-shutter version.
- Macro — the lens is optimized for close focusing and close-up photography
- N — the lens has a "new" cosmetic design. "N" lenses were launched with the second generation manual-focus cameras. Many "N" lenses are the same as their prior "C" or "S" lens version, but have changes to the lens coatings and a plastic aperture ring instead of metal. Some "C" lenses received a cosmetic update but were not otherwise changed and did not receive a "N" marking, such as the 50mm f/4.5 and 500mm f/5.6. "N" lenses may also be called "CN" lenses.
- N/L — the lens has the "new" cosmetic design and an integrated Leaf Shutter. When used with the optional power drive WG-401 on second generation bodies, the leaf shutters are automatically cocked. On first generation bodies, or without the power drive, the leaf shutters must be cocked manually.
- S — the lens is a revised version of a "C" lens. The only lenses with "S" versions are the 45mm f/2.8 and 55mm f/2.8, but other accessories have "S" versions, including the Waist-level Finder W, the Prism Viewfinder PD, and the #3 extension tube. Early "S" lenses may have gold "S" stickers on them, while later "S" lenses may have the "S" engraved. "S" lenses may also be called "CS" lenses.
- SF — the lens has a separate control ring to create a Soft Focus effect.
- ULD — the lens has “ultra low dispersion” glass in its design
- Zoom — the lens has a variable focal length
Lens table
Mamiya 645 Manual Focus Accessories
Viewfinders — First Generation
Viewfinder Accessories — First Generation
- Focusing screen No. 1 — microprism
- Focusing screen No. 2 — matte
- Focusing screen No. 3 — checker/grid
- Focusing screen No. 4 — rangefinder spot
- Focusing screen No. 5 — rangefinder spot with microprism - Standard on most models
- Magnifier for P, PD, PD S, CdS viewfinders
- Right-angle finder for P, PD, CdS viewfinders
- Right-angle finder 2 for P, PD, PD S, CdS viewfinders
- Diopter corrections for P, PD, PD S, CdS viewfinders
- Diopter corrections for W viewfinder
Film inserts — First Generation
- 120 film insert
- 220 film insert
Grips and Auto-winders — First Generation
- Pistol rubber handgrip with no shutter trigger
- Pistol plastic handgrip with shutter trigger
- Power drive grip with shutter trigger — provides automatic film advance
- Standard L-grip with no shutter trigger
- Deluxe L-grip with shutter trigger and accessory shoe
- Flash gun adapter
- Film advance knob or crank
Other accessories — First Generation
- Extension tube #1 - 11.8mm
- Extension tube #2 - 23.6mm
- Extension tube #3, Extension tube #3S - 35.4mm
- Auto macro spacer 2x - when used with 80mm f/4 Macro lens, increases magnification from 1:2 to 1:1
- Auto bellows
- Balloon bellows
- Slide copier attachment and slide carriers
- Focus handle
- Reversing ring RS58 for bellows
- Reversing ring RS67 for bellows
- Tripod quick-shoe system
- Lens filters and hoods
- Bellows-style lens hood
- Hand and neck straps
- Aluminum traveling case branded with Mamiya logo, and smaller leather cases
- Adapter ZE
Viewfinders — Second Generation
Viewfinder Accessories — Second Generation
- Focusing screen N type A — matte
- Focusing screen N type A4 — checker/grid
- Focusing screen N type B — rangefinder spot
- Focusing screen N type C — microprism spot
- Focusing screen N type E — rangefinder spot with microprism
- Magnifier N for prism N, AE N viewfinders
- Angle finder N for prism N, AE N viewfinders
- Diopter corrections for prism N, AE N viewfinders
- Magnifying lenses for W N viewfinder
Camera backs / inserts — Second Generation
- 120 film insert
- 220 film insert
- 120 roll film back HA401
- 220 roll film back HB401
- 135 roll film back HC401 and special type E focusing screen
- Polaroid pack film holder HP401
Grips and Auto-winders — Second Generation
- Advance crank AC401
- Power winder grip WG401
- Power winder grip WG402
- Left-hand grip GL401
- Flash bracket AD401
Other accessories — Second Generation
- 2x Teleconverter N
- Auto bellows N
- Various straps and cases
- All of the "Other accessories" listed above for First-generation systems can also be used
Mamiya 645 Autofocus System
Mamiya 645 auto focus cameras
- Mamiya 645AF — Similar to 645 Pro TL, but power winder and AE prism finder are both built in. Maximum shutter speed increases to 1/4000, and minimum shutter speed improves to 30 seconds, while flash sync improves to 1/125. Autofocus is implemented with single-focus, continuous-focus, and manual focus modes. Takes 120/220 film backs only
- Mamiya 645AFD — Added communication interface for digital backs, otherwise similar to the 645AF.
- Mamiya 645AFD II — Updated version of 645AFD with minor changes.
- Mamiya 645AFD III — Updated version of 645AFD II with minor changes.
- Mamiya 645DF — A completely new camera, but it uses the same lenses as the rest of the Mamiya 645 AF system. It supports digital backs only
- Mamiya 645DF+ — A minor update of the 645DF with reworked internals for higher reliability. Supports more than 50 different digital backs and 80 different lenses, including native Mamiya lenses and Hasselblad V lenses.
Mamiya ZD series cameras
- Mamiya ZD — fixed-back medium-format DSLR. The same 22 megapixel sensor was also available in the ZD Back.
Mamiya 645 Autofocus Lenses
Lens abbreviations
- AF — the lens has autofocus
- APO — the lens has an apochromatic design
- Asph — the lens has aspherical element
- D — the lens is optimized for digital sensors
- IF — the lens has internal focusing
- LS — the lens has a Leaf shutter integrated into the lens
- M — the lens is optimized for close focusing and close-up photography
- SK — the lens is co-branded as a Schneider-Kreuznach lens
- ULD — the lens has “ultra low dispersion” glass used in its design
- Zoom — the lens has a variable focal length
| Focal length | Aperture | Lens features | Macro | Leaf shutter | Aperture range | Elements / Groups | Minimum focusing | Filter Size | Weight | Equivalent Focal Length in 35mm format | Equivalent Aperture in 35mm format |
| 28mm | f/4.5 | AF D Asph | No | No | 4.5-32 | 14 / 10 | 0.35 m | Gelatin filter frame | 885g | 17 mm | f/2.8 |
| 28mm | f/4.5 | AF D LS Asph | No | Yes | 4.5-32 | 14 / 10 | 0.35 m | Gelatin filter frame | 886g | 17 mm | f/2.8 |
| 35mm | f/3.5 | AF D SK LS | No | Yes | 3.5-32 | 11 / 8 | 0.50 m | 105 mm | 1370g | 22 mm | f/2.2 |
| 35mm | f/3.5 | AF D | No | No | 3.5-32 | 9 / 7 | 0.35 m | 77 mm | 480g | 22 mm | f/2.2 |
| 45mm | f/2.8 | AF D | No | No | 2.8-22 | 9 / 7 | 0.45 m | 67 mm | 530g | 28 mm | f/1.8 |
| 55mm | f/2.8 | AF D | No | No | 2.8-22 | 7 / 6 | 0.45 m | 58 mm | 445g | 34 mm | f/1.8 |
| 55mm | f/2.8 | AF D SK LS | No | Yes | 2.8-22 | 7 / 6 | 0.45 m | 72 mm | 630g | 34 mm | f/1.8 |
| 80mm | f/2.8 | AF D | No | No | 2.8-22 | 6 / 5 | 0.70 m | 67 mm | 330g | 50 mm | f/1.8 |
| 80mm | f/2.8 | AF D LS | No | Yes | 2.8-22 | 6 / 5 | 0.70 m | 67 mm | 330g | 50 mm | f/1.8 |
| 80mm | f/2.8 | AF D SK LS | No | Yes | 2.8-22 | 6 / 5 | 0.70 m | 72 mm | 500g | 50 mm | f/1.8 |
| 110mm | f/2.8 | AF D LS | No | Yes | 2.8-22 | 6 / 5 | 0.90 m | 72 mm | 700g | 68 mm | f/1.8 |
| 120mm | f/4 | D Macro | Yes | No | 4-22 | 9 / 8 | 0.40 m | 67 mm | 835g | 74 mm | f/2.5 |
| 120mm | f/4 | AF D Macro | Yes | No | 4-32 | 9 / 8 | 0.37 m | 67 mm | 960g | 74 mm | f/2.5 |
| 120mm | f/4 | AF D SK LS Macro | Yes | Yes | 4-32 | 9 / 8 | 0.37 m | 86 mm | 960g | 74 mm | f/2.5 |
| 120mm | f/5.6 | D SK Asph Tilt-shift | No | No | 5.6-22 | 6 / 4 | 0.84 m | Bayonet VIII | 1038g | 74 mm | f/3.5 |
| 150mm | f/2.8 | AF D IF | No | No | 2.8-22 | 8 / 7 | 1.0 m | 72 mm | 780g | 93 mm | f/1.8 |
| 150mm | f/3.5 | AF D | No | No | 3.5-32 | 5 / 5 | 1.5 m | 58 mm | 540g | 93 mm | f/2.2 |
| 150mm | f/3.5 | AF D SK LS | No | Yes | 3.5-32 | 5 / 5 | 1.5 m | 72 mm | 645g | 93 mm | f/2.2 |
| 210mm | f/4 | AF D ULD IF | No | No | 4-32 | 7 / 5 | 2.0 m | 58 mm | 750g | 130 mm | f/2.5 |
| 240mm | f/4.5 | AF D LS IF | No | Yes | 4.5-22 | 8 / 8 | 1.7m | 86 mm | 1600g | 149 mm | f/2.8 |
| 300mm | f/4.5 | AF D APO IF | No | No | 4.5-32 | 8 / 8 | 3.0 m | 77 mm | 1430g | 186 mm | f/2.8 |
| 55-110mm | f/4.5 | AF zoom | No | No | 4.5-32 | 11 / 10 | 1.5 m | 67 mm | 870g | 34-68 mm | f/2.8 |
| 75-150mm | f/4.5 | AF D zoom | No | No | 4.5-32 | 11 / 10 | 1.0 m | 77 mm | 1140g | 47-93 mm | f/2.8 |
| 75-150mm | f/4.5-5.6 | AF D SK LS zoom | No | Yes | 4.5-32 | 11 / 10 | 1.0 m | 95 mm | 1700g | 47-93 mm | f/2.8 |
| 105-210mm | f/4.5 | AF D ULD zoom | No | No | 4.5-32 | 13 / 11 | 1.5 m | 58 mm | 990g | 65-130 mm | f/2.8 |
Some Mamiya 645 AF lenses are also sold as Phase One lenses. Phase One also sells Schneider-Kreuznach lenses, which are also branded as Mamiya. See the history of Mamiya for more information.
Mamiya 645 AF System Accessories
- V-Grip Air GB401 - for shooting comfortably in portrait mode
- Dual charger - for dual battery charging
- External battery case PE401
- Schneider-Kreuznach 2x teleconverter - AF lenses will become manual focus
- Angle finder FA401 - 360 degree rotatable angle finder
- Magnifier FD402 - for macro and telephoto work
- Auto extension tubes NA401, NA402, NA403 - for macro work
- Auto bellows NC401 with reversing ring - for macro work
- Cable Releases - RE401 and RE402
- Adapters for RB67 and RZ67 bodies - to attach DM digital back to RB67 or RZ67 body
- Remote control unit RS402
- Various flash accessories for Metz flashes
- Various lens hoods including bellows-style
- Various focusing screens
- Carbon-fiber tripod, monopod, and tripod head system
- Aluminum carrying case and other cases
- Hasselblad V lens mount adapters
External Links
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