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Mamiya 6

What a Mamiya 6 actually produces — 13 photographs shot on one by members here.

Mamiya · Medium format · 13 photographs

The Mamiya 6 is a 6x6 rangefinder with interchangeable lenses, made from 1989. Its party trick is a lens mount that collapses into the body when you aren't shooting, so a medium-format camera folds down to something you can carry all day.

There were three lenses: a 50mm wide, a 75mm normal and a 150mm short telephoto. All are leaf-shutter designs with speeds to 1/500, and all have an excellent reputation for sharpness. Because the shutter sits in the lens, flash syncs at every speed. The camera offers aperture-priority automation and manual, both controlled electronically, so it needs a battery to work at all.

A rangefinder means no mirror, which makes it quieter and steadier in the hand than a medium-format SLR. That is why it is easy to handhold at slow speeds. The trade-off is the usual one: framing is approximate, and close-up work is not its strength.

The later Mamiya 6MF added masks for 6x4.5 and a 35mm panoramic adapter. For square-format work either is a superb walking camera, and a roll of Portra 400 gives you twelve frames that make the case for medium format by themselves.

Lenses people use on it

Taken from what members recorded on the frames above, in their own wording. Counts, not recommendations.

Mamiya G 50mm f4 L 11
Mamiya G 150mm f/4.5 L 2