Mamiya-Sekor 65mm F3.5 TLR taking lensto fit on 2 x 3 Century Graphic

[Guillermo Perez]

I´ve bought a Century Graphic, my first "large format" camera, after some investigation about lenses, it seem that mamiya TLR lenses can fit my 2x3 Century Graphic.

So the question is: would a Mamiya-Sekor 65mm F3.5, with Seikosha-S Shutter will fit in the Century? :confused:

Thanks!!!

[Dan Fromm]

Are you asking whether the camera can be closed with the lens in it? If so, I don't know and that's not an important consideration. There are many ways to carry lenses ...

If you're asking whether the lens will go on a 2x3 Pacemaker Graphic lens board (that's what y'r Century uses), I don't see why it can't be attached. I believe that it is in a #0 (Compur/Copal/Prontor/Seiko standard) shutter and I have many of those shutters on 2x3 Pacemaker boards.

You'll have to remove the lens and shutter from their mount. I haven't looked at a 6x6 Mamiya TLR lens for quite a while, don't recall whether the shutter with taking lens is held to the mount with a conventional retaining ring.

I believe that Ian Greenhalgh, who sometimes posts here, has done what you want to do and has reported that his lens works well on 2x3. With luck he'll respond. I have doubts about his visual acuity, note that very few people have done what you want to. And believe me, all who shoot 2x3 would like to have a good and relatively inexpensive 65 mm lens.

I haven't seen any tests of the 65/3.5 Mamiya on 2x3, but Chris Perez' test of the 55/4.5 at http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/MF_testing.html suggest that it won't put good image in 2x3's corners.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

[Graham Patterson]

The Seikosha-S shutter has a standard retaining ring and is a #0 size. Apart from detaching the flash sync cord, and the possible problems putting it back on the Mamiya panel to match the viewing lens, it should fit any flat lensboard without trouble. I can't answer about the Century Graphic but I have used them on enlarger boards for sub-one second exposures, and even put an Agfa Solinar 105mm in one of those shutters for a project.

I would be very surprised if the corners of a 2x3 frame held up very well with the Mamiya 65mm, though. At least not at normal distances. But as Dan says, have fun!

Graham

[Guillermo Perez]

Thanks for the anwers Dan and Graham!!

I´m looking for some lenses to fit the Century and not having to spend and arm or a leg for them.

The Mamiya TLR are kind of under priced lenses and the look esay to use/addapt, I got the idea from another thread.

It´s ok if the camera can´t close or if the lens can be mounted again in the Mamiya board ( I don´t have a Mamiya TLR ) The corners should be no problem since I´ll be using 120 film at least for a while.

Gracias, again :D

[Ian Greenhalgh]

The 65mm doesn't cover 6x9 it does cover 6x7 though.

I mounted a Mamiya 80mm for use on my Century 23. It almost covers, only the very corners are dark. The Seikoha shutter is a good one, standard 0 as Graham said, but lacks a cable release socket so I replaced it with a Copal Press 0.

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20133/4077_DSC07861_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20133/big_4077_DSC07861_1.jpg)

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20134/4077_DSC07904_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20134/big_4077_DSC07904_1.jpg)

http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/882438_10200177907423444_1013607554_o.jpg

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/883016_10200177907023434_265202787_o.jpg

[Ian Greenhalgh]

The Century works well with the Angulon 65mm, I paid 30ukp for mine in close to mint condition and I'm very happy with it, but there are is an issue with some copies of this lens where the inner elements can become decentred due to balsam deterioration so buy with care.



http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20135/4077_Scan1305030001WEB_4.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20135/big_4077_Scan1305030001WEB_4.jpg)

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20135/4077_Scan1305030002WEB_2.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20135/big_4077_Scan1305030002WEB_2.jpg)

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20135/4077_Scan1305030003WEB_2.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20135/big_4077_Scan1305030003WEB_2.jpg)

[Guillermo Perez]

Ian: thanks for your reply; in fact, two or tree days ago I was reading at your post and pics, when I started to realice wich lenses can be fitted in the Century.

Thanks every body for your valuable comments

Guillermo

[Dan Fromm]

Guillermo, you'd be surprised at the lenses that can be used on a Century or 2x3 Crown. There are three limiting factors: minimum flange-to-film distance (34.9 mm), maximum flange-to-film distance (~ 195 mm) and the size of the gate. This last limits the size of the cell that can be passed through the gate to be reattached to its shutter. 35/4.5 Apo Grandagon and 58/5.6 Grandagon rear cells just clear when slightly tilted. Both are out of your budget for now, but if you accumulate your small monetary units ...

You might want to look at my lens diary. See http://www.galerie-photo.com/telechargement/dan-fromm-6x9-lenses-v2-2011-03-29.pdf

When you read it, keep in mind that when I bought most of my shorter lenses prices were lower than they are now and that I financed most of my acquisitions by speculating in used lenses. Times have changed; I couldn't have got most of my lenses at today's prices and availability of information. Longer process lenses, which aren't easily used on short cameras, are another matter entirely.

[Guillermo Perez]

Thanks again for your very valuable messages.

The flat bottom line of my question is that I live in Chile, and down here you just can go downtown to the dark and smelly camera stores and learn from the grumpy owners; large format here ( and photography in general ) is not widely spread, so the market is very restringed, you can find a ton of zenits for students, but now they use digital cams to learn........

Have a nice weekend

G.

[Joseph Dickerson]

One consideration is that the cable release socket on the Mamiya TLRs is on the body, not the shutter.

Might matter, might not.

JD

[Ian Greenhalgh]

Joseph is correct, the Seikosha shutters on the TLR lenses lack a cable release socket, that was why I put mine in a Copal shutter instead.

[Dan Fromm]

The flat bottom line of my question is that I live in Chile, and down here you just can go downtown to the dark and smelly camera stores and learn from the grumpy owners; large format here ( and photography in general ) is not widely spread, so the market is very restringed, you can find a ton of zenits for students, but now they use digital cams to learn........

Postage costs a lot more than it used to but there's always eBay. eBay.com, eBay.co.uk, eBay.fr, and eBay.de have all given me good buys.

[Ian Greenhalgh]

If the lack of a cable release socket isn't a problem to you and you con't mind the tiny bit of vignette on 6x9, I could sell you my Mamiya 80mm in Seikosha, I have two, the other is in a Copal ad that's the one I use, the one in Seikosha is redundant.

[Guillermo Perez]

If the lack of a cable release socket isn't a problem to you and you con't mind the tiny bit of vignette on 6x9, I could sell you my Mamiya 80mm in Seikosha, I have two, the other is in a Copal ad that's the one I use, the one in Seikosha is redundant.

I´m looking for a wider lens; the Century came with a 103 mm, that´s why the 65 mm caught my attention.

Thanks anyway

G.

[Guillermo Perez]

Hi Ian, after a pair of rolls, I´m giving second thoughts on your ofer he he he.

If you still wanto to sell the lens send me a PV



If the lack of a cable release socket isn't a problem to you and you con't mind the tiny bit of vignette on 6x9, I could sell you my Mamiya 80mm in Seikosha, I have two, the other is in a Copal ad that's the one I use, the one in Seikosha is redundant.