And, of course, with the 55mm lens, probably about 3 inches. I say вЂaboutвЂ™ because IвЂ™ve never measured it. You can, if carefully used, and minding the parallax indicator, get within about 5 inches. The flexible bellows of the Mamiya C330 TLR is like a built in macro tube. I would actually put it by my bedside to see it on first waking in the morning. One thing it does have in common with a Rolleiflex this is a very beautiful camera. While itвЂ™s a bit bigger and heavier than other cameras of the TLR variety, itвЂ™s built very solid. And when you switch to unlock mode, it flips a protective shield in front of the film plane! You can change lenses in mid-roll. Put the вЂњlens lockвЂќ dial in the unlock position, and then move the bar holding the lens onto the camera. Switching lenses was a two part procedure. Good Lord! Talk about commitment to a platform, Mamiya was definitely in for the long haul.ДЄnother nice feature was the parallax correction dial for close-ups. While I only used the 80mm lens, (I almost always use вЂњnormalвЂќ focal lengths on all cameras), the ability to choose a wide array of interchangable lenses was a big plus. Including interchangeable focus screens and ability to use both 120 and 220 film. While I may have been able to afford a Rolleicord, (as opposed to a Rolleiflex), the Mamiya C330 actually had more features. When they started tweaking this camera, they broke off into two models the C2 and the C3. The original model was just called a Mamiyaflex C. The images above were my first adventure with the Mamiya C330 TLR and some tungsten floodlights and daylight. And the larger than 35mm negative was an epiphany in the darkroom. While I wasnвЂ™t going to get my dream TLR, (Rolleiflex), with their super sharp Zeiss Planar or Schneider Xenar lenses, the Mamiya ended up being razor sharp from f/4 and beyond. Due to my absent mindedness, I knew that wouldnвЂ™t be the camera for me. On the C220, the shutter has to be cocked separately. Although pretty close to each other in design, I knew I needed a camera that cocked the shutter automatically on film advance.

I didnвЂ™t know much in those days, but I did know enough that I didnвЂ™t want a C220. (the newer 330S uses more plastic, but is a little lighter) They are all about the same camera. (Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f/2.8 вЂњBlue DotвЂќ lens) Other than that, just some minor differences in how much plastic was used between the F vs S models. The only important thing I would look for is the 80mm lens being a multicoated model. About the same as a Yashica Mat 124G at the local pawn shop. As luck would have it, a friend was selling his and let me have it for $150. So, I narrowed my choices down to a Mamiya C220, Yashica Mat or Mamiya C330. Of course, I wanted a Hasselblad, or even a Rollei TLR would do. Although usually in the form of Rolleiflexes. Just a casual look at the Mamiya C330F вЂњtankвЂќвЂ TLRвЂ™s are not a вЂњnewвЂќ thing, favored by Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier and many others. (not to mention the earlier Mamiya C220) But this is NOT a comparison.

But comparing the images, the build, the price point and the extensive lens availability, and the Mamiya C330 will actually more than hold itвЂ™s own in a head to head competition. The Rolleiflex 2.8f vs Mamiya C330F? Most would give the TLR вЂњlegendвЂќ status to the Rolleiflex 2.8.

Mamiya 7 ii photos