More than a little while ago as a young photographer, I aspired to turn professional, even starting a sort of apprenticeship with a wedding photographer. I had graduated onto a Bronica SQA with all this in mind. Large format was no good for showing slides at the local photographic society, but I loved the results. There was something appealing about a waist level finder and that slightly seasick sensation when you instinctively move the camera one way and the image does the opposite. Forward to 2023; like so many I had recently rediscovered the joy of film. The excitement of waiting for results with 35mm was once more quite special. Sure enough, before long that thrill wasn’t quite enough. I craved for a return to larger formats. There was an itch that had to be scratched. I had never owned or used a Twin Lens Reflex. After very much deliberation over months, I clicked the buy now option on the bay. The package arrived a few days later, but I had to wait a couple of weeks until the day of a big birthday. The Mamiya C220 I now own had been described as good condition, with its original box, user manual and recently serviced. It wasn’t a disappointment. Everything seemed very clean and smooth functioning, with its 80mm lenses looking spotless. There had been temptation to go for a C330, but they were fetching more money and I decided the lighter weight that stems from the 220s simplicity, was the right thing. Hindsight is wonderful isn’t it?
Young man with good eyesight
Ilford HP5 was selected as the first roll, really as a test. The need was for an inexpensive, good all rounder. I had a big concern with this purchase. The last time I had used a waist level finder, I was a young man with good eyesight. Whilst I now try to manage without for everything else, for driving I have to use glasses. Using the dioptre on a digital camera is easy, I knew the C220 was going to be problematic, so messing with something like HP5 seemed preferable to doing it with the likes of Kodak Portra. My eyesight means at close range everything looks okay, put my glasses on I can barely find the finder, never mind use it to focus. I had to quickly give up focusing with the aid of what is supposed to be my vision correction and it was all going to be a bit experimental.
Slows down
Everything slows down with the Mamiya, it just has to. Nothing automated at all, not even a battery to power a meter. A Weston Master ii accompanying the Mamiya everywhere. At first it wasn’t even easy to work out where to hold a TLR. Without the optional grip, it is a little devoid of obvious hand holds and if you need even a cold shoe for a flash, that’s also only on the optional grip. So to the first few shots. Set the aperture, set the speed, line everything up, turn the focus knob and press… nothing. Okay, remember to cock the shutter with the little lever on the lens, without disturbing the aperture or speed rings and try again. A quiet click, that wouldn’t alert people or creatures to the presence of a camera. Open out the film wind lever on the knob at the top right and drive it smoothly round with the fingers. This is mechanical pleasure. It just feels good and sounds nice, but at some point you’ll forget to wind on for the next shot. Aperture, shutter speed, cock the shutter… nothing. Wind on and try again. Eventually a rhythm develops and it all starts to make sense as well as feeling rather satisfying.
Are any in focus?
The roll of HP5 went by quite quickly. As I have no home developing kit yet and I would be very rusty with those skills; the film went to a lab. Opening the files from the download link, the first concern was always going to be are any in focus? Well, some were, some not quite, at least not quite my chosen focus point.
A little further away seems more problematic.
The search for dioptres began but initially drew a blank as it became clear this was far less achievable with the C220 than other cameras Mamiya produced. On the C220, the waist level finder has a magnifier, but the lens mount is riveted into place and doesn’t unscrew like other models. So, I took it to an opticians and asked for advice. That was inconclusive. Currently there is an notion taking shape in my mind. How about I get a suitable dioptre lens for one of the other Mamiyas and fashion a metal plate? Hooked at the sides it might be able to drop into place over open finder and sit about the same height from the screen that the magnifier lens would be. I hope to write again about this at some point. In the meantime, even if I miss some, the C220 is still a lovely camera to use.
Gold and more
Some things about the first HP5 images impressed me. I remembered taking them. Not so difficult with 12, but I remembered each fairly clearly. The camera had made me work and think and take time. No looking at the camera back to see if the shot looks okay. Next came a roll of Kodak Gold and with it a growing, though possibly misplaced confidence. Again focus missed in one or too, but some nice results and a nice kind of clarity.
Emboldened, I set about more monochrome with Ilford Delta 100 and Ilford Ortho in quick succession. This served as a reminder that a camera like this takes time to get to know and so do the films. One or two nice ones on the Delta, but with the Ortho I produced little of note. Depth of field still showing as a problem and contributing to focus problems. I like shooting wide, but remembering to think of higher numbers than for 35mm and digital is taking some adaptation on my part.
Precision instrument
The Mamiya C220 isn’t gorgeously attractive, though it has the look of an old fashioned, well made precision instrument. People look at it, but then not everyone notices. I found myself crouching for a picture with the camera resting on my thigh and someone walked right in front of the subject, not out of rudeness, but simply not knowing a picture was being taken. Just a guy on the floor staring down into an odd looking box. This of course can be one of the strengths of a TLR even though it lacks the speed of use to be ideal for street photography. The parallax though, well that can be the subject of another article.
Mixed results with the Mamiya C220 so far, but mostly down to my eyesight I think. Time to start the hunt for a suitable minus 2 (I think) Mamiya dioptre. This camera is so pleasing to use I shouldn’t give up over a vision correction problem should I?
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Ken on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Daniel Emerson on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Back in the 80s I shot portraits with Mamiya C330 on Kodak pro film and had them processed in a. Kodak stocked pro lab. The result was fabulous. What I took away from the experience was a love of Mamiya glass.
Regards
Daniel
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Vlkr on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
thanks for sharing your pics and your experience with this gem. Your focus problems might be caused by a misalignment of the viewing and taking lens, this could explain why the vessel name isn't sharp and the sign in front is. My C220 had the same problems even when focusing very precisely. I ordered one of Rick Olesons fantastic bright screens and it came with some instructions on solving this problem without the involvement of special equipment. Mamiya used shims under the screen to align the focus of the two lenses and it seemed that somebody messed with mine. With an open back you have to place one screen on the film plane so you can see the picture of the taking lens and focus on something (I used a poster with big writing about 2 meters away) and compare that to what you see on the viewing lens screen. You then have to put shims under the screens until both pictures are equally sharp (you have to do this on all 4 sides to get it evenly in focus). I used some plastic adhesive tape (I think it's dymo label tape) which was provided with the new screen instead of round metal ones around the screws and this worked like a charm. The 80mm f 2.8 is fantastic and doesn't need to hide behind any planar lens.
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Art Meripol on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
It's got a roll in it and I just need to get outside. Thanks for the inspiration to do so.
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Jeremy on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
The big trick I used in addition to the screen when I had a C330 was a cheap laser rangefinder. I could point it at my target, get the exact range, and then make use of the super precise bellows marks to focus. It was *super* fast and accurate - point the laser rangefinder at the focus point, set the bellows, and go:)
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Bradley Newman on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Terry on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
Comment posted: 10/10/2023
C Michael Anthony on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 12/10/2023
I Still have my 220 from the 80s, as I do my SQA and my omega 4x5. Have not used them in a numbet of yesrs but they were at one time all work horeses for me as a full service photographer. Try removing the dioptor and use a magnifyer. That will act like a loop magnifying a smaller area of the ground glass, but should work well. I would use a tripod also, to help steady the focus.
Good luck and have fun.
Comment posted: 12/10/2023
Duncan on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 12/10/2023
My first cameras were a Brownie, a Hakings Super Reflex, and dad's Yashica-Mat, so I'm entirely at home with the laterally reversed, waist-level view. Of all the cameras I've parted with, the only one I regret is the 330. I just wasn't using it enough, and needed the money, but still miss it. I hope you come to love the 220 in time. As for your focus issue: is the screen seated properly? I took mine out once, and didn't seat it properly before shooting again; every shot was way out of focus :(
BTW: "dioptre" is just a measure of the focal length of a simple lens, rather than a word for a correcting lens. So, a 1-dioptre lens has a focal length of 1 metre; a 2-dioptre lens is ½ metre fl; 3-dioptre is ⅓ metre fl, etc
Comment posted: 12/10/2023
Comment posted: 12/10/2023
Comment posted: 12/10/2023
Richard on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 13/10/2023
I don't know how it fits with your vision issues, but the pop-out magnifier in the lid helps me with finer focus. And they make a prism viewfinder attachment, too. In any case, thanks for the article and the great photos!
Comment posted: 13/10/2023
Richard on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 13/10/2023
Comment posted: 13/10/2023
Daniel Castelli on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 15/10/2023
Comment posted: 15/10/2023
Tim Gasper on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 15/10/2023
Comment posted: 15/10/2023
Scott Gitlin on Mamiya C220 – The TLR Itch
Comment posted: 22/10/2023
Comment posted: 22/10/2023