Great video, I just got one of these (not from you, a different Ebay-seller). Mine had some issues, the lens it came with has a faulty shutter. it wouldn't close before the exposure as it should, only after the exposure time so time is too long and inaccurate. This fault is kind of tricky to detect if you don't know what to look for, easiest way is to fire the shutter manually with the lens off the camera, when moving the pins the shutter should first close to allow the mirror to lift without exposing the film and then at the very end of the movement open and close again for exposure. Also the film back was missing one of the pins for the film spools and the interlock preventing the lens from being removed when not cocked does not work, the lens can be removed at any time so it's important to insert the dark slide before changing lenses, otherwise the film will be exposed. These are old cameras and obviously many are showing their age. Fortunately the seller gave me a fair partial refund for these so I didn't actually pay anything for the defective lens. The film back I was able to fix, simply turned a new pin from Delrin, and I got a couple of other lenses so I should be able to use the camera. I'll be trying to fix the lens problem too at some time, I have an idea of the problem. One thing you didn't say, it's recommended to decock the shutter for longer periods of storage, there are many videos explaining how to do this to a detached lens. Also, as said below, the red stripes in the viewfinder are an indicator for the position of the revolving back, they retract when in the portrait orientation. Haven't taken any pictures yet as the weather has been terrible but seems like a well-built camera.
Great review but you didn't touch on the exposure compensation with bellows extended. Particularly to the graph numbers related to each lens on the side of the camera body.
These cameras were based on Thornton Pickard Ruby Reflex cameras from the 1920s and 1930s in England. They had rotating backs and focal plane shutters which operate from 1 second to 1000th. I have a quarter plate version from 1935 which also has a roll film back. The lens I have is 135mm f4. 5 Taylor Taylor Hobson lens.
I have the Pro SD with the 50, 90, and 250 mm lens. Picked up the prism finder and right hand grip, a real beast but fun. The most important accessory and most reviewers omit is a camera strap.
I've seen a few, but that doesn't mean that what you've heard isn't true. Most "sample" cameras are non-operable, but the RB67 was a pro camera, and one couldn't use a dummy camera to show off features to pros.
Best video, because its professional. So many RU-vidrs out there showing off extreme closeups from random angles while trying to explain, making it very confusing to understand which lever they're pulling in which direction. So thanks for the right way for the presentation and the best tempo of talking. I would never be saying all this, if other RU-vidrs weren't racing in when talking and changing camera angles with their digital auto-focus going wonky while we are trying to understand all at once.
bonjour I just got a Mamiya RB67. Pro When triggered, the diaphragm does not open The optic works by manual operation. can you help me what should I check? THANKS
The aperture blades may be oily, and not able to move. Most RB lenses can be opened by removing the rear lens element group, which can give you access to the aperture blades. A few drops of solvent or lighter fluid will allow them to move, but they will require a properly cleaning to work as they should.
Yeah, the Mamiya lenses have some odd features. The depth of field calculator could not be the usual type by the aperture ring as the lenses are not helical focus so the lens has no idea what distance it is focused at, You need to have a manual calculator setup dial in distance and aperture. Some of the lenses have floating lens elements to minimize distortion / maximize corner sharpness at close distances and the adjustment look similar to the depth of field calculator.
one important note, the back locks are NOT Graflok bars!!- these have an edge the whole width of the lock, P locks, have 'fingers' at either end, these fingers grab the holder.
Hello, I recently purchased a RB67 Pro S and when unboxing and doing test fire the film advance lever on film back is stuck in the forward position. The shutter will fire but no matter what I do the film lever will not move. As this was a test fire there is no film loaded in film back. Any ideas anyone? Thank you in advance.
Is the filmback a Pro instead of Pro- S? If there is no Pro-S logo on the back it is an original Pro back. In that case you need to press the metallic lever at the back to the left while moving the film advance. Got me too the first time I used a Pro back. The Pro-S back works a lot simpler. EDIT: originally I said to push the lever to the right, until I decided to pull out my filmbacks to check. Good thing I did :-)
You can also identify a Pro back because it does not have a small 'multiple exposure lever' sticking out from under the right hand side of the film advance lever.
Just got an rb67 learning the ins and outs. my dark slide wont stay in completely, always sticks out 2 mm or so, any advice on how to fix that? thanks for the video
the technical error with the mamiya7 is not a bad photographer issue, I had the same style of error myself, with a Hasselblad 500 EL-M, the whole advance thing didn't work (the power winder), so when I sold it, and got a 500c/m instead, the person told me, I had the battery holder installed the wrong way!!- DUH!! So ask how to solve a problem, before just selling stuff, it may be a 'quirk' you don't know about, that is the source of all your agony.
Great camera, if buying, try to get a Pro SD film back (no foam seals that go bad), and the WLF that is on the camera in the video (it's a Pro S not the older Pro model WLF), the older pro camera one is open around the lens so light get inside and make focusing a little more difficult, it's also much easier to fold back down, and by all means if possible get a Pro SD body also, you may not need the new features (lens mount, 6x8 support) but it is younger and will often be in better condition because of it's younger age, the pro S or pro SD body is much better than the original pro body also so keep an eye on that, as it should impact pricing, I notice that many ebay sellers often try to sell Pro SD cameras with older Pro S film backs for example, and sometimes it comes with a 220 film back that is a not much use. To test the shutter without exposing the film you can pull out the darkslide 4-5mm and take a shoot, the darkslide will still cover the film.
Mine is a Pro SD back and body, though I noticed the lock that keeps the body and back together is Pro S. I got this off eBay many years ago. It came with a Polaroid back and a 127 C lens. I bought a new 180mm K/L lens at the time to go with it.
If you have a Pro-S or Pro-SD back on your camera, you not only have to pull out the darkslide enough to have the triangular shaped hole just visible (indeed 4-5 mm) but also push the multiple exposure lever on the filmback forward (the red dot underneath should be visible) in order to trip the shutter without exposing the film.
one important difference in loading the film backs, the std M backs for the universal and super 23 press cameras( lever on the Right side) load same as the RB as demonstrated, the K back for the mamiya press/press standard (knob on the LEFT) NEEDS an initial step, the 'trigger' lever needs pressing, and rotate the winding knob till the arrow meets the loading mark, wind up to the start arrow , close the back door,THEN HIT the trigger switch!!- this re-engauges the counter and wheel, advancing the 'wind_up' step prior to number 1, then all is NORMAL. The other backs sync normally, as a 35 mm slr would, auto loading sync, as the counter is held 'off' by a lever in the shell /adaptor plate, once the door is shut, it engauges the counter automatically.
what kind of meter do you recommend..? or do use a sunny 16 rule all the time.. ? I have one with a prism that was sold with it but weighs a ton ...if I take it off I'll need a meter or not...
i got one RB with 90 mm lense in really perfect condition, with original metal suitcase with documents and oldy lightmeter minolta everthings looks almost like new. Camera was lik backup in photo studio. It was only maybee 10-15 films shot, never in bad weather condition. I am prepared to sell it.
@@Archonsx it is true. If someone is interested i can send photo and gives 100% warranty on my gear. The only problem for you is price. I want 1500 euros. Think about it. And i never lie. I am to old to lie. Best regards. Sašo Šabanov, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Nice job, I have 2 of them the original RB67 and the RB67 proS ,. The back use battery; most people don’t know that. I do get better job done with the RB67 maybe because I got it new on 1976 , most of my weddings I did it with my RB67.
the body area is called an "M", the backs have a "P" adaptor, that is what the 'interface' is called, at least from the Mamiya press perspective, as to use these in it, takes the p adaptor, the Polaroid holder is DIRECT attach to this camera, like the Press camera, no adaptor required, same with the Single sheet back?, am not sure, but assume it is.
There were two types of Polaroid holder, the older ones did use the P-adapter, the newer type attached directly. I had both but I sold the newer one because it had a smaller, square image area than the older type (which is much bigger and heavier though). The single sheet backs (type A (single sided) and type J (double sided) could attach directly to the revolving adapter I think. You could also attach a Mamiya press ground glass holder via a P adapter, in which you could slide the these sheetfilm holders. Fun fact: there were two different P-adapters, the normal horizontal one and one that held the filmholders in a vertical orientation.
There were 3 issues of the camera. The first was the PROFESSIONAL, no other letters. The second is the PROFESSIONAL S and the third was PROFESSIONAL SD. There are minor differences between each version but for most purposes they are identical
Question. As u change ur f stop do your shutter blades move in real time or not. Mine dont so im nt sure if thats normal or not. They only close when i take a picture or use the depth of field lever
