Amateur Photographer – 16 August 2019

(^13) I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 10 August 2019 41
Likemanyof itscontemporaries,
theRB67adoptsa modular
design.Atitsheartis a box
containingthereflexmirror,
focusingscreenanda lenspanel
thatextendsonbellows.Thefilm
is loadedintoa magazineback
thatfits totherear.Lensesfit
viaa breach-lockat thefront.
Waist-levelandeye-level
viewfindersslotoverthefocusing
screenonthetop.
Thecamerais usuallyfound
witha standard90mmf/3.8
Mamiya-SekkorC lensthat
stopsdowntof/32andfocuses
from4 feettoinfinity.A Seiko
mechanicalshuttersituatedin
thelensis speeded1–1/400sec,
whileM andX synchronisation
meansflashcanbeusedat
anyshutterspeed.A rangeof
accessorylensesfrom37mm
fisheyeto500mmtelephoto
is available.
Thankstothebuilt-inbellows
whichextend46mmfromthe
body,close-upphotographyis
possible,rightdownto3.9cm
camera-to-subjectdistancewhen
a 50mmwideanglelensis in use.
Focusingscalesfordifferentfocal
lengthsarerevealedontheside
of thecameraasthebellows
areextended.
Thefilmbackincorporatesa
darkslidetoprotectthefilmif
it is changedmid-roll,but
whichmustbepulledout
beforeanexposureis
made.Thebackcanbe
rotatedforlandscapeor
portraitpictures.Filmwind
is bylever.Otherfilmbacks
areavailableincludingone
formotorisedfilmadvance,
anotherfor 20 exposures
on 220 film,a specialback
forshooting6x4.5cm
images,a Polaroidback
andevenholdersforplates
andcutfilm.
Thewaist-levelviewfinder
withwhichthecamerais usually
equippedincorporatesa focusing
hoodwithmagnifierandunfolds
toreveala 7x7cmscreen,with
indicatorstoshowwhichwaythe
backis oriented.Themirroris
lowered by a lever on the side of
the body, apertures and shutter
speeds are set on rings around
thelens,focusis by
turninga body-
mountedknobto
extendandretractthe
bellowsandtheshutter
is releasedbya button
beneaththelens.Onexposure,
thereflexmirrorflipsupand
doesn’treturnuntilthebody
leveris depressedagain.
Althoughthe
RB67is bestused
ona tripod,it is
easytooperate
handheldwith
a waist-level
viewfinder.
Handholdingthe
camerawithan
eye-levelviewfinder
is moreclumsy,but
is madeeasierby
theadditionof a
heavy-dutygripthat
screwsintothetripod
bush,addsanaccessory
shoefora flashgunand
linksa triggertothe
shutterrelease.
Otheraccessories
availablefortheRB67
includea rangeof grips,auto
extensiontubes,manualand
meteredwaist-levelandeye-level
prismviewfinderswitheye-
correction lenses, a sports fi nder,
interchangeable focusing screens,
bellows lens hood and more.
Mamiya RB67 Pro S
LAUNCHED 1974
FORMAT 10 exp 6x7cm
GUIDE PRICE TODAY £300-450
With an eye-level prism finder fitted, the addition
of a handgrip helps to stabilise the camera
Inside the 120 roll
film back, ready
for loading