Mamiya medium format: RB67, RZ67, C330, C220, 645 — which one is right for you?

Title image: Eusebius — CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Mamiya lives in the shadow of better-known names. When people talk about medium format, they usually talk about Hasselblad or Rolleiflex and overlook the fact that the Japanese manufacturer has nothing to hide from either of them. There is also something that makes the matter even more confusing for beginners: Mamiya did not build one medium-format camera, but four complete systems, which share little beyond the name.

So it is no wonder that newcomers initially stand there feeling completely lost. Type “Mamiya” into a classifieds site and you will find all four mixed together, with prices ranging from 150 to 2,000 euros and no indication of how they actually differ. That is exactly what this guide sorts out, without declaring any one of them the winner, because the four systems were built for very different kinds of photographers.

A word from us, right up front: We make accessories for these cameras, including caps, adapters, lens hoods, and replacement parts, so we have a financial interest in which camera you buy. That is why the most important sentence in this article comes first, not in the small print: For many beginners, the RB67 is the right choice, precisely because it works without a battery. It needs no adapter, no battery, and nothing from us. If you end up choosing it by the end of this article, we have done our job properly.

Table of contents

1. The four Mamiya worlds at a glance
2. The models in detail: what really differs
3. Which Mamiya keeps working without a battery?
4. Lenses: four mounts, three shutter generations
5. Backs, magazines, and viewfinders
6. Buying checklist and what the systems cost in 2026
7. Digitizing 6×7

1. The four Mamiya worlds at a glance

All four systems expose the same 120 roll film, but what they do with it differs so much that it already determines half of the buying decision: It affects how many images fit on a roll and how heavy the whole setup ends up being.

RB67 — the beast

Mamiya RB67 with the 90 mm Sekor. Photo from our own collection.

Introduced in 1970 and built until 2010: a cube with a bellows at the front and a magazine at the back that can be rotated 90 degrees, allowing portrait and landscape orientation without tilting the camera. That is precisely what RB stands for, short for Revolving Back. The shutters are in the lenses and are cocked via a lever on the body; there is no electronics anywhere. With a 90 mm lens and 120 magazine, it weighs around 2.7 kilos, making it clear what it was built for: not a walk, but a tripod.

RZ67 — the modernized version

Mamiya RZ67. Photo from our own collection.

Introduced in 1982, with the same principle, the same format, and the same operating logic, but with a plastic body over a metal frame, electronically controlled shutters, and communication between the lens and the body. This makes aperture-priority automation via the metering prism and half-stop shutter speeds possible. With a 110 mm lens and magazine, it weighs around 2.4 kilos, noticeably but not dramatically less than the RB67.

C220 and C330 — the twin-lens models with interchangeable lenses

Mamiya C330 Professional with the 55 mm lens pair and prism attached. Photo from our own collection.

There were many twin-lens reflex cameras, but almost only Mamiya made ones with interchangeable lenses; besides them, there were only the Koni-Omegaflex and Contaflex, and both are rare. With the C series, the pair of lenses comes off as a unit, and because focusing is done by moving the entire front plate forward on a bellows, the camera can get closer to the subject than any Rolleiflex: with the 80 mm lens, as close as about 30 centimeters. The format is 6x6, and the C330 weighs 1.7 kilos, while the C220 is a good half-kilo lighter.

645 — the compact system

Mamiya 645 with the 80 mm Sekor and waist-level finder. Photo from our own collection.

Built from 1975 onward, with a focal-plane shutter in the body, lenses without their own shutters, and interchangeable viewfinders and, from the second generation onward, interchangeable magazines. A 645 Pro with an 80 mm lens, magazine, and metering prism weighs around 1.55 kilos, and that is the class in which medium format stops being a transportation problem. The trade-off is that the 6x4.5 cm negative is the smallest of the four, although it is still roughly two and a half times the size of a 35 mm frame.

Count in frames per roll, not in centimeters. The difference between 10 and 16 frames per roll sounds small, but it makes a big difference in everyday use. A weekend with the RB67 can quickly use five rolls and therefore fifty frames, while the same amount of film yields eighty with the 645. If you develop the film yourself, you notice the difference in the time spent in the bath; if you send it to a lab, you notice it on the bill.

The short German version in the video

If you want to know how the block feels in your hand before spending 600 euros: ARS Analog has presented the RB67 Pro S in detail in German, including the question of whether it is the more affordable Hasselblad alternative.

Video: “Mamiya RB 67 | The Great Hasselblad Alternative,” channel ARS Analog

And the Mamiya 7? And the Press?

Two other Mamiya families regularly turn up in searches, but they do not belong in this comparison because they are not SLR cameras.

The Mamiya 7 and 7II from 1995 and 1999, respectively, are rangefinder cameras for 6x7: light, quiet, and equipped with lenses that rank among the finest ever designed for medium format—and correspondingly expensive. There is no mirror, bellows, or interchangeable backs, but the whole thing weighs less than a kilogram. If you want the format but still want to go hiking, that’s where you end up. The Mamiya 6 is the 6x6 counterpart with a retractable lens tube.

Mamiya Press, Super 23 and Universal, on the other hand, are sixties press cameras with rangefinders, interchangeable lenses, and roll-film or Polaroid backs. They are rugged, heavy, and dirt-cheap compared with everything else here, but they come with their own accessory ecosystem that you first have to understand.

2. The models in detail — what really differs

Within each family, there are three to seven variants, and the differences are rarely dramatic. A few of them do determine whether a lens fits or whether a crumbling light seal will ruin your film. Here are the points that actually matter when buying.

RB67: Professional, Pro-S, Pro-SD

The first RB67 from 1970 can do everything the later models can; it only lacks the safety nets: no focus lock and no double-exposure prevention. The Pro-S from 1974 adds both and is the version you’re most likely to encounter on the used market. The real leap comes with the Pro-SD from 1990, whose mount measures 61 rather than 54 millimeters, whose magazines work without foam light seals, and which is the only model compatible with the system’s two late additions: the 500 mm APO and the 75 mm Shift.

For choosing lenses, there is one thing above all to remember: The newer K/L lenses fit all three bodies. On the Pro and Pro-S, they attach directly; on the Pro-SD, a ring must be removed from the back of the lens. Conversely, the restriction applies only to the two L lenses mentioned above.

RZ67: Pro, Pro II, Pro IID

Thirteen years separate the first and second versions, yet you can hardly tell. The Pro from 1982 has an electronic shutter with full-stop speeds from 8 s to 1/400 s. The Pro II from 1993 adds a fine-focus drive on the right side of the focusing unit, half-stop shutter speeds, and aperture-priority autoexposure with the metering prism. The Pro IID from 2004 adds a built-in interface for digital backs, and anyone shooting film pays for it without getting anything in return—quite substantially, as the price comparison below shows.

That is why anyone buying an RZ67 generally buys a Pro or a Pro II, and for close-up work, the Pro II’s fine-focus drive is the most noticeable argument in favor of the newer model.

C series: two lines, not one range

Photo: DANYvanvee, public domain via Wikimedia Commons

The C series ran from 1956 to 1994 and split into two parallel lines in the mid-1960s, which continued to exist side by side until the end:

• The simple line — Mamiyaflex C, C2, C3, C22, then C220 (1968) and C220f (1982). Film advance is operated with a knob, the shutter is cocked separately by hand, and the focusing screen cannot be changed.
• The comfortable line — C33, then C330 (1969), C330f (1972), and C330s (1983). Here, there is a crank instead of a knob, the shutter cocks as you advance the film, and you also get a double-exposure lock, an automatic parallax display in the viewfinder, and an indicator that shows the exposure extension factor for close-ups. Focusing screens are interchangeable.

Needing two hand movements instead of one on the C220 is no big deal in everyday use, but the lack of a double-exposure lock is more of an issue. On the other hand, it is about half a kilogram lighter (the body without a lens weighs about 1,050 grams) and usually considerably cheaper. The C330’s parallax indicator becomes truly valuable when you extend the bellows, which is precisely what you buy this camera for.

Video: “Mamiya C330 compared to a Mamiya C220”, channel Romping Bronco. Both cameras side by side, with their operation compared directly.

645: first-generation metal, second-generation modular

Photo: Jacopo188, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The first generation, consisting of the M645 from 1975, the M645 1000S from 1976, and the M645J from 1979, is made entirely of metal, making it compact and well sealed. However, it does not have interchangeable film backs, only removable film inserts, so although you can preload two inserts, you cannot change the film type halfway through a roll. Compared with the M645, the 1000S adds 1/1000 s, a self-timer, and a depth-of-field preview button, making it the clearly better choice within the first generation, while the J is the stripped-down version without mirror lock-up.

Photo: Eric Gaba (Sting), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The second generation, consisting of the 645 Super from 1985, the 645 Pro from 1993, and the 645 Pro TL from 1997, has a plastic shell on a metal frame and genuine interchangeable film backs with dark slides. This is when the system became what established its reputation: the body, viewfinder, film back, and grip can all be freely combined. In practice, the only difference between the Pro and Pro TL is TTL flash metering with compatible Metz units. The 645E from 2000 is the budget version with a permanently built-in metering prism and fixed film compartment—lightweight and affordable, but without the modularity that otherwise brings you to this system.

Video: “Mamiya 645 Super, Pro and Pro TL cameras,” channel Jonathan Harris at Worldwide Camera Exchange. An explanation of the three second-generation bodies side by side.

The autofocus models from 1999 onward—namely the 645AF, AFD, AFD II, AFD III, DF, and DF+—are a separate chapter. Although they accept the old lenses, they can meter with them only at the working aperture, and today their main value lies in the fact that Phase-One digital backs fit them. For getting started with analog photography, they are the wrong turn.

If you want to dig deeper: the English-language Wikipedia documents the model histories clearly and with sources—RB67, RZ67, C series, and 645. For the C series, the system overview by Thomas Eisl is also worthwhile; it covers all bodies and lenses, including compatibility. The original manuals are all available from Butkus, free of charge, with a request for a small donation to the operator.

3. Which Mamiya keeps working without a battery?

Photo: THomas Hebert, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

This is where the four systems differ most, and it is overlooked in most buying guides because you only notice it when you are outside and nothing works anymore.

That is a genuine buying point, not a minor detail. If you take photos outdoors in winter, photograph only rarely and then leave the camera in the cupboard for months, or simply do not want another thing that can run out, an RB67 or C330 is a good choice. Neither model can sell us anything, because there is simply no battery adapter for them.

Which cell belongs in which model is listed in full in our Mamiya battery overview, along with the right adapter and the original manual for each model. The short version: The RZ67 Pro, Pro II and Pro IID, as well as all manual 645 models—the 1000S, J, Super, Pro, Pro TL and E—run on a 4LR44 or 4SR44, meaning they all use the same 6-volt cell. The autofocus models need a 2CR5 (645AF) or six AA cells (AFD family), and the Mamiya 7 and 7II also use the 4LR44.

If you have ended up with one of the 4LR44 models, you have two options. The original cell is available as a block battery, but it is expensive and not available everywhere. Four standard SR44 or LR44 button cells provide the same 6 volts when placed in a sleeve adapter: silver oxide (SR44) keeps the voltage more stable, which benefits the light meter and shutter speeds, while alkaline (LR44) can be found in virtually any drugstore in a pinch.

Metering without a built-in light meter

The downside of being battery-free is that the RB67 and C series do not measure anything inside the body. You have three options. An external handheld light meter is the most accurate and works with any camera. A metering viewfinder—the CdS prism for the RB or the CdS porrofinder for the C—meters through the lens, costs between 60 and 250 euros used, and then needs an LR44 after all. And then there is the route many TLR users actually take: the light meter app on their phone, mechanically attached to the camera.

Video: “The best light meter hack for the Mamiya C330”, on our own channel Ausgeknipst. Thirty seconds that finally put the C330’s side accessory shoe to good use.

One more point of context: The reason old light meters often give inaccurate readings with modern cells has to do with mercury, and we have a dedicated article about it — Power supply problems and solutions for analogue cameras. This does not matter for the Mamiya models in this article, however, because they were designed from the outset for 6-volt cells, which are still available unchanged today.

4. Lenses: four mounts, three shutter generations

This is where the most common bad investment occurs when getting into Mamiya. The four systems share not a single lens, and within the C Series, even caps and filters from one lens do not fit another. A few basic rules will save you from expensive mistakes.

RB67: Sekor C and K/L

Photo: Vitaly baranov, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Each RB lens has its own mechanical leaf shutter and shutter-speed ring; it is cocked on the body and can be released either on the body or directly on the lens. The older Sekor C lenses are good, while the later K/L lenses are optically identical to the RZ designs and are often cheaper than their RZ counterparts.

The rule to remember works in only one direction: RB lenses work on the RZ67, in the so-called L mode, because they control their own shutter speeds, but RZ lenses do not work on the RB67. They lack the mechanical shutter-speed ring because the speed is controlled electronically in the RZ body. If you are considering both systems, buy RB glass.

RZ67: Sekor Z

Electronic leaf shutter in the lens, with the shutter speed set on the body. The range runs from the 37 mm fisheye to 500 mm, and the 110 mm f/2.8 is the smallest and fastest lens in the range and is considered the system’s portrait lens. For landscapes, many people choose the 50 mm or 65 mm; both are available in a later version with a floating element that delivers noticeably better performance at close range.

C Series: the lens brings its own shutter — and the catch

Photo: pluzz, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The viewfinder and taking lenses sit on a shared plate and come off as a pair, while a flap inside the body prevents light from reaching the film during the change, so you can switch lenses mid-roll. Seven focal lengths were available: 55, 65, 80, 105, 135, 180, and 250 mm.

The shutters came in three generations, and that affects more than just the fastest shutter speed:

• First Chrome Series, Seikosha-MX — 1 s to 1/400 s.
• Second Chrome Series, Seikosha-S — 1 s to 1/500 s plus B.
• Black Series, Seiko, the latest models, with larger front diameters.

Chrome and black have different diameters, and this is the most common return we see in the Mamiya section. A lens cap or filter adapter that fits a black 80 mm f/2.8 does not fit the Seikosha version of the same lens because the barrel is narrower there. In addition, not every lens automatically couples with every body. So before ordering accessories, check whether your lens is chrome or black and which shutter name appears on the front of the ring.

645: Focal-plane shutter in the body — with a flash catch

On the 645, the shutter is in the body and the lenses are purely optical, which makes them lighter and cheaper, but it comes with one drawback: The first generation only syncs with flash at up to 1/60 s. If you want to use fill flash outdoors, you need one of the few lenses with a built-in leaf shutter, which sync up to 1/500 s, have their own flash socket, and require the body shutter to be set to 1/30 s or slower.

The abbreviations on the lenses are easy to explain: C means multicoated on all manual 645 lenses, N indicates the newer design from the second body generation onward, and A or APO denotes apochromatic optical designs. All manual lenses fit all manual bodies and also the autofocus bodies, where they provide stopped-down metering.

What lenses really cost in 2026: A sample check of Kamerastore’s inventory in August 2026—meaning inspected items with a warranty—shows €168 for the 80 mm f/2.8 Sekor C for the 645, €417 for the 110 mm f/2.8 Sekor C, €129 to €139 for the 127 mm f/3.8 Sekor C for the RB, and €179 to €249 for the 180 mm f/4.5 from the same series. For RZ lenses, the 180 mm f/4.5 Sekor Z costs €174 to €275, while the sought-after 110 mm f/2.8 Sekor Z W costs €519 to €799. When buying privately on classifieds and eBay, you typically pay thirty to forty percent less, but without inspection or the right to return the item.

For getting started with the C series, the best overview is actually an English video: Dan Bullman goes through operating the C330, changing lenses, and close-up work in one go.

Video: “MAMIYA C330 Review and Tutorial, The Most Versatile TLR of All-Time” — channel Dan Bullman Photography

5. Backs, magazines, and viewfinders

Photo: Vitaly baranov, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Interchangeable magazines are medium format’s answer to 35mm, because you can switch from black-and-white to color halfway through a roll without sacrificing the film. However, the four Mamiya systems do not share this capability equally.

The most important sentence in this table is in the first row. RB67 magazines from the Pro and Pro-S generations are sealed with foam, and foam from the seventies is now crumbling. If an inexpensive RB listing produces streaky negatives, this is almost always the reason, and almost never the camera, while the Pro-SD magazines solved the problem through their design. Our guide to replacing your camera’s light seals explains how to replace a seal yourself.

Video: “How to load and unload a Mamiya RB67 back/film magazine”, channel Valentin Ahles Photography. Loading is almost identical on the RB and RZ.

Viewfinders: the cheapest way to add comfort

All four systems accept different viewfinders, and the standard accessory is almost always the waist-level finder, which shows a laterally reversed image but is light and bright. Above that, there are chimney finders, prisms, and metering prisms. In terms of price, this is the cheapest way to upgrade the entire system: at Kamerastore in August 2026, a CdS prism cost €61, a PD prism €72, and a chimney finder €112, while only the FE701-AE prism for the RZ67 cost €239.

There is a special option for the C series. The original Porrofinder is rare and expensive, while TTL prisms for the Kiev 88 are readily available. With the right adapter, they fit the C330 and C220 and provide the cameras with exposure metering, which they never had from the factory.

Format changes and the 35mm trick

With the RB67 and RZ67, you can switch to 16 images per roll using a 6x4.5 back. With the RB67, there is a catch: the viewfinder still shows the full 6x7 field, so you compose blindly at the edges. Viewfinder masks are available for this and are placed on the focusing screen.

The other approach goes in the opposite direction: 35mm film in a medium-format camera. Because the image window is wider than the 35mm film, the perforations are exposed too, producing a panoramic format with visible sprocket holes—something you would otherwise need to buy a dedicated camera for.

6. Buying checklist and what the systems cost in 2026

Photo: Rémi Kaupp, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. This is how far the bellows of a C series extend, and you should check exactly this condition when buying.

Three of the four systems focus via bellows, and all four use shutters that may be fifty years old. The following list is sorted by frequency, so the items at the top are the most likely to be faulty.

1. Check the bellows for light leaks in the dark. Extend the bellows fully, shine a flashlight inside, turn off the lights—every point of light in the folds is a hole. This applies equally to the RB67, RZ67, and the C series, and it is repairable, but not something you want to discover only after getting home.
2. Listen to the shutter at every speed. Leaf shutters gum up with age. One second should run audibly and 1/400 s should snap; if the leaf sticks at the slow speeds or stays fully open, it needs cleaning. With the RZ67, insert a 4LR44 first, otherwise you’ll only test the emergency shutter speed.
3. Check the aperture blades for oil. An oily film on the blades will eventually make the shutter sluggish, and you can spot it as a sheen when looking through the lens toward the light.
4. Take magazines seriously. Is the dark slide included, does the mechanism count properly, and does it reset when opened? With the RB67 Pro and Pro-S, you also need to check the foam seals. A used magazine costs 225 to 330 euros, making it worth more than half the camera in some listings.
5. Check the lens against the sky. Look for haze, fungus, and separated cement between the elements. Dust is harmless; fungus is not.
6. Foam in the mirror box and beneath the focusing screen. As it deteriorates, the crumbs end up on the mirror and in the finder.
7. For RB and RZ: does the revolving adapter rotate smoothly? It must click distinctly into place in both landscape and portrait orientation, and the frame lines in the finder must move with it.
8. For the C series: do both lenses show the same thing? Focus on a subject and check whether the distance scale is plausible, because the viewing and taking lenses are matched at the factory, and a replaced individual lens can throw this off. Also test whether the light baffle closes properly when changing lenses.
9. For the 645: bring a battery. Without a battery, you cannot test a 645 at all, and slipping a 4LR44 costing two euros into your bag before spending 400 euros is the cheapest insurance for this article.
10. Completeness counts. A waist-level finder, body cap, lens cap, crank or grip, and dark slide, bought separately, can quickly add up to a hundred euros or more.

What it costs — a snapshot

Prices for used medium-format equipment fluctuate considerably, so instead of an invented range, this is a dated look at the inventory of a reputable dealer. All figures come from the Kamerastore inventory in August 2026, meaning tested equipment with a warranty and therefore the upper end of the market.

There are nearly 700 euros between the Pro IID and Pro II for a digital interface, and if you shoot film, you get exactly nothing for it. The same logic applies one step down: There are around 400 euros between a 1970 RB67 Professional and a 1990 Pro-SD, and the premium is worthwhile if you want the magazines without foam seals, not because the older camera takes worse pictures.

Privately, through Kleinanzeigen or eBay, prices are generally thirty to forty percent lower, but you are buying untested. We have outlined a systematic approach to buying used privately in a separate article: Buying a Used Film Camera: Where to Look, What to Check, What to Pay.

If something is defective after all

Leaf shutters and bellows are mechanical craftsmanship, not electronics, so much of this can be repaired at prices that are reasonable in relation to the camera’s value. We maintain an overview of repair shops in Germany and internationally that you can filter by distance. And before you send a camera in for a complete overhaul, read our article Does every “broken” film camera need a CLA?, because the problem is often smaller than the repair estimate.

Two honest opinions from outside

In his video, Willem Verbeeck explains why the RZ67 is the best medium-format camera for him, while also pointing out the aspects that can be annoying in everyday use.

Video: “The Best Medium Format Film Camera, Mamiya RZ67 Review” — channel Willem Verbeeck

And if you want to know what getting started with the 645 feels like when you have never shot film before: Baris Yener documented exactly that in German, using an M645 and a film that no longer exists today.

Video: “Analog Photography for the First Time, Mamiya M645 + Fuji PRO 400H Tested” — channel Baris Yener

The short answer to “which one, then”

7. Digitizing 6x7

A 6x7 negative has around four and a half times the area of a 35mm frame, and that is precisely why people use these cameras in the first place. Whether any of this advantage ultimately comes through, however, is decided only during digitization.

There are three options. The lab scans your film while developing it, usually on a Noritsu or Frontier, and for most people this is the best starting point because there is no extra work beyond the surcharge; our overview of film labs in German-speaking countries shows what each lab delivers. A flatbed scanner with a transparency unit is the slow but affordable option. And photographing the film with a digital camera is now the fastest option and superior in terms of resolution, provided the film lies flat.

That is exactly what everything hinges on with 120 film, because a 61.5-millimeter-wide strip curls more than a 35mm strip, and every curve costs sharpness at the edges. We measured how the various holders solve this problem in a dedicated comparison, including the competition: Film Scanner Comparison 2026 — Negative Supply, Valoi, pixl-latr and Others at a Glance. And if you want to know how such a setup is assembled in the first place, this video shows the complete process.

Video: “Complete DSLR Film Scanning Setup: Copy Stand, Film Holders & Light Source Explained”, our own channel Ausgeknipst

If you’re still choosing the film and haven’t got to the camera yet: You can find which 120 film is suitable for what in Buying analog film: which film, which ISO, which format.

Conclusion

If you’ve read this far and still can’t decide, one question will help: Do you want to carry the camera or set it up? If you set it up, choose an RB67 and you’ll never worry about a dead battery; if you carry it, choose a 645 or a C220 and you’ll never complain about the weight. The RZ67 is the right choice for anyone working in a studio and actually using aperture priority, while the C330 is for anyone who wants to get close and likes pushing two lenses through the bayonet at the same time.

You can’t go far wrong with any of them, because the negative is large enough on all four to make the difference from 35mm immediately visible.

Read more and keep asking questions

First-hand reports that go deeper than any buying guide: Anton McCloud’s search for the perfect 6x6 on 35mmc, the complete RZ67 system overview on EMULSIVE, the C220 long-term test at 50mmF2, the RB67-versus-RZ67 comparison by Brooklyn Film Camera, and the 1000S at Beyond the Aperture. If you have a specific question about a model, r/AnalogCommunity is the place where someone will answer fastest.

And finally, a note from us: You can find which battery your model needs in our battery overview for Mamiya, and if you’re not sure which set is right for you when digitizing, the Film Scanner Finder will tell you in three questions.