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Mamiya M645 1000s with Ilford FP4 film

Camera Review: Mamiya M645 1000s

September 12, 2017 in Camera Reviews

Over the decades, Mamiya made several versions of their 6x4.5 camera. The early models were all metal and mostly mechanical, as is the case with the M645 1000s that I am reviewing here. The 1000s is similar to other early Mamiya M645 camera bodies but differs in that it adds a higher max shutter speed and a multiple exposure switch.

In later years, the 645 cameras started to reflect more modern design and use more plastic based materials. They also began to utilize removable backs, motorized hand grips, more automated exposure prisms, and eventually even auto focus. More than anything, the longevity of the Mamiya 645 speaks to the robust nature of the format. 6x4.5 negatives after all allow for relatively small cameras (by medium format standards) while also allowing for a negative many times larger than 35mm film.

Of all the different film formats available today, medium format is usually the one I gravitate toward most often. Unfortunately, medium format cameras tend to be on the heavy side, making it difficult to carry them on long walks or hikes where space and weight is a major issue. When I am doing a photoshoot with models this doesn’t tend to be a big deal as I am carrying a large backpack with me and sometimes a tri-pod, numerous rolls of film, towels, and a whole lot more. However, when I just want to take some pictures on a leisurely walk, the size and weight of a medium format camera can be a pain.  

There are exceptions to this. My Rolleiflex TLR for example is incredibly light weight, but it is also limiting in that one is stuck with a standard 80mm field of view. The same can be said of medium format folders, which are incredibly compact and light, often smaller than a 35mm SLR, but they also have slow lenses and viewfinders that make careful composition difficult. On the other hand, cameras like my Mamiya RZ67, while having the benefit of interchangeable lenses and backs, it is just far too heavy and cumbersome to bring with me on a casual walk.

This is what initially attracted me to the M645 1000s. My initial hope with the Mamiya M645 was to find something in the middle. A camera light enough to take on an extended walk around town or a very casual photoshoot, but also with the ability to use a variety of lenses. At first I was disappointed with the M645 in this regard. When I purchased my camera, it came with a metered prism finder and a left-handed grip. While this made the camera feel “SLR like” it also made the camera incredibly heavy and bulky. Not at all what I was hoping for. Perhaps some of the later 645 models made of lighter materials work better in this regard, but for me the M645 1000s was just too heavy to be constantly lifting it up to my eye in order to compose a shot.  

Mamiya M645 1000s with expired Ilford HP5 film

So I made it a point to go out and find a waist level finder for the camera (which was surprisingly difficult) and once that was accomplished my opinion of the M645 began to change for the better.  

Unlike most photographers, who seem to prefer the eye level prisms for the M645, for me the ideal setup with the M645 1000s is using the camera with a waist level finder. With a waist level finder attached, the camera is fairly compact and small, about equal to the size and weight of a pro-level SLR. A lot of people will bash the M645 with the waist level finder because they claim it limits a photographer to only shooting in a landscape orientation but I totally disagree. It isn’t difficult to simply turn the camera, and your head, to the side in order to compose and trip the shutter in a portrait orientation. In all honesty though, about 90% of the time I like to compose photographs in the landscape orientation anyway so the debate is moot in my mind.

I feel like I’ve said this a million times but it is worth repeating. Mamiya made some of the nicest lenses of any film format and compared to many medium format systems, they are dirt cheap. Certainly far cheaper than Hasselblad or Contax system lenses and due to the large quantities of them on the used market, even cheaper than Bronica lenses. For my M645 I have the 80mm f/1.9 and the 55mm f/2.8. Both are nice and sharp. As far as I know the 80mm f/1.9 has the fastest 80mm lens ever made for a medium format camera. The bokeh is a bit on the busy side but not so much so that I’m unwilling to use the lens. I’m told the standard 80mm f/2.8 has much smoother bokeh but for me the difference can’t be good enough to trade it in favor of the fast f/1.9 aperture of the lens I own.

The 55mm f/2.8 (I have the C version, not the more modern N version) is about as good of a lens as my eyes could ever want. It’s sharp, has nice bokeh, smooth to operate, and provides a perfect field of view for street photography and image making where I want to show off a bit more information into my frame. Nothing at all to complain about here.

Mamiya M645 1000s with Ilford HP5 film pushed to ISO 1600

Sometimes it’s the little things about a camera that make me fall in love with it. For many people this may not seem like a big deal, but for me this is one of those things that transcends a camera design from simply being good camera into great image making tool. The Mamiya M645 has two shutter buttons. One on the front of the camera body right below the lens where you typically find one on a medium format camera, and another on the top of the body to the right of the viewing screen. This comes in handy a lot when holding the camera at odd angles. It’s such a minor thing really, but makes all the difference in terms of ease of use and overall enjoyment when making photographs.   

I highly recommend the Mamiya M645 1000s, or really any other camera in the Mamiya 645 line. It is cheap to own and easy to customize to your particular shooting style. Do you like using eye level prisms? Awesome! You can do that with an M645. Do you prefer the waist level finder as I do? Great! You can do that too. This is a camera that can be decked out with accessories or used in a minimalist fashion depending on your needs. As I mentioned earlier in this review, Mamiya made a lot of 645 cameras (the Pro, Super, 645e,  etc.) and I think it is worth doing a bit of research to find out which one best suits your particular taste. For me, the M645 1000s is the way to go given its robust construction and its fairly small size.


Tags: Mamiya M645 1000s, Camera Review, Black and White Film, Street Photography, Medium Format
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Here you will find the ramblings of photographer Alexis Kennedy, his latest images, and just general thoughts about photography, film, art, and creativity.

Alexis works primarily with analogue film including 35mm, medium format, and large format film.   


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It was colder than we would have liked, and the light was dimmer than I expected, but with a little perseverance we managed to make it all work. Sometimes that is what you've got to do. If that wasn't the case, we probably wouldn't do it all. 
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Portland has its share of problems. Drug abuse and homelessness being two very large ones. Federal Troops and ICE aren't going to do a single thing to he
Quick snapshots after going to a movie. 
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#filmphotography #streetphotography #35mmfilm #blackandwhitefilm #pdx #portland #olympus #ilford #darkroom #rodinal
Exposing my film straight into the sun. I wasn't sure this was going to work, but nature was feeling merciful toward me this day. 
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#filmphotography #blackandwhitefilm #fineart #oregon #outdoors #pdx #portland #largeformat #4x5film #darkroom #ilford
Feeling the desire lately to really knuckle down and get work done, which is a good state of mind to be in. Thank goodness it is Friday! 
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#filmphotography #fineart #blackandwhitefilm #hasselblad #portland #pdx #mediumformat #studio #downtown #rodin
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Just hanging out in Ashland, soaking up the summer sun, eating a lovely breakfast, and doing way too much shopping. 
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#filmphotography #ashland #blackandwhitefilm #mediumformat #roadtrip #toycamera #lomo #streetphotography
Those who know me in real life are aware that I am a huge movie and film nerd. One of my early gateways into a cinematic world outside the Hollywood norms was of course David Lynch. 

I don't think younger people quite understand what a treat it was
I'm really looking forward to fall. It's probably my favorite time of year to make color photographs and take advantage of the punchy and saturated quality of color negative film. 
.
#filmphotography #colorfilm #hasselblad #landscape #epicsky #oregon
I'm waiting for the beep of the coffee maker at the moment, i.e. that glorious sound telling me my morning coffee is all ready to be poured in a mug and consumed before the sun comes up. Glory days I tell you, glory days...
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#filmphotography #blacka
I can pull off a cowboy hat sometimes. I like to walk around in a flannel shirt and a ten gallon hat and a camera attached to my hip. All I'm missing is the horse. Evidently my cool factor only goes to 8 and not to 11. 
.
#colorfilm #selfportrait #po I always find the lighting on the hottest days to be the most difficult to work with. A little bit of persistence always wins the day though, which seems to be my theme lately. 
.
#filmphotography #blackandwhitefilm #oregon #outdoors #landscape #hass It was colder than we would have liked, and the light was dimmer than I expected, but with a little perseverance we managed to make it all work. Sometimes that is what you've got to do. If that wasn't the case, we probably wouldn't do it all. 
.
#fil More murals on the inner east side of Portland. So much great art on public view for anyone willing to brave the outdoors. 
.
#filmphotography #hasselblad #streetart #streetphotography #mural #portland #pdx #eastside #ilford #rodinal #darkroom I'm looking forward to that wonderful light of the fall season. Beautifully subdued from every direction. 
.
#filmphotography #blackandwhitefilm #fineart #studio #portland #pdx #oregon #chinatown #mamiyarz67 #mediumformat #analogphotography #darkroom Looking into the sun on a summer morning. I'm a little surprised I pulled off the exposure here so well. 
.
#filmphotography #blackandwhitefilm #fineart #hasselblad #analogphotography #darkroom #oregon #portland #pdx #morning #sunrise Evidently I live in a city "under siege". I don't know, looks rather tranquil to me. 

Portland has its share of problems. Drug abuse and homelessness being two very large ones. Federal Troops and ICE aren't going to do a single thing to he Quick snapshots after going to a movie. 
.
#filmphotography #streetphotography #35mmfilm #blackandwhitefilm #pdx #portland #olympus #ilford #darkroom #rodinal Exposing my film straight into the sun. I wasn't sure this was going to work, but nature was feeling merciful toward me this day. 
.
#filmphotography #blackandwhitefilm #fineart #oregon #outdoors #pdx #portland #largeformat #4x5film #darkroom #ilford Feeling the desire lately to really knuckle down and get work done, which is a good state of mind to be in. Thank goodness it is Friday! 
.
#filmphotography #fineart #blackandwhitefilm #hasselblad #portland #pdx #mediumformat #studio #downtown #rodin East side photo walk around Portland. Still after all these years one of the best ways to collect my thoughts, breath in some real air, and feel connected with where I live. 
.
#filmphotography #pentax17 #35mmfilm #portland #pdx #oregon #streetphotog Just hanging out in Ashland, soaking up the summer sun, eating a lovely breakfast, and doing way too much shopping. 
.
#filmphotography #ashland #blackandwhitefilm #mediumformat #roadtrip #toycamera #lomo #streetphotography Those who know me in real life are aware that I am a huge movie and film nerd. One of my early gateways into a cinematic world outside the Hollywood norms was of course David Lynch. 

I don't think younger people quite understand what a treat it was I'm really looking forward to fall. It's probably my favorite time of year to make color photographs and take advantage of the punchy and saturated quality of color negative film. 
.
#filmphotography #colorfilm #hasselblad #landscape #epicsky #oregon I'm waiting for the beep of the coffee maker at the moment, i.e. that glorious sound telling me my morning coffee is all ready to be poured in a mug and consumed before the sun comes up. Glory days I tell you, glory days...
.
#filmphotography #blacka