Buying used Mamiya 7 or Mamiya 7 II? Essential checks you should make.

Buying Mamiya 7 cameras and lenses? We highlight the main areas to check when buying secondhand;
0:00 Introduction
1:03 Checking cosmetics
3:12 Checking mechanics
5:30 Checking optics
6:56 Checking electronic
Also these same checks can be used when buying Mamiya 6 equipment.
I have traded Mamiya equipment for 30+ years and so have an excellent insight into its strengths and weaknesses. I hope you find this video useful.
Jonathan Harris, Worldwide Camera Exchange

[@kaszi33]

I would like to write: thank you very much for this video. It’s very useful! Really appreciate your help, thanks for that!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Thank you. Glad it was useful.

[@lightninginabottleuk]

Really fantastic video. I'm looking at a Mamiya 6 tomorrow and I wouldn't have had a clue without this video :-)

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Good luck and take your time checking it over. Buy with a return option if you can. Bear in mind any future repairs might be difficult; Camera buyers beware. The truth you MUST know about older digital and film equipment. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5TTlmuqf9aCf8k

[@achimney29]

excellent video, thank you!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pancakelens75]

I really enjoy your excellent videos. I had been looking for just the right 6x7 camera awhile back. The Mamiya 7 was a bit costly for me. I landed on the Fujica GM670 (predecessor to the GW670 and with removable lens) and I’ve been enjoying the hell out of it. A little bigger than the Mamiya 7, but loads lighter than the Pentax 67 and far more portable than the RB/RZ67. Bang for buck, what a wonderful camera and a rangefinder to boot🙏🏼

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Yes, brilliant cameras!

[@MarcellaGrimaux]

Thank you so much for this video! And your others, they are really helpful!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Thanks - appreciated

[@eyesonly4451]

Very informative 👍Thanks!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Glad it was useful!

[@davida5136]

Amazing, thank you so much

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Glad you liked it!

[@honghanguyenthi8754]

I just discovered your channel, it is very helpful for me, now I am looking for a Hasselblad Xpan after a few years of hard work. Can you make a video about the Hasselblad Xpan buying guide or write in my comment ( I love that camera but it is an electronic powered camera so it is a bit scary to buy it, what if it failed on me at 30 rolls or something and that would be a very sad day )

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

It's on the 'to do' list!

[@honghanguyenthi8754]

@@WorldwideCameraExchange thank you so much

[@inikphoto]

Must check one of the most important parts of this particular camera, is the winder mechanism! They are extremely fragile and not well made and tend to skip and slip gears, very hard to find new parts for these mechanisms and most repairers won’t touch this problem! So put a roll of film through it and make sure you get all fames and it cocks the shutter every frame!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Yes, agreed. A film test is always a good idea. That said, the wind mechanism is far more prone to fail on heavily worn cameras. For this reason I would only recommend buying low use Mamiya equipment. And don’t forget spares aren’t available which is why many repairers don’t service them.

[@inikphoto]

@@WorldwideCameraExchange I bought one of these in mint condition, cosmetics were very excellent and the crank was slipping and couldn’t get it repaired and had to send back for refund! it’s really hard to know of the ‘worn’ aspect, I spoke to the repairer who works on all analog gear for over 40 years and he said these mechanisms were a very major flaw in Mamiya 6 and 7, the single crank puts a lot of stress on the gears and eventually they will start to slip! They were just not made strong enough! Thanks for the reply! I enjoy the videos!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

You had a lucky escape! If the camera was mint then the wind mechanism wouldn’t be worn. I suspect it had been misused or forced? Maybe by somebody not familiar with the various interlocks. Returning it for a refund was the best option. Even if a repair was possible it may have caused further issues in the future.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

You find this this useful; Camera buyers beware. The truth you MUST know about older digital and film equipment. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5TTlmuqf9aCf8k

[@inikphoto]

@Artemio Medina the only way is to put a roll of film through it, fire the shutter for every single frame, and make sure it cranks and advances to the next frame with a single stroke! and you get exactly 12 frames before the roll winds on to finish.

[@Mr._Magee]

I bought a Mamiya 7ii and the focus patch was off-center by about 1mm when focused at infinity, it wasn't dead on center. Will this cause issues when the aperture is at f4, subjects being out of focus?

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Thanks for your comment. You'll probably be okay although you should get it adjusted when it's next serviced. It's more likely to impact focus accuracy at closer distances with longer lenses.

[@_HaGii_]

I got a Mamiya 7 which doesnt seem to open and close the shutter in the lens, when pressing the shutter button. I got the darkslide open, the shutter cocked and the back open. But the shutter of the lens remains open… I can only see the aperture blades and a little bit of light coming through the glass. What’s irritating me is when I look in the back of the camera through the lens and clocking the shutter button I can hear the „click…click“ you mentioned, but the shutter doesn’t actually open or close on the lens. Did you come across this behavior before? Is the lens toast?

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

It's worth having a repairer take a look. It might be something quite simple to fix as part of a general service.

[@_HaGii_]

@@WorldwideCameraExchange I literally dissembled it right after I saw your comment. Seems like the shutter mechanic inside was jammed. I “unjammed” it and called it a day. Reassembled the lens and as of now It seems to work properly… I think it might be only temporarily, but who knows…

[@gurugamer8632]

Hi Jonatham, is it worth buying the Mamiya 7 II + 80mm f/4 £3500-£3800? User says it is imacculate. Is it too risky to buy as they are old. User says he bought it new in 2003.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

It’s a lot of money to spend if it develops a fault and can’t be fixed. Some are happy to take the risk, others aren’t.

[@gurugamer8632]

@@WorldwideCameraExchange I think I will skip it and get Leica M11

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Or a Hasselblad X2D?

[@drwatsonismine]

Why is the Mamiya 6 not as popular as the 7? Was there a “issue”with them? Thanks for your reviews!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

I think people generally prefer the rectangular format. In its day the Mamiya 6 was very popular but some just don’t get on with 6x6cm.

[@drwatsonismine]

@@WorldwideCameraExchange Ok Thanks. That helps.

[@maxwellwellmax878]

Sorry Im 3 years too late lol. I have yet to develop the rolls, so still dont know if my Mamiya works.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Take it out and use it. You’ll love it!

[@EstebanCodes]

You will first need to check your bank account with the current prices

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Yep. They’re expensive and the price is only going in one direction … finite supply and growing demand.

[@corinnevonreding8341]

Hi, my Mamiya 7 II doesn’t stop after I took the last picture of the film. So it goes on and on. obviously without exposing the film anymore. I don’t think that’s normal. Thanks for clarifying this issue.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Have you got it set for 220 film? If not, you should ask a Mamiya repairer to take a look. Unfortunately spares are no longer available but hopefully it’ll be something minor.

[@corinnevonreding8341]

Wow! You are absolutely great. Thank you so much! Had the same thought a few days ago. I woke up in the middle of the night and went having a look if it is maybe on 220. But it wasn’t . Luckily the RCE FOTO shop in Italy gave me a 6 month guarantee. Thank you again for you immediate reply.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Happy to help. Hope it’s an easy fix.

[@corinnevonreding8341]

I just wanted to let you know that Surprisingly with the 3rd film it worked perfectly. But nevertheless I sent it back to the shop for sale . I became uncomfortable with this camera. Also with my first roll of film the advancement didn’t work smoothly.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

It may have sat unused for a while and the wind mechanism became lazy. Use has got it going again but a service by a good Mamiya repairer is still a good idea.

[@randallstewart175]

The history of this camera is one of multiple problems traced to poor design or poor (inadequate) choice of materials. While the lenses are superb, the bodies reflect the history of Mamiya, which is building compromised products to meet a lower price point, often for other companies to rebrand and sell under their names. IMO the idea of buying these cameras at the current (mid-2022) prices is ridiculous. This second tier build quality is similar in their other camera series, the 645 and 67 SLRs. Generally speaking, if you buy any Mamiya .camera and use it regularly, you are very likely to have in in the shop for some repair every 18 months or so on average.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Thanks for commenting - it's always appreciated. Mamiya 7s and 7IIs are great cameras but photographers should understand what they're buying ... hence the video. I've sold used and new Mamiya equipment for 35+ years. That provides a good sample size to assess reliability both objectively and fairly. Are Mamiyas as reliable as Hasselblads? No. But they're less well built and cheaper so that shouldn't be a surprise. Are Mamiyas as reliable as Bronica? Yes. Mamiya and Bronica had a similar price point. Mamiya had issues with the winding mechanism. Bronica had issues with shutter timing. Neither's perfect. It's been almost 20 years since Mamiya made its last camera. All cameras will develop reliablity problems over that time unless they're regularly serviced. The issue with Mamiya and Bronica and Hasselblad (X-Pan) is that spares are no longer made ... something I frequently highlight on my channel and every buyer should understand: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5TTlmuqf9aCf8k I wouldn't recommend using any 20+ year old camera professionally on a day-to-day basis ... surely no responsible professional photographer would? Occassionally, yes, for specific jobs, but not day in, day out. For that use your digital Nikon, Canon, Sony or Hasselblad. I do agree that Mamiya 7 and 7II prices are insane. But the market decides ... if buyers exist and the supply is short then prices will rise. Personally I'd recommend a Hasselblad X1DII over a Mamiya for heavy professional use. More expensive, yes, but more dependable, more compact and with a better range of lenses. And, of course, it can be fixed!

[@ezpoppy55]

Yet I had my Mamiya 6 from 1990 to 2005, used it extensively and heavily… and had ZERO issues with any aspect of it. Amazingly unique system, and in fact I recently (2024) bought another Mamiya 6 camera with 50mm f/4 lens. Just as wonderful ergonomics and gorgeous output now as back then. Different strokes for different folks. I so thoroughly enjoyed my first go round with this camera that, after a 25 year hiatus from any and all film, I happily made the jump back into analog. And the first and only camera I wanted was the 6. Color me ecstatic!

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Yep, they’re fantastic cameras. Thanks for commenting.

[@paulred158]

I winced when you just ratchet so fast on the winder,.I hope you don't do it like that with film in.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

All film wind mechanisms (including Mamiya) become heavier with a film loaded so you have no choice but to advance more slowly. My viewers are experienced photographers. These videos need to be concise. I don’t feel the need to warn against advancing the film so aggressively that you destroy the wind mechanism.

[@paulred158]

@@WorldwideCameraExchange I’ve owned 3 since 2002 the winders are prone to failure .more so on the mamiya 6 perhaps. It doesn’t hurt to suggest being a little gentle. It’s not a nikkormat.

[@WorldwideCameraExchange]

Thanks for commenting. Always appreciated.