Omega Rapid 100

I have been shooting more and more medium format film lately with the Omega Rapid 100 camera. Let’s take a look at the features and first impressions.
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[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Probably the most overlooked camera system there is, just a joy to use the ergonomics and overall usability are extremely good on these cameras.

[@Ybalrid]

I had never heard about these!

[@randallstewart1224]

Great video, as I support any video which makes a good presentation of this line of cameras. adding a few points: The first Koni Omega from 1964 was a collaboration between Konica and Omega, the US-based enlarger maker, in concept reviving the commercial failure of the Omega 120 from the late 1940s-50s. Omega dropped out later, so Konica redesigned the camera, mainly the film back, and introduced the new version in 1967 or so. Accessories and lenses fit both versions, except the backs, which do not interchange. Be careful when buying backs that you get the right model. The Koni and Mamia parts and accessories are interchangeable. The viewfinder lens framing uses a mechanism which Konica used only on their best cameras. It moves the frame to compensate for parallax error during focusing, as do many others. However it also changes the size of the framing to match how the image size changes during focusing - very cool. Lenses: Konica "borrowed" lens designs to make the lenses for this camera system, and only from the best. The original lenses camera were copied from: 60mm - Angulon; 90mm - Tessar; and 180mm - Tele-Xenar or similar. The later 135mm is a copy of the Zeiss Sonnar. The 58mm replaced the 60mm - Super Angulon copy. (My 60mm was a stinker, but it may just have been my copy.) IMO there are no weak links in this system, but the part which will fail first is the film back, usually for frame spacing. These are surprisingly complex and tricky to work on. There is a YT video somewhere showing how to disassemble a Koni Omega film back. One view will put you off the idea of DIY. There may be some shops which will work on these cameras today, but the Man was Greg Weber. Unhappily, he retired recently, so do not buy a junker cheap with the idea of having it overhauled, without finding your repairman first. You can sort the age of your camera by whether it has a rangefinder scale for the 135mm lens, which was introduced in the late 1960s. The 135mm installs and rangefinder couples on the earlier camera models. The 135mm was originated as the primary lens for the Koniflex TLR system, only later remounted for the Koni Omega RF. In TLR mount, it is common as dirt; for the RF system, it is unobtainium class. The accessory flash bracket really only couples to the old Graflex-style flash guns, which were the industry standard of the day. They are a dime a dozen on eBay because all of those flash guns were converted into light sabres after 1967. If you are a masochist in search of accessories, these items were offered. Two rangefinder "coupled" close up lenses for the 90mm (exactly like for the Mamiya 7 today); glasses protecting eyecup (uses that left cold shoe); custom-made cable release for that bracket on the hand grip; glass plate back for direct focusing with several back spacers to enable close up photography. The "sports finder" is both useful and commonly available, mounts in one of the cold shoes. They come in both pre-135mm and post--135mm versions.

[@Stop4MotionMakr]

I have the Omega 120 by Simmons brother which is the precursor to this camera. IT IS A BEAUTY and incredibly rare these days. If you find the only 2 other listings on the internet make sure you snatch it up before they're gone.

[@tim31415]

One of those was a prop in Space 1999. It's what the camera of the future looks like. 😁 I thought about one of those for years, but decided a Baby Graphic was the better option.

[@BobOgden1]

Love the film advance action 😄

[@andybaldwinphoto]

These are great cameras. A Koni Omega Rapid was my first medium format camera back in the '90s. I still have it, but the film backs are getting a bit tired, so I recently added a 100 to the kit. Thanks for sharing.

[@jw48335]

What an epic tank of a camera - I loved it while I owned it. I cut a flash gel and put it over the viewfinder to increase the contrast. I swapped to a Fujica because my hands and neck didn't like the weight of the Konnie. Great stuff!

[@jw48335]

Also since you're shooting more medium format - Blackscale Labs 120 is the best camera rig I've found for MF. No leveling, copy stand, the holder keeps it super flat, worth every penny. I used to use a more expensive Valoi setup, but I *hated* the copy stand taking up space and the time to set it up.

[@ToddScholton]

Well now I have another camera to keep on the lookout for! Great video and a great suggestion.

[@bifcake]

Back in the day when I was an assistant , the guy that I worked with shot with this camera. The camera itself was great, but the backs were very delicate and even slightly rough use would result in frame spacing issues .

[@Flying4Film]

I bought one in like new condition a couple of years ago with the cable release for $125. The 90mm on this camera is my favorite medium format lens. Sadly mine has been sitting on the shelf for at least a year now. On a side note mine has the original lens cap and it’s a friction fit cap that fits over the built in lens hood.

[@yolklab]

That's a beautiful quirky camera, thank you for sharing 🧀

[@robertsaunders5740]

A long time ago I bought one of these at a garage sale. I do not recall exactly which model. The man showed me that he slammed in the film advance. My first roll of film had part of the next image on each. I took it to a repair shop, and he said that it had a bent post, and he fixed it for $50 USD. Went back to the seller with the bill and photos and we agreed to split the cost of repair. Took it to a summer photo school and people never seen anything like it. Good times.

[@armenianzombie]

If memory serves this is also john gossage's favorite camera. Good Video.

[@a.j.fontana]

Ha! I was going to mention this. Was recently re-watching The Genius of Photography documentary and in it there is footage of Gossage using a pair of these.

[@josephawatson]

I have an earlier Koni Omega Rapid and while I love it the clutch in the film back does need maintenance or else you get overlapping frames. for changing the lenses it had a knob that rotate two slats into place instead of a dark slide.

[@michelhv]

I’ve got a 100 with a whole set of lenses, and while the 135 is a very nice portait lens, the 180 is nothing to write home about. It’s quite heavy and ultimately you’re using it at infinity because the RF isn’t precise enough.

[@manfreddick-kreuzer8712]

a nice steam punk machine, only the chimney is missing.

[@nickwinn7812]

Was this originally intended as a press camera?

[@randallstewart1224]

Oh, Sort of. It was the go-to camera system for wedding photographers from introduction around 1964. By the 1970, much of that business had shifted to 35mm SLRs. Konica sold the entire production plant to Mamiya around 1973. Mamiya rebranded the Koni Omega M as the 200, and finally remade the Koni Omega Rapid from 1975 as the 100, removing the mid-roll interchangeable film back feature as a cost-cutting, price reduction, ending around 1976. Its life cycle was roughly parallel to the Mamiya 23, Super 23, Universal series of cameras, which served the same market. Among Koni nerds, it is undecided whether Konica continued to make the lenses for Mamiya, or Mamiya took over making the lenses directly. As one of the club, I made a point of buying the Konica lens versions.

[@clavdiolizarraga1075]

my God, what a struggle, that's the reason why I'm sticking with 35 mil, placing the shutter on the left hand is a major design flaw, and every reasonable priced medium format camera comes with at least a couple of these

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

I’m left handed

[@MarksPhoto]

If you want to see the ugliest camera ever made, Google the original Omega Rapid 120. Like they rummaged through the parts bins, and said, "Eh, that should work". Dr Frankenstein would approve.

[@Wiencourager]

I just bought one of those, I love it. Ergonomics are pretty good