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Japanese Six (6×6)
Prewar and wartime models (edit)
folding
Adler Six | Bonny Six | Clover-Six | Condor Six | First Six | Gelto Six | Gotex | Green | Lyra Six | Super Makinet Six | Mamiya Six | Miyako Six | Mulber Six | Mulix | National Six | Neure Six | Oko Six | Olympus Six | Pilot Six | Romax | Ugein | Vester-Six | Victor Six | Weha Six
collapsible
Ehira Chrome Six | Minolta Six | Shinko Super | Weha Chrome Six
unknown
Freude Six | Heart Camera | Konter Six | Tsubasa Six
Postwar models (edit)
folding
Aires Viceroy | Angel Six | Aram Six | Astoria Super Six | Atom Six | Balm Six | Baron | Beauty Six (1950) | Beauty Six (1953) | Calm Six | Carl Six | Centre Six | Crown | Crystar Six | Daido Six | Dorima Six | Doris Six | Ehira Six | Elbow Six | First Six | Flora Six | Fodor Six | Frank Six | Fujica Six | Super Fujica Six | Futami Six | Gotex | Grace Six | Kohken Chrome Six | Kyowa Six | Liner Six | Lyra Six | Mamiya Six | Middl Six | Mihama Six | Mine Six | Minon Six | Mizuho Six | Motoka Six | Mount Six | Muse Six | Super Naiku | Ofuna Six | Olympus Six | Olympus Chrome Six | Orion Six | Oscar Six | Pigeon Six | Planet | Please Six | Pluto Six | Poppy Six | Press Van | Proud Chrome Six | Proud Super Six | Renown Six | Ricoh Six | Ruvikon | Ruvinal | Sanon Six | Silver Six | Sisley 1 | Sisley 2 & 3 | Sister Six | Tenar Six | Toho Six | Tomic | Toyoca Six | Ugein Six | Wagen Six | Walcon 6 | Welmy Six | Wester | Windsor Six
rigid or collapsible
Dia Six | Ehira Chrome Six | Enon Six | Flora | Flashline | Fujipet | Harmony | Mikono-6 | Orion | Ponix | Rich-Ray-6 | Shumy | Weha Chrome Six
Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo models ->
Japanese 3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6 and older 6×9 ->

This article is about the camera made in the 1940s and 50s. For the 1990s camera, see Mamiya 6.

The Mamiya Six is a series of 6×6 folders with a coupled rangefinder, made by Mamiya from 1940 to the 1950s. All of them are focused by moving the film plane. Some have Zuiko lenses.

Z99 Mamiya Six lll Green jade Brassed dec 3 2013 Darker

Mamiya Six Model lll #17636 w/ K.O.L. special No. 78132 7.5cm F:3.5 Brassed & Jade Composite leatherette due to very poor condition.

Evolution[]

Model l came in two versions, One for size "O" shutters with three struts and (eyelets for a strap) a model la for the larger sized shutter "OO" , with two struts. Both used a K.O.L. Special 7.5cm/3.5 lens and is pre war in nature, well built back focusing plane design. Shutters were the buyers choice, Common with a NKS Torio T,B, 1-200.

P1170454

Model ll came in the wars years in two versions as above. This time the "Eyelets" are no longer on the camera for a strap. Serial #'s found in the 6,xxx range, F:8 D.O.F. scale and a simple unscrewing knob on front standard. camera Shutters as above and often found with a Patent Mars T,B, 1-250.

Mamiya Six Model ll top plate

Model lll came in the war years also and differs in that it has a complex flash delay on the front standard of the lens and serial No,s often in the 22,xxx range. Lenses and shutters found as in model l, and ll. The special version for 'OO" sized shutters was discontinued. Late war years cameras suffer from chrome quality thinness.

All Mamiya Six models l,la,ll,lla,lll have three windows up front, and three screws in the accessory shoe. Early versions D.O.F. scale goes to F:8 only. Top reflex viewer on model One is larger 12x12mm, whereas later model ll, lll are 11x11mm. Model lll has a F:22 D.O.F scale. Exposure counting scale also comes in many shape changes. it's best to refer to Dirk HR Spennemann's, "Mamyia Six Design Variations web page because there were many changes too numerous to list here. It is stated that; the K.O.L. Sola Special lens 7.5cm F:3.5 was a early four element design and of course all model l,la,ll,lla,lll lenses are Uncoated.

Mamiya Six lll K.O

With the Mamiya Six IV, introduced in 1947, the waist-level finder disappeared. It remained the sole model until 1953. The Mamiya Six V added the dual 6×6 and 4.5×6 format capability, with an exposure counter functioning with both formats. The Mamiya Six K was a simpler model, with film advance via red windows.

In 1955, the Mamiya Six IVB introduced a squarer body design, easily recognized by the square rangefinder window. Its features were similar to the model IV. The Mamiya Six K2 was similar to the model K with the new body. The body design was slightly modified again for the Mamiya Six IVS and simpler Mamiya Six P.

From 1955, the Mamiya Six Automat and the later Automat 2 added a coupling between the shutter cocking and the film advance.

Known Shutter lens Combinations of the Models, 1, 2

Interestingly, Mamiya offered purchasers to bring their own lenses, which would be installed in the '0' shutters. This resulted in a range of known shutter combinations:
  • K.O.L. Anastigmat 75mm f/3.5
    • in MSU-TOKYO NEW HIT shutter
    • in RAPID K.O.L. (B, 1-500th) shutter
  • K.O.L. Special f/3.5 75mm
    • in MAMIYA-SIX (B, T, 1-200th) shutter
    • in NKS (B, T, 1-200th) shutter
    • in NKS-TOKIO (B, T, 1-200th) shutter
    • in YAMATO-RAPID (B, 1-500th) shutter
  • K.O.L. Trio f/3.5 75mm
    • in ??OD. P. II (T, B, 1-300th) shutter
  • Kolex Anastigmat f/3.5 75mm
    • in DABIT-SUPER (B, 1-500th) shutter
Z99 Mamiya Six model lll variant b

mamiya Six lll variant B

Pictures[]

Further reading[]

In Japanese:

  • Kitano Kunio (北野邦雄). Mamiya Shikkusu no sho (マミヤシックスの書, The book of the Mamiya Six). Tokyo: Kōgasō, 1942.
  • Ōba Eiichi (大場栄一). Mamiya Shikkusu no tsukaikata (マミヤシックスの使い方, How to use the Mamiya Six). Tokyo: Kōgasō, 1956.

Links[]

General links[]

In English:

In Swedish:

In Japanese:

In Chinese:

Instructions[]

In English:

Original documentation[]

In Japanese:

Repair notes[]

In French:

In Japanese:

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