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on May 23, 2021 12:58:55 GMT
Posted: May 23, 2021 12:58:55 GMT
I just discovered, much to my surprise that the Mamiya Myrapid 35mm half-frame camera had a 32mm f1.7 Tominon lens. There were probably other, non-Yashica, fixed-lens cameras that used Tominon lenses as well. Who knows?
Unlike other camera companies, Mamiya never really jumped on the half-frame bandwagon. They only made one attempt --- into the consumer market -- but it was well-worth the price of admission. In 1965 they produced the Myrapid. The "rapid" part comes from the fact that this camera used the Agfa Rapid cassette which was popular at the time. These 35mm cassettes automatically set the film speed when dropped into the camera -- well ahead of their time. But this camera's claim-to-fame was its super-fast, 32mm, manually-focusing (f1.7) lens. It had close focusing to 2.5 feet and a 52mm filter thread. As in the Olympus Pen E series of cameras, this lens was surrounded by a selenium cell which sets the correct exposures -- aperture from f1.7 - f16 and shutter speeds from 1/30 - 1/800 in a programmed fashion. The set shutter speed is displayed in the viewfinder -- as well as over- and under-exposure areas. It had the standard touches like a built-in tripod socket, cold shoe and PC contact. Oddly, the camera lacks a cable release connection despite having a B shutter speed setting. At the B setting the f-stop is automatically set at f1.7 -- great for extreme low-light shooting -- except for the lack of a cable release connection. This camera is designed to be used in AUTO mode, but manual mode can be used by taking advantage of the FLASH mode setting. Selecting an f-stop sets the camera shutter speed to 1/30 for flash use. But the camera can be used without a flash -- with slow speed film in bright light or fast film in low-light conditions. Built-in self timer. Now this is what you call a CLEAN body.
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on May 23, 2021 15:42:10 GMT
Posted: May 23, 2021 15:42:10 GMT
I just discovered, much to my surprise that the Mamiya Myrapid 35mm half-frame camera had a 32mm f1.7 Tominon lens. There were probably other, non-Yashica, fixed-lens cameras that used Tominon lenses as well. Who knows?
Unlike other camera companies, Mamiya never really jumped on the half-frame bandwagon. They only made one attempt --- into the consumer market -- but it was well-worth the price of admission. In 1965 they produced the Myrapid. The "rapid" part comes from the fact that this camera used the Agfa Rapid cassette which was popular at the time. These 35mm cassettes automatically set the film speed when dropped into the camera -- well ahead of their time. But this camera's claim-to-fame was its super-fast, 32mm, manually-focusing (f1.7) lens. It had close focusing to 2.5 feet and a 52mm filter thread. As in the Olympus Pen E series of cameras, this lens was surrounded by a selenium cell which sets the correct exposures -- aperture from f1.7 - f16 and shutter speeds from 1/30 - 1/800 in a programmed fashion. The set shutter speed is displayed in the viewfinder -- as well as over- and under-exposure areas. It had the standard touches like a built-in tripod socket, cold shoe and PC contact. Oddly, the camera lacks a cable release connection despite having a B shutter speed setting. At the B setting the f-stop is automatically set at f1.7 -- great for extreme low-light shooting -- except for the lack of a cable release connection. This camera is designed to be used in AUTO mode, but manual mode can be used by taking advantage of the FLASH mode setting. Selecting an f-stop sets the camera shutter speed to 1/30 for flash use. But the camera can be used without a flash -- with slow speed film in bright light or fast film in low-light conditions. Built-in self timer. Now this is what you call a CLEAN body.
It was the 32mm f1.7 lens that made the Mamiya rather special as I think it was one of the, if not the, fastest lenses of any of the Rapid cameras. I don't know if the Yashinon 32mm f1.7 used on Yashica's two Rapid models is the same lens but why would you bother to change something that was already proven and successful..? The Rapid film cassette was a neat idea, using those tabs to set the film speed, and making loading so easy. It's a bit fiddly converting 35mm film to work inside a Rapid camera but with that Tominon lens, it's worth the effort. And then came 126 film...
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on May 23, 2021 22:09:05 GMT
Posted: May 23, 2021 22:09:05 GMT
Yes, the lens is obviously the same as on the Yashica Half 17 and on the Yashica Half 17 Rapid. I'm not familiar with any other Yashica Rapid cameras, but I assume they would have longer focal length lenses -- perhaps not if the format was 24x24mm.
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on Jun 24, 2021 10:39:02 GMT
Posted: Jun 24, 2021 10:39:02 GMT
i have both and I think i compared both lenses externally. However i forgot my conclusions ..
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