135compact.com 16mm film ultra compact cameras Mamiya 16 EE de luxe
The
first Mamiya 16 was released 1949, the model presented, a Mamiya 16 EE
de luxe, was launched in 1962, a camera for all types of 16mm
film* (see below).
It's the last model of the Mamiya 16 series, the successor of the
Mamiya 16 Automatic from 1959 in a body similar to the Deluxe model
from 1960. It has a very luminous, focussable lens and full automatic
control.
*
16mm film is a movie film format, as was 35mm film. In the early
days it was cut from 35mm film and thus had perforations on one
side (single perforation). Please note, that the perfs and their area
of 35mm are bigger than those of modern 16mm film. As soon as 1923
Kodak introduced a set with camera, projector, tripod,
screen and splicer (or was it a slitter?) aiming at amateurs. The new format was rapidly
adopted by still camera producers to build smaller devices. The film
usualy sits
in a cartridge, but no standard has been established, many have 2
cassettes, one feeding and one taking. So every maker made his own
system. Some, like Minolta, even sold a choice of readily available
film cassettes. If you want to use your camera, you should at least
have one (pair of) cassette(s).
16mm
film is still made. There is double perf, single perf and unperforated
film. Check, which one suits your camera. Some need perfs to advance.
Smaller picture formats can use double perf film, bigger ones would
have the perfs (or sprockets) visible in the picture area. There is
10mm of usable space between the perfs of double perf film, 12.5mm to
the side of single perf film. Film can also be s(p)lit from other
formats like 120.
The camera's main features are:
25mm F2.8 coated Mamiya lens, F2.8-F16, min. focus 0.3m (!) Shutter speeds: B, 1/5 - 1/200, preset according to ISO 10x14mm picture format, can use all perfed or unferfed 16mm film Size 120x54x34, Weight 387 gr. ISO 10-100, viewfinder foldable with bright framelines and parallax marks, PC flash socket, tripod socket, built-in ND4 filter,
Some pictures of the camera:
The camera, ready. It's not as small as the original 16 and more than the double weight.
Camera front closed. Well protected and shutter blocked. Back view. Viewer folded. The slider releases the pressure plate. Film advance on top.
Seen
from the top. Selenium meter and distance setting.
Shutter release with cable release socket. Speed/ISO setting: Film counter and tiny setting wheel. Film advance.
Seen
from below. Tripod socket.
Left side. Film chamber opening, Slide to O(pen) first, then press the tiny lever with a fingernail.
Right side. Accessory shoe and second tripod socket.
Camera open. Above the lens, to the left: filter slider, to the right: aperture setting, set to A(utomatic).
Filter slid before the lens. It's ND4 (2 stops). Could also be used for 400 ISO film at ISO 100 setting.
Camera open, viewer erected.
Seen from the back. Finder with bright framelines and parallax marks. Camera film compartment open. Mamiya
sold its own film in double cartridges, but there were single
and double cartridges which could be reloaded. The camera uses any type of 16mm
film.
For more information about cartridges, please consult this page.
The film chamber.
Meter
in the sun. The red needle should be between the small black mark to
the extreme right and the broad black mark to the left for automatic
use without compensation.
If the needle is on the broad black mark, the wheel should be moved 1
point to the left. If it's between the broad black mark and the small
black mark to the left, it should be moved 2 points as shown, 3 points
it the needle is on the thin left mark. Below it's flash. Move the
wheel to the FL mark and set aperture according to distance.
For manual use set shutter speed, it's 1/200 for ISO 100 and 80
pointing to the black triangle, 1/100 at ISO 50, 1/50 at ISO 32, 1/25
at ISO 10. The next 2 point are 1/10 and 1/5. Then comes B setting.
Then set your aperture. Please note that in manual setting the aperture
is still controlled against over-exposure. So if you set F4 and the
meter thinks F5.6 would be convenient, it closes to f5.6. However it
can not open beyond the aperture set. So if you set F8 instead of 5.6,
it would underexpose.
Shutter set to B.
This
camera is very easy to use, slide it open, erect the viewer and it's ready. As long as the meter needle is between the marks, there is nothing to set before pressing the shutter release. After taking
a picture, you have to turn the advance wheel for film advance and shutter
cocking. Putting a film is easy if you have a double cartridge, for reloadable cartriges it's a bit longer,
you have to engage the film into the winding spool, advance to the first frame and that's it.
It's
a very good full automatic camera
with a very good lens, superb picture quality, good quality
finish in a relatively small body. This camera feels very solid. It has
a
luminous lens. Picture results
were good. It has 2 rare features: focussing down to 30cm without extra
lenses and a B shutter. It's a good choice if you want a high quality
point and shoot camera for 16mm film. If you intend to use manual
settings more often, consider the predecessor, the Mamiya 16 Automatic.
In spite of its name it isn't automatic, but it has a meter and easy
settings.
