135compact.com 16mm film ultra compact cameras Mamiya Super 16
The
Mamiya 16 was first released 1949, the model presented, a Mamiya Super
16, was launched in 1951, a camera for all types of 16mm
film* (see below). It has a very good focussable lens and full manual control, various apertures and shutter speeds.
*
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 F3.5 coated Mamiya lens, F3.5-F11, min. focus 0.3m (!) Shutter speeds: B, 1/2 - 1/200 10x14mm picture format, can use all perfed or unferfed 16mm film Size 65x45x32, Weight 164 gr. viewfinder has parallax compensation settings, special flash/tripod socket, built-in yellow filter (can be changed)
Some pictures of the camera:
Camera, cartridges and leather case.
The camera, closed. It's extremely small.
Camera front closed. Well protected and shutter blocked. Back view. Film advance on top.
Seen
from the top. Aperture setting and distance setting.
Shutter release with cable release socket. Film counter. Speed setting and film advance.
Seen
from below. Tripod/flash socket. Needs a special connection for flash use.
Left side. Strap lug. Film chamber opening, press with a fingernail.
Right side.
Camera open. Under the lens, to the left: Access to filter chamber.
Frame set to 30cm for parallax compensation.
Filter slid before the lens. The slider is above the lens to the right.
Camera open, viewing frames extended.
Seen from above.
Camera film compartment open. Mamiya
sold its own film in double cartridges, but there were single
cartridges wich could be reloaded. The camera uses any type of 16mm
film.
For more information about cartridges, please consult this page.
The film chamber.
2 reloadable cartridges in place.
This
camera is very easy to use, pull the viewing frames out and it's ready. Set focus, aperture and speed 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 manual camera
with a very good lens, superb picture quality, good quality
finish in an ultra small body. When it came out, it was the
smallest 16mm camera. 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.
