Monday, Dec. 10th 2012

Review: The Mamiya nc1000s

Mamiya is a name that resonates pretty strongly when it comes to medium format film. Their cameras have been considered a staple of medium format for ages. The RB series, although I haven't shot one personally, is very well regarded. Let's not forget the revered (and lustworthy) - Mamiya 6 and Mamiya 7 rangefinder cameras.

However, we are no longer going to talk about medium format for the rest of this review. The camera that we are discussing does not consume 120 or 220 film, but rather 35mm.

The story

I was actually out at thrift stores for a work assignment (perhaps this will be explained in a later blog post). I noticed there was a camera sitting on top of a shelf, surrounded by corny religious framed pictures. The brand of the camera immediately stuck out: Mamiya. But the make, honestly, wasn't familiar to me. There wasn't a price tag on the camera. After walking up to the desk, I asked the woman behind the register: "How much for this old camera?"

She loosely responded, "Um… $10?" I immediately agreed, and now, this camera is sitting on my shelf.

History

The Mamiya nc1000 was released in 1978, with the nc1000s released later that same year. It has an electronic focal plane shutter, and a CdS cell light meter powered by two S76 batteries. These are still fairly easy to find today.

Specifications

As you would assume, this camera takes standard 35mm rolls of film. It loads and unloads in the typical and standard manner of 35mm SLR cameras of the day. It also does pretty typical things such as a standard self-timer, depth of field preview, and a flash hotshoe (x-sync).

If you have any experience with 35mm film cameras in the past, you'll easily pick up this one.

Atypically, the shutter speed is adjusted by an aperture-esque ring behind the aperature setting along the lens mount. The ISO/ASA setting is on the same shutter adjustment ring. It also has a viewport to show the converted DIN value.

The camera has a dedicated off button. I prefer this over the early 70s solution with the lens cap acting as the off switch. It's nice to assuredly know that you're not wasting the batteries when out walking around all day.

Consider this section simply a general overview, as there are already sites with much more accurate specifications about this camera.

Feel

The nc1000s is fairly compact and light. Especially when considering it comes from a company that prides itself in tank like cameras.

The shutter button is in a fairly comfortable position and the film is easily advanced shortly thereafter. The shutter and film advance have an exceptionally satisfying feel and sound to them. Digital SLRs don't have the same tank like acoustics.

This camera is a really nice size. It's somewhat smaller (mostly height) than the already svelte Nikon FE (and considerably smaller than my d7000). Comparitively, it's hardly noticeable when it sits around my neck for many hours. This will likely be my camera of choice for future camping and hiking trips.

The leatherette along the outside of the camera is considerably grippy and seems to be pretty durable. The top and bottom plates are made of metal and seem to be anodized or painted. There is no visible brassing on my sample.

The only cheap feeling part of the camera is the film rewind knob and dial. It feels like an after thought on a camera that otherwise feels very sturdy.

The lens that came with this camera, the Mamiya-Sekor 50mm f1.4 has a good build quality as well. For an f1.4, the size is pretty compact. The aperature adjustment ring has a strong and satisfying click to it.

The focus ring has a nice amount of resistance to it. Not as much as the lovely vintage Minolta-Rokkor lenses, but fairly similar to the Nikon F-mount pre-AI lenses. I'm not a huge fan of the churned texture that is present around the focus ring and the silver accent seems a bit tacky. Unfortunately, on my example, if the focusing ring is not used for a few days, it gets slightly sticky.

Here's my terrible attempt at capturing the viewfinder with my d7000.

The 50mm F1.4 optics

I was pleasantly surprised by this lens. I didn't expect much. I find the bokeh very pleasing. It has a strong vintage feel to it. This is probably the closest way to emulate a time machine. It evokes a strong sense of high end 70s photography, that I find really nice. It instantly gave some of my motorcycle trip photos a nostalgic feel to them.

It's not the sharpest lens when it comes to the corners, but let scientists squabble over that. This lens has a wonderful feel to it. Sadly, my version has some mildly messed up coating on it. This explains the noticeable ghosting and flaring that you will see in my example photos.

A case for 35mm

As a disclaimer, I own a medium format camera: the previously mentioned Yashica 12. I love it. The advantages of 120 film makes 35mm feel like cropped APS-C digital sensors.

However, today, it seems that every photo nerd (myself included) is driving up the price of the used medium format film market. With the Mamiya 6, body only, often selling for over $700 and Rollei TLRs also going for a decent chunk of change, these antique 35mm cameras start making a lot of sense.

Unless you want a high demand film camera such as any Leica, Nikon SP, et al, these less commonly mentioned 35mm cameras can be strong performers. Especially when you start shopping for lenses for these less popular SLRs, the math starts to make sense. The Mamiya CS series of lenses ranged from 14mm to 300mm. These seem to ocasionally pop up on ebay.

Conclusion

Typically, I highly recommend the Nikon FE for anyone looking to get into film. Sadly, the price of the FE has gone up in the last few years due to increased demand. However, if you find a great price for a Mamiya nc1000s on ebay or in a thrift store, get it. Don't hesitate.

This is the perfect camera for someone looking to give film a shot, add a camera to their collection, or anyone looking to collect classic cameras.

If you do get this camera, I've had very pleasant results with Kodak Ektar 100. The saturation, warmth and fine grain are a perfect match.

You can view many of my photos taken with this camera on my flickr set specifically for this camera.

Updated on Saturday, Feb. 15th 2020