C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →rangefinder-medium-format
The Mamiya Press 23 (1964) is a medium-format rangefinder press camera producing 6x9 cm negatives on 120 roll film. It introduced Mamiya's modular press-camera system: interchangeable bayonet lenses (the Mamiya-Sekor Press series), interchangeable film backs (6x9, 6x7, 6x4.5, Polaroid), a bellows-focus body with a coupled rangefinder, and in-lens Seiko leaf shutters that synchronize flash at all speeds. The Press 23 is the first iteration of this system; its successor, the Press Super 23 (1967), added rear tilt and swing movements. There is no built-in meter; exposure requires an external light meter.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
The original modular 6x9 press camera: interchangeable Sekor lenses, interchangeable backs, all-mechanical.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 — 6x9 (8 frames), 6x7 (10), 6x4.5 (16), Polaroid |
| Mount | Mamiya Press bayonet |
| Years | ~1964–~1967 |
| Lenses | Mamiya-Sekor Press; 65, 75, 90, 100, 150, 250 mm |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/500s + B, Seiko leaf, in each lens |
| Flash sync | All speeds |
| Meter | None |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~2,100 g (body + 100mm + back) |
| Battery | None |
Mamiya introduced the Press 23 in 1964 as a professional 6x9 system camera for news, commercial, and industrial photography. The American press-camera tradition — Speed Graphic, Crown Graphic, Linhof Technika — was giving way to lighter roll-film cameras; the Press 23 positioned itself as a modern roll-film answer, with the flexibility of swappable backs to allow one body to handle multiple aspect ratios and Polaroid proofing. The "23" designation refers to the 2x3-inch (roughly 6x9 cm) format — a designation borrowed from American press-camera convention.
By 1967 the Press Super 23 succeeded it, adding tilt/swing back movements for perspective control. The Universal (1969) followed as a refined and renamed model for the US market. The entire line was eventually displaced by the Mamiya RB67 (1970) for studio work and the Mamiya 7 (1995) for field rangefinder use.
The Press 23 is the origin point of Mamiya's modular medium-format philosophy — the same design logic (interchangeable lens, interchangeable back, rangefinder body) that Mamiya carried through the Universal and into the RB67's spirit. The 6x9 negative at 8 frames per 120 roll gives extraordinary detail: a clean 6x9 negative scanned at 2400 dpi yields roughly 150 megapixels of information.
The Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses are well-regarded for their resolution, particularly the 100/3.5 (a standard workhorse) and the 65/6.3 (a useful wide). Because shutters are in-lens, each lens has its own independently serviceable shutter — a practical advantage over focal-plane designs. For 2026 shooters seeking large-negative roll-film cameras, the Press 23 is the least expensive entry into the Mamiya Press system (slightly cheaper than Super 23 due to the lack of movements), and fully lens-compatible with later Press bodies.
Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses fit all Mamiya Press bodies (Press 23, Super 23, Universal). Known range: 50/6.3 Fish-Eye, 65/6.3 wide, 75/5.6, 90/3.5, 100/3.5 (standard), 150/5.6, 250/5. Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp), 6x7 (10 exp), 6x4.5 (16 exp), Polaroid pack-film (modern compatibility limited — FP-100C discontinued). Ground-glass back available for studio focus.
The Press 23 lacks the tilt/swing back of the Super 23; for view-camera movements, upgrade to the Super 23.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Mamiya Press 23
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