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 G (1968) is a medium-format rangefinder press camera producing 6x9 cm negatives on 120 roll film. It occupies an intermediate position in the Mamiya Press lineage between the original Press 23 (1964) and the Press Super 23 (1967/68) - a transitional variant distinguished primarily by a refined viewfinder with improved bright-line framing and clearer rangefinder patch. Like all bodies in the Press family, it accepts the full range of Mamiya-Sekor Press bayonet lenses, interchangeable film backs (6x9, 6x7, 6x4.5, Polaroid), and relies on in-lens Seiko leaf shutters for all-speed flash synchronization. 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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Before you buy used
About this camera
1968 transitional Press body with a refined bright-line finder, bridging the Press 23 to the Super 23.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 - 6x9 (8 frames), 6x7 (10), 6x4.5 (16), Polaroid |
| Mount | Mamiya Press bayonet |
| Years | ~1968–~1969 |
| Lenses | Mamiya-Sekor Press; 50, 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 | ~2,150 g (body + 100mm + back) |
| Battery | None |
Mamiya introduced the Press 23 in 1964 as a professional 6x9 roll-film camera for news, commercial, and industrial work. The Press G appears in approximately 1968 as a transitional refinement - the viewfinder optics were revised to improve bright-line clarity and rangefinder patch contrast, addressing a known practical complaint from working press photographers. The Press Super 23, which added rear tilt and swing movements for perspective control, overlapped with or closely followed the Press G; the exact production boundary between the two is unclear in surviving documentation.
The Press G was short-lived. By 1969 the Press Super 23 was the mainstream model, and the Universal (1969) followed as a refined body targeted at the North American market. The entire Mamiya Press system was eventually superseded by the Mamiya RB67 (1970) for studio use and the Mamiya 7 (1995) for field rangefinder photography.
The Press G is among the rarest Mamiya Press variants and is primarily of interest to Mamiya Press system collectors completing a full production lineage. For working shooters, its practical significance is lens and back compatibility: all Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses and backs function identically across every Press body, so the Press G body is interchangeable with Press 23, Super 23, and Universal bodies in a mixed system.
The finder improvement, if genuine, represents a meaningful ergonomic refinement for hand-held field use - the Press 23's rangefinder patch was widely described as dim by field photographers. A brighter, higher-contrast finder reduces the time required to confirm focus in low-contrast or low-light scenes.
For 2026 buyers, the Press G is harder to find than the Press 23 or Super 23 due to its brief production window. It commands similar used prices to the Press 23, slightly below the Super 23 (which adds the tilt/swing back). Neither has the movements of the Super 23; for view-camera-style perspective control, the Super 23 is the correct choice.
Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses fit all Mamiya Press bodies without modification. Known range: 50/6.3 Fish-Eye, 65/6.3 wide, 75/5.6, 90/3.5, 100/3.5 (standard workhorse), 150/5.6, 250/5. Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp), 6x7 (10 exp), 6x4.5 (16 exp), Polaroid pack-film (FP-100C discontinued; modern Fujifilm pack-film incompatible). Ground-glass back available for studio focus confirmation.
The Press G body does not have rear tilt or swing movements; for those, use 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 G
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