Mamiya Press Super 231967

History

Mamiya introduced the Press 23 in 1964 as a modular 6x9 roll-film press camera competing with the Speed Graphic and Linhof Technika traditions in the Japanese and export professional market. By 1967 the Press Super 23 succeeded it, retaining the same bayonet-mount lens system and modular back system but adding a rear tilt/swing assembly to the film plane. This was a meaningful upgrade for architectural, industrial, and commercial photographers who needed perspective control without moving to a large-format view camera.

The Super 23's tilt/swing movements are not as extensive as a full view camera - typically a few degrees in each direction - but enough to control keystoning in architectural work and to apply selective-focus effects by tilting the plane of focus. The bellows focus body (as opposed to a helicoid) also permits a degree of close-focus extension not available with fixed-helicoid bodies.

Around 1969, Mamiya introduced the Universal (sold in the US as the "Mamiya Press Universal"), which refined the design and added Polaroid pack-film back compatibility for the American market but removed the tilt/swing movements. The Super 23 was phased out around 1975 as the Universal and its derivatives captured the remaining press-camera market; the Mamiya RB67 (1970) had by then taken over the studio modular segment. The entire Press line was eventually superseded by the Mamiya 7 rangefinder (1995) for field use.

Why It Matters

The Mamiya Press Super 23 occupies a rare position: a hand-holdable medium-format camera with rear view-camera movements. This combination is unusual even in the context of press-camera history. The Linhof Technika (more expensive) and certain graflex/crown derivatives offered similar capabilities but at greater weight and bulk; the Super 23 with a compact 100mm Sekor lens is manageable as a field camera in a way that a 4x5 view camera is not.

The 6x9 negative gives an exceptionally large capture area on 120 roll film: at 8 frames per roll, a single 120 roll produces negatives roughly equivalent to 4x5 film at medium format contact-print size. The Mamiya-Sekor Press lens range is well-regarded, particularly the 90/3.5 and 100/3.5 as medium-telephoto standards, and the 65/6.3 as a wide-angle. Because each lens contains its own shutter, flash synchronizes at all speeds including 1/500s - a major advantage over focal-plane designs for location work with fill flash.

For 2026 film photographers, the Super 23 is the entry into the Mamiya Press system with movements. The plain Press 23 is slightly cheaper but lacks tilt/swing; the Universal is slightly more refined but also lacks movements. The Super 23 is the choice for photographers who want perspective control in a hand-holdable 6x9 body.

Lenses & Accessories

All Mamiya Press bayonet lenses fit the Super 23, Super 23, Universal, and Press Universal bodies interchangeably.

Known Mamiya-Sekor Press range:

• 50/6.3 Fish-Eye
• 65/6.3 wide-angle
• 75/5.6 moderate wide
• 90/3.5
• 100/3.5 (standard workhorse)
• 150/5.6 medium telephoto
• 250/5 telephoto

Each lens has its own integral Seiko leaf shutter; CLA each lens independently.

Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp / 120), 6x7 (10 exp / 120), 6x4.5 (16 exp / 120), 220 back, Polaroid pack-film back (FP-100C discontinued; modern alternatives limited), ground-glass focusing back.

The tilt/swing rear movements are on the body itself, not the back; all backs work with the movements.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Japanese and European professional press and commercial photographers, 1967-mid-1970s.
• Architectural and industrial photographers requiring perspective control on roll film.
• Contemporary film photographers seeking maximum negative size with view-camera movements.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Mamiya Press
• Wikipedia: Mamiya Press