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.
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The Mamiya ZE-X (1981) is a multi-mode automatic-exposure 35mm SLR produced by Mamiya as the flagship of its ZE consumer line. It offers aperture-priority, shutter-priority, program, and full manual exposure modes, placing it in direct competition with the Canon A-1 and Minolta XD-11 that popularized multi-mode AE in the late 1970s. The ZE-X uses the Mamiya CS mount - a bayonet mount introduced with the ZE series and used across Mamiya's consumer 35mm SLR line through the early 1980s. Mamiya CS lenses include an aperture-coupling pin and electronic contacts for AE operation. The body is compact and light relative to its SLR contemporaries, aimed at advanced amateur photographers.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm 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.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Mamiya's most fully-featured consumer SLR of the early 1980s - four AE modes, Mamiya CS mount, and a clean pentaprism body.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (135 film) |
| Mount | Mamiya CS |
| Year introduced | 1981 |
| Shutter | 30s – 1/1000s + B, electronically controlled vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL SPD center-weighted, EV 1–18 |
| Modes | Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Program, Manual |
| Finder | Pentaprism, split-prism / microprism / matte screen |
| Battery | 2x AA |
| Self-timer | Yes, electronic |
Mamiya entered the consumer SLR market in the late 1970s with the ZE series, designed to compete with Canon, Minolta, and Olympus offerings at the advanced amateur level. The original ZE (1979) offered aperture-priority only; the ZE-2 added a program mode; the ZE-X completed the quartet with full four-mode AE including shutter-priority. The Mamiya CS mount was designed for this consumer line and is distinct from the Mamiya/Sekor E mount used on some earlier bodies. The ZE-X represented Mamiya's peak investment in 35mm consumer SLR development; by the mid-1980s, Mamiya shifted its strategic focus to medium format, and the CS-mount 35mm line was phased out without a successor. The CS lens catalog is relatively small compared to Canon FD, Nikon F, or Minolta MD.
The ZE-X is a competently made, underappreciated multi-mode SLR. Its CS mount is the primary limitation: the lens catalog is modest, and CS-mount lenses are less commonly found than Canon FD or Nikon AI glass. However, the body mechanics and metering system are reliable, and the camera offers a legitimate four-mode AE experience at prices well below comparable Canon or Nikon bodies. For collectors of Mamiya 35mm gear or photographers interested in a complete but closed system, the ZE-X represents the apex of the CS-mount line. Mamiya CS lenses, particularly the 50mm f/2 and 135mm f/2.8, are optically respectable though less studied than Canon or Nikon contemporaries.
Mamiya CS mount. Key Sekor CS lenses: 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.8, 50mm f/2, 50mm f/1.7 (fast standard), 85mm f/2, 135mm f/2.8, 200mm f/3.5. Zooms: 35-70mm f/3.5, 70-210mm f/4.5. The CS mount uses a bayonet with AE coupling; third-party CS-mount lenses were produced by Tokina and Sigma in limited quantities. No dedicated winder is confirmed for the ZE-X specifically.
Mamiya CS-mount lenses cannot be used on Mamiya 645 or RB/RZ bodies without an adapter, and no practical adapter exists for popular mounts such as Nikon F or Canon EOS.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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