Finding my father's old Mamiya RB67 camera

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Jason Manley, Oct 7, 2017.

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  1. Jason Manley

    Jason Manley Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    O-H-I-O
    Once upon a time my father was a studio photographer and it was his whole life. He died very young, age 43. I'm coming up on my 42nd year myself. It has now been 30 years since my he passed (Feb, 1987).

    I guess it's nostalgia or whatever but I'm suddenly motivated to try and find his beloved camera. See, after his passing, my mom decided to sell most of his photography equipment off. Which I completely get.

    So here I am with a list of Serial Numbers, which she thankfully kept. Is there some sort of photography enthusiast site or maybe, even better, a Mamiya RB67 enthusiast site that I could try and really make an effort to hunt down the body and lenses, etc?

    This might be a totally futile effort but I at least have to give a go, for my own reasons.

    Here's a stock images (and review) of the camera in question:

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  2. hanleyp

    hanleyp Forum Resident

    I wish you the best of luck, that is a cool camera.

    The only help I can give you is to bump the thread back up to the top of the list and then maybe someone else can give some advice.
     
    Jason Manley likes this.
  3. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    You could try dpreview.com for a forum with a huge userbase. You can try keh.com, they are probably the largest seller of used film and digital still cameras. There is also National Camera Exchange for used cameras, natcam.com. bhphoto.com and adorama.com in NYC have extensive used departments, but they probably may not be inclined to help in a quest like this as much as the above.
    Google "mamiya forum" to find several real enthusiast forums, with not large memberships.
    Good luck on your quest. You just might find the exact units, but you could consider getting the identical models with nearby serial numbers.
     
    Jason Manley likes this.
  4. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    There's a few camera enthusiasts here.
    Just giving your thread a bump.
     
    longdist01 and Jason Manley like this.
  5. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer

    Location:
    The West
    There's a Facebook group called Vintage Camera Collectors. It's a closed group so you'll have to send a request to join. It's populated with some crazy obsessive and knowledgeable camera nerds, and a lot of people who regularly buy, sell and trade. Might be worth a shot.
    Log into Facebook | Facebook

    dan c
     
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  6. strymeow

    strymeow Forum Resident

    Location:
    central Mass
    A noble moonshot cause!

    If I were you I might make a one page website/blog/tumblr with a couple heartfelt paragraphs about your dad's story, a couple pictures of the two of you together (better yet with the camera), a sampling of some of his work, the info on the camera, and a way to contact you. Then I might post the URL and a teaser to some of the communities above as well as on Reddit, etc., in an effort to get some viral momentum. People like a happy ending to a good story, and it doesn't cost them anything to share/up-vote. Maybe you'll get lucky, and at worst you've had an opportunity to reflect and tribute to him in the process.
     
    Jason Manley, Dan C and somnar like this.
  7. Gretsch6136

    Gretsch6136 Forum Resident

    Also do a post on Facebook and ask people to start sharing it. If its similar in content to what strymeow describes above, people all over the world would share it I'm sure.
     
    Solaris and Jason Manley like this.
  8. somnar

    somnar Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC & Amsterdam
    Great idea!
     
    Jason Manley likes this.
  9. Jason Manley

    Jason Manley Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    O-H-I-O
    Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll get to work on them.
     
  10. arley

    arley Forum Resident

    That's a great camera. I've used medium format for a while (Rollieflex 2.8 twin lens reflex) and it can give you excellent results.

    The bad news is that the value of most film cameras has diminished as digital has gotten so good so quickly. The flip side of that, though, is that you should be able to pick up used accessories for that camera more cheaply than you could have 15 years ago. Unless you have a great camera shop in your town, you probably will have to order film online. B&H Photo in NYC (bhphotovideo.com) has a good selection. You'll probably have to send the film off for processing unless you have your own darkroom.

    One option is to get a digital back for the camera; that setup would combine the great Mamiya optics with the convenience of digital. Unfortunately, those digital backs ain't cheap--you're talking several hundred bucks at least, and some are much more than that. Unless you were planning on using it a lot, it would be cheaper to shoot film (I like Fuji Provia) and have the transparencies scanned.
     
    longdist01 likes this.
  11. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC
    Jason, thats a terriffic idea, and I wish you the very best of luck. I will tell you one thing.....since you have the serial number, and with the power of the internet...you actually have a decent chance of finding your dads camera. I hope you do!
     
    longdist01 likes this.
  12. Solaris

    Solaris a bullet in flight

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    Those things are built like a tank. I've used one before and they produce beautiful images. You really feel like you're operating a true photographic machine when that shutter goes ca-chunk. I think sharing on social media is a great idea. Lots of photography groups on Facebook, and with the story attached it should spread quickly.

    If you get it back and plan to use it, invest in a sturdy tripod. The RB67 is not only built like a tank, it's as heavy as one!
     
    Jason Manley likes this.
  13. Burt

    Burt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kirkwood, MO
    The RB and RZ Mamiya was THE studio camera after the Graflex and Crown Graphic fell out of favor. Heavy, but durable and reliable.
     
    longdist01 likes this.
  14. DShack

    DShack New Member

    Location:
    texas
    Did you ever locate the camera? I bought one at auction a while back. Are the serial numbers posted anywhere?
     
    longdist01 likes this.
  15. Clint_f

    Clint_f Forum Resident

    Location:
    Everett, WA
    If you're still looking possibly post on what used to be the APUG forum:
    Medium Format Cameras and Accessories

    I also have an RB67 which I used as recently as a week ago. With a prism finder (I really don't like waist level finders) it's quite something to lug around. Shooting is a real process with an RB67. IMO, even if you don't find the exact system your father owned, it's worthwhile to pick up an RB67 system and experience what your father experienced shooting with the camera. It's unlike most cameras.
     
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  16. Jason Manley

    Jason Manley Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    O-H-I-O
    I've not found it yet. Thanks for asking.

    Mamiya RB67 Body — C 144022
    Mamiya RB67 50 MM Lens — 13434
    Mamiya RB67 90 MM Lens — 81406
    Mamiya RB67 Pro SD 220 Roll Film Holder Pro S — 277042
     
  17. Jason Manley

    Jason Manley Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    O-H-I-O
    Thanks much. My son is 15 and a sophomore in high school. He's taking photography and his teacher actually has an RB67 and has let my son use it. :righton:
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  18. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    keep a search for it on ebay and check in every week or so, sometimes they have the serial numbers in listing or photos - good luck!
     
    Jason Manley likes this.
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