Mamiya 80mm f/2.8 C Lens Variations
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
Mamiya 80mm f/2.8 C lens variations. I get many questions on the different styles of 80mm f/2.8 lenses that were made for the Mamiya TLR series. Here is the breakdown:
1.) Original 80mm f/2.8 from December 1956-August 1967 had a chrome face shutter, a Seiko 731 or 353R-1.
2.) Second version of the 80mm f/2.8 from September 1967-December 1980 had a black shutter (Seiko 734 or 353R5) with plastic aperture coupling lever. Same optical formula as the original 80mm lens, some have different coatings.
There is some confusion about the so called “Blue Dot” lenses. In the late 1970’s, Seiko shutters had a blue dot on the cocking ring lever. While there were slight variations in the shutter markings and operation from earlier shutters, there really is no advantage of the blue dot second version other than it being of later production.
3.) The final version of the 80mm f/2.8 from January 1981 on used a Seiko 734 shutter and also had the blue dot but was the “S” version and has an improved optical formula and multi-coating on the lenses. The taking and viewing lenses were different and not interchangeable as in earlier designs.
