Mamiya 7 vs 7II: Rangefinder Differences Explained
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
I get asked quite often about the rangefinder differences between the Mamiya 7 and 7II. And I read a lot of misinformation on the internet. So, here again, while I am doing some Mamiya 7 repairs, is information on the differences.
The Mamiya 7 and 7II use identical rangefinders. They both use the same optical system consisting of cemented polarized beam splitters for increased contrast. This gives a better image than the earlier rangefinders they used in the Mamiya Universal and Super 23.The difference between the bodies is that Mamiya installed a filter that passes light at 580nm (better know as yellow) through the frame finder illumination window in the top cover of the Mamiya 7II. This gave the frame finder lines a yellow tint for more contrast. The original Mamiya 7 frame finder illumination window is a frosted glass and the frame finder lines are white. The first photo shows the two top covers with the Mamiya 7 factory converted to 7II top cover on top.
Photo two shows both rangefinders with the top cover plate removed. The rangefinder on top is from a Mamiya 7II and was produced in June of 2007. The rangefinder on the bottom is from an early Mamiya 7 and was produced in December of 1995, the first year of production. Photo three shows the date codes.
