Mamiya 7 vs Mamiya Universal: Rangefinder Systems Compared
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
This is a comparison of a Mamiya 7 and a Mamiya Universal. More specifically, I will compare the rangefinder systems.
If you are shopping for a Mamiya rangefinder camera and don’t have the budget for a Mamiya 7, the Universal seems like a good choice. And it is. But I will point out that the rangefinder systems in these two cameras is quite different.
In terms of size, the Universal rangefinder is huge compared to the Mamiya 7. Photos two and three show the rangefinders when removed from the camera body. The one thing that is obvious is the large frame finder assembly on the front of the Universal rangefinder. To make this smaller on the Mamiya 7 unit, the frame finder is placed inside the optical path (you can see it if you look inside the opening in the rangefinder).
The big difference in the rangefinders is shown in photos four and five. Photo four shows the Mamiya Universal beamsplitter and it is a common plate beamsplitter as found in most rangefinder cameras.
The Mamiya 6/7 rangefinder is impressive in that it has a rangefinder constructed using two right angle prisms . The hypotenuse surface of one prism is coated, and the two prisms are cemented together so that they form a cubic shape. And they are polarized. So, you get a view with a lot of contrast and free from reflections. Just don’t expect to use the camera with polarized sunglasses as you will get a dark or blacked out image. Also, LCD screens may appear black in the viewfinder. Photo five shows the top of the rangefinder with the cover removed and the cube beamsplitter visible.
One other point: the spec on the Mamiya 6/7 rangefinder are a little tighter: tolerance in the Universal finder is (-.005mm) while the Mamiya 6/7 is (-0).
I think the Mamiya 6/7 cameras deserve the love they get based on the excellent rangefinder. But if you need interchangeable backs and are willing to put up with a little clunkier form factor, the Universal is great.
