Mamiya 7 Lenses Adapted for Arca Swiss Pico Digital Camera
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
The three mint condition Mamiya 7 lenses shown here in the photo will probably never again be mounted on a Mamiya 7 body. These 43mm, 80mm and 150mm lenses will be used on a technical digital camera. Some clever photographers found out that these lenses, when modified for full open operation, produce excellent images on medium format digital cameras.
The adapter shown is for mounting a Mamiya 645 lens on an Arca Swiss Pico camera. How does that relate to a Mamiya 7? Well, the Mamiya 645 mount is very similar to the Mamiya 7 mount, enough so that the Mamiya 7 lenses will fit this adapter with a little modification (besides the full open shutter). Photo two shows the back of a Mamiya 7 next to (on the right), a Mamiya 645 AF mount. On all of the Mamiya 7 lenses (except for the 43mm), the rear lens cowl/light shade needs to be removed as does the electrical contact assembly. The light shade needs removing because it adds about 1mm of distance between the lens mount flange and the back of the lens bayonet. And, as seen in photo three, the electrical contact on the back of the lens prevents it from mounting on the adapter so it has to go.
While the price of admission on the Arca Swiss Pico system is steep, I find the design very appealing, using a digital camera as a back and using lenses on lens boards with technical camera movements.
Maybe this sort of thing will prolong the life span of the Mamiya 6 and 7 lenses long after the camera bodies themselves have reached the end of their service life.
