Used Mamiya C33 Professional 120 TLR Camera w/ 80mm f/2.8
Condition & contents
| Grading | Overall in good used condition with some light signs of use. Camera advances and focuses smoothly. Focusing bellows are in good condition. Aperture stops down correctly, but slow shutter speeds slightly out. Lens optics have some minor dust present, this should not impede image quality. |
|---|---|
| Testing | Fully tested |
| Warranty | 3 month warranty |
| Includes | For more information feel free to call us on 01423 538138 or email on enquiries@bassandbligh.com |
At a glance: Mamiya C33 Professional + 80mm f/2.8 - interchangeable-lens 6x6 medium format TLR, fully mechanical.
About this camera
The Mamiya C33 Professional is a 1960s twin-lens reflex for 120 roll film, and one of the very few TLRs ever made with interchangeable lenses - the feature that set the Mamiya C series apart from fixed-lens rivals like the Rolleiflex. It shoots 6x6cm square negatives and uses a bellows focusing system that allows unusually close focusing for a TLR. Supplied here with the standard 80mm f/2.8 lens pair.
Build & handling
| Type | Twin-lens reflex (TLR), interchangeable lenses |
|---|---|
| Film format | 120 roll film, 6x6cm square negatives |
| Frames per roll | 12 on 120 film |
| Lens supplied | Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f/2.8 (standard, matched taking and viewing pair) |
| Focus | Bellows-driven rack and pinion - allows close focusing |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level, ground glass |
| Shutter | Leaf shutter in the lens |
| Build | All-mechanical - no battery required |
Works with
- Mamiya C-series TLR interchangeable lens pairs (55mm, 65mm, 80mm, 105mm, 135mm, 180mm, 250mm)
- Standard 120 roll film
- Paramender accessory to correct parallax for close-up work
- Fully mechanical - no battery needed
Best for
A medium-format camera for photographers who want large negatives and a deliberate, considered way of working - portraiture, still life and studio use suit it particularly well. The square 6x6 negative is around four times the area of 35mm, giving substantially more detail and tonal depth. Interchangeable lenses make it far more flexible than a fixed-lens TLR, and being fully mechanical it needs no battery. Note the bellows should be checked for light leaks on any camera of this age.
Frequently asked questions
What is a TLR and how does it work?
A twin-lens reflex has two lenses - the upper one feeds a waist-level viewfinder, the lower one exposes the film. You compose looking down onto a ground-glass screen, where the image appears laterally reversed. The design is quiet and vibration-free, with no mirror slap.
What is parallax and does it matter here?
Because the viewing and taking lenses sit at different heights, they see slightly different views - negligible at distance, significant close up. The C33 shows a parallax indicator, and Mamiya's Paramender accessory raises the camera by exactly the lens spacing to correct it precisely.
Can I really change lenses on it?
Yes, and it is the C series' defining feature. Lenses come as matched pairs (viewing and taking) on a single board, covering 55mm through 250mm - a flexibility no fixed-lens TLR offers.
Specifications
| Type | Medium Format |
|---|---|
| Condition | Used |
| Brand | Bronica |