C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profileMedium Format Rangefinder
The Mamiya Press 23 (1964) is a medium-format rangefinder press camera producing 6x9 cm negatives on 120 roll film. It introduced Mamiya's modular press-camera system: interchangeable bayonet lenses (the Mamiya-Sekor Press series), interchangeable film backs (6x9, 6x7, 6x4.5, Polaroid), a bellows-focus body with a coupled rangefinder, and in-lens Seiko leaf shutters that synchronize flash at all speeds. The Press 23 is the first iteration of this system; its successor, the Press Super 23 (1967), added rear tilt and swing movements. There is no built-in meter; exposure requires an external light meter.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profileC41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profileC41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
The original modular 6x9 press camera: interchangeable Sekor lenses, interchangeable backs, all-mechanical.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 — 6x9 (8 frames), 6x7 (10), 6x4.5 (16), Polaroid |
| Mount | Mamiya Press bayonet |
| Years | ~1964–~1967 |
| Lenses | Mamiya-Sekor Press; 65, 75, 90, 100, 150, 250 mm |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/500s + B, Seiko leaf, in each lens |
| Flash sync | All speeds |
| Meter | None |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~2,100 g (body + 100mm + back) |
| Battery | None |
Mamiya introduced the Press 23 in 1964 as a professional 6x9 system camera for news, commercial, and industrial photography. The American press-camera tradition — Speed Graphic, Crown Graphic, Linhof Technika — was giving way to lighter roll-film cameras; the Press 23 positioned itself as a modern roll-film answer, with the flexibility of swappable backs to allow one body to handle multiple aspect ratios and Polaroid proofing. The "23" designation refers to the 2x3-inch (roughly 6x9 cm) format — a designation borrowed from American press-camera convention.
By 1967 the Press Super 23 succeeded it, adding tilt/swing back movements for perspective control. The Universal (1969) followed as a refined and renamed model for the US market. The entire line was eventually displaced by the Mamiya RB67 (1970) for studio work and the Mamiya 7 (1995) for field rangefinder use.
The Press 23 is the origin point of Mamiya's modular medium-format philosophy — the same design logic (interchangeable lens, interchangeable back, rangefinder body) that Mamiya carried through the Universal and into the RB67's spirit. The 6x9 negative at 8 frames per 120 roll gives extraordinary detail: a clean 6x9 negative scanned at 2400 dpi yields roughly 150 megapixels of information.
The Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses are well-regarded for their resolution, particularly the 100/3.5 (a standard workhorse) and the 65/6.3 (a useful wide). Because shutters are in-lens, each lens has its own independently serviceable shutter — a practical advantage over focal-plane designs. For 2026 shooters seeking large-negative roll-film cameras, the Press 23 is the least expensive entry into the Mamiya Press system (slightly cheaper than Super 23 due to the lack of movements), and fully lens-compatible with later Press bodies.
Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses fit all Mamiya Press bodies (Press 23, Super 23, Universal). Known range: 50/6.3 Fish-Eye, 65/6.3 wide, 75/5.6, 90/3.5, 100/3.5 (standard), 150/5.6, 250/5. Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp), 6x7 (10 exp), 6x4.5 (16 exp), Polaroid pack-film (modern compatibility limited — FP-100C discontinued). Ground-glass back available for studio focus.
The Press 23 lacks the tilt/swing back of the Super 23; for view-camera movements, upgrade to the Super 23.
E6
Fujifilm Fujichrome Provia 100F (RDPIII) is a professional E6 reversal (slide) film in 135 and 120 formats, known for its natural, balanced color reproduction, very fine grain, and moderate saturation. It remains in production as of 2026 and is one of the last professional slide films available.
View profileBW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profileMamiya Press 23
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