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.
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The Mamiya Press 23 Deluxe (1965) is a refined variant of the original Mamiya Press 23 (1964), produced in parallel or shortly after the base model. It retains the core architecture of Mamiya's modular 6x9 press-camera system - bellows-focus body, coupled rangefinder, interchangeable Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses with in-lens Seiko leaf shutters, and interchangeable film backs - with upgraded external fittings and finish that distinguish it from the standard Press 23. The Deluxe designation most likely refers to enhanced cosmetic specifications and possibly minor functional refinements; full specification differences between the Press 23 and Press 23 Deluxe are not well-documented in surviving English-language sources.
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 profile →C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The refined 1965 press body: all the modularity of the Press 23, with upgraded finishing and fittings.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 - 6x9 (8 frames), 6x7 (10), 6x4.5 (16), Polaroid |
| Mount | Mamiya Press bayonet |
| Years | ~1965–~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 (or optional coupled meter - ) |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~2,200 g (body + standard lens + back) |
| Battery | None required for shutter; meter (if fitted) may require battery |
The Mamiya Press 23 debuted in 1964 as Mamiya's first modular roll-film press camera. The Deluxe variant followed in 1965, occupying the top of the two-tier Press 23 offering. Both the standard Press 23 and the Press 23 Deluxe were superseded by the Mamiya Press Super 23 in approximately 1967, which added genuine tilt and swing movements to the back for perspective control - a capability neither Press 23 variant offered.
The Mamiya Press line progression:
The entire Press / Universal line was ultimately displaced in Mamiya's lineup by the RB67 (1970) for studio work and, much later, the Mamiya 7 series (1995) for field rangefinder shooting.
The Press 23 Deluxe sits at a notable point in medium-format history: it is the refined version of the camera that introduced Mamiya's modular press-camera philosophy. That philosophy - interchangeable lenses, interchangeable backs, a roll-film body with the flexibility of a press camera - influenced every subsequent Mamiya professional system.
For working photographers in the mid-1960s, the Press 23 Deluxe offered 6x9 cm negatives (approximately 4.5x larger than 35mm) with the pace and versatility of a rangefinder body. The in-lens Seiko shutters meant flash synchronization at all speeds, critical for outdoor fill-flash work in news and commercial photography.
For 2026 collectors and film shooters, the Press 23 Deluxe is rarer than the Super 23 or Universal, and its functional differences from the standard Press 23 are unclear enough that most buyers opt for the more abundant and better-documented Super 23. Its collector interest lies primarily in its role as an early variant of the Mamiya Press system.
All Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses are compatible across the entire Press / Universal / Press 23 / Super 23 / Universal system. The lens range available in the 1965 period:
Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp per 120), 6x7 (10 exp), 6x4.5 (16 exp), Polaroid pack-film (FP-100C discontinued; modern compatibility limited). Ground-glass focusing back available for precise composition.
The Press 23 Deluxe does not offer the tilt/swing back of the Super 23. For view-camera movements, the Super 23 or Universal is the appropriate upgrade.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Mamiya Press 23 Deluxe
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