Mamiya Press 23 Wide

History

When Mamiya launched the Press 23 in 1964, the widest lens readily catalogued for the system was the 65mm f/6.3. The 50mm f/6.3 Super-Wide appeared later in the system's life, approximately coinciding with the Press Super 23's production window, and Mamiya offered it as a dedicated kit for photographers requiring maximum wide-angle coverage on 6x9 roll film. The "Wide" designation distinguishes this pre-configured offering from the standard Press 23 body-only or body-plus-standard-lens sales.

The Press system was superseded by the more feature-laden Mamiya Universal (1969, US market) and eventually by the Mamiya RB67 (1970) for studio and field work. The 50mm lens continued to be compatible with Universal and later Press bodies, making it one of the more sought-after lenses across the entire Press lineage.

Why It Matters

A 50mm lens on a 6x9 frame is an exceptionally wide proposition in medium format. The coverage is wider than most photographers need - and wider than most competitors of the era could provide on a hand-holdable roll-film body without resorting to a dedicated panoramic or view camera. That combination of portability, modular backs, and all-speed flash sync made the Wide kit appealing for architectural photographers and photojournalists covering wide-scene subjects in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The 50mm f/6.3 is a slow lens - f/6.3 in medium format requires careful attention to light. Its strong suit is daytime work with flash fill or bright ambient light; at its working apertures it delivers excellent edge-to-edge sharpness across the 6x9 frame. Because it is a leaf-shutter lens, it syncs with electronic flash at 1/500s, giving photographers full flash-ambient balance control that focal-plane bodies cannot match.

Lenses & Accessories

The 50mm f/6.3 Mamiya-Sekor Press Super-Wide is the defining lens of this kit. All other Mamiya Press bayonet lenses are compatible with the Press 23 Wide body, including the 65/6.3, 75/5.6, 90/3.5, 100/3.5, 150/5.6, and 250/5. A wide-frame brightline optical finder is typically paired with the 50mm lens in lieu of the standard rangefinder frame lines, which do not cover the 50mm field of view on the standard finder.

Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp), 6x7 (10 exp), 6x4.5 (16 exp), Polaroid pack-film. Ground-glass back available for precise studio focus. The Press 23 lacks the tilt/swing movements of the Super 23.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Architectural and interior photographers requiring maximum wide coverage on 6x9 roll film with flash sync flexibility.
• Press and editorial photographers shooting wide-scene group or event images in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
• Contemporary medium-format enthusiasts using the 50mm on Universal or Super 23 bodies for landscape work.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Mamiya Press
• Wikipedia: Mamiya Press