The Mamiya Press Super 23 (1967) is a professional 6x9 cm medium-format rangefinder press camera that builds on the earlier Press 23 (1964) by adding rear tilt and swing movements to the film-back assembly — a feature normally found only on large-format view cameras. The camera is fully modular: interchangeable Mamiya-Sekor Press lenses (each containing its own Seiko leaf shutter), interchangeable film backs (6x9, 6x7, 6x4.5, Polaroid pack-film), and a coupled rangefinder for hand-held use. The "23" designation refers to the 2x3-inch (6x9 cm) film format, borrowed from American press-camera convention.
Reference
Find film for your Mamiya Press Super 23
Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
**Bellows light leaks** - the body uses a focusing bellows; age causes pinholes and cracks. Flashlight-test from inside with no lens or back attached; treat any leak as a requirement for rebellow before shooting.
**Tilt/swing mechanism** - the movement joints can seize or become loose with age. Verify they move smoothly and lock securely. A frozen tilt joint is a repair item.
**Leaf shutter speeds per lens** - test every lens individually; each is independently serviceable. Slow speeds (1s, 1/2s, 1s) commonly drift or stall. Plan for CLA on any unmaintained lens.
**Rangefinder calibration** - verify patch alignment at 1m and 5m; the bellows focus means the rangefinder couples to a different mechanism than most cameras. Miscalibration shows as systematic front- or back-focus.
**Film back light seals** - foam degrades universally on backs of this age; replace before shooting.
**Back-to-body coupling** - the back slide and lock mechanism should operate without sticking. Verify the back locks positively.
**Body-to-lens electrical contact** - none (purely mechanical coupling); simpler than later electronic designs.
About this camera
The 6x9 press camera that added tilt and swing: modular roll-film shooting with a view-camera back.
Service: repairers familiar with Mamiya Press / Universal systems; bellows replacement is the most common structural repair. Parts sourced from donor bodies.
Field
Value
Format
120 - 6x9 cm (8 frames), 6x7 (10), 6x4.5 (16); Polaroid pack-film back
Mount
Mamiya Press bayonet
Years
1967-~1975
Lenses
Mamiya-Sekor Press: 50, 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
Focus
Coupled rangefinder + bellows focus
Rear movements
Tilt and swing (distinguishing feature vs Press 23 / Universal)
Weight
~2,200 g (body + 100mm + back, estimated)
Battery
None
History
Mamiya introduced the Press 23 in 1964 as a modular 6x9 roll-film press camera competing with the Speed Graphic and Linhof Technika traditions in the Japanese and export professional market. By 1967 the Press Super 23 succeeded it, retaining the same bayonet-mount lens system and modular back system but adding a rear tilt/swing assembly to the film plane. This was a meaningful upgrade for architectural, industrial, and commercial photographers who needed perspective control without moving to a large-format view camera.
The Super 23's tilt/swing movements are not as extensive as a full view camera - typically a few degrees in each direction - but enough to control keystoning in architectural work and to apply selective-focus effects by tilting the plane of focus. The bellows focus body (as opposed to a helicoid) also permits a degree of close-focus extension not available with fixed-helicoid bodies.
Around 1969, Mamiya introduced the Universal (sold in the US as the "Mamiya Press Universal"), which refined the design and added Polaroid pack-film back compatibility for the American market but removed the tilt/swing movements. The Super 23 was phased out around 1975 as the Universal and its derivatives captured the remaining press-camera market; the Mamiya RB67 (1970) had by then taken over the studio modular segment. The entire Press line was eventually superseded by the Mamiya 7 rangefinder (1995) for field use.
Why It Matters
The Mamiya Press Super 23 occupies a rare position: a hand-holdable medium-format camera with rear view-camera movements. This combination is unusual even in the context of press-camera history. The Linhof Technika (more expensive) and certain graflex/crown derivatives offered similar capabilities but at greater weight and bulk; the Super 23 with a compact 100mm Sekor lens is manageable as a field camera in a way that a 4x5 view camera is not.
The 6x9 negative gives an exceptionally large capture area on 120 roll film: at 8 frames per roll, a single 120 roll produces negatives roughly equivalent to 4x5 film at medium format contact-print size. The Mamiya-Sekor Press lens range is well-regarded, particularly the 90/3.5 and 100/3.5 as medium-telephoto standards, and the 65/6.3 as a wide-angle. Because each lens contains its own shutter, flash synchronizes at all speeds including 1/500s - a major advantage over focal-plane designs for location work with fill flash.
For 2026 film photographers, the Super 23 is the entry into the Mamiya Press system with movements. The plain Press 23 is slightly cheaper but lacks tilt/swing; the Universal is slightly more refined but also lacks movements. The Super 23 is the choice for photographers who want perspective control in a hand-holdable 6x9 body.
Lenses & Accessories
All Mamiya Press bayonet lenses fit the Super 23, Super 23, Universal, and Press Universal bodies interchangeably.
Known Mamiya-Sekor Press range:
50/6.3 Fish-Eye
65/6.3 wide-angle
75/5.6 moderate wide
90/3.5
100/3.5 (standard workhorse)
150/5.6 medium telephoto
250/5 telephoto
Each lens has its own integral Seiko leaf shutter; CLA each lens independently.
Film backs: 6x9 (8 exp / 120), 6x7 (10 exp / 120), 6x4.5 (16 exp / 120), 220 back, Polaroid pack-film back (FP-100C discontinued; modern alternatives limited), ground-glass focusing back.
The tilt/swing rear movements are on the body itself, not the back; all backs work with the movements.
Sample Photographers / Notable Use
Japanese and European professional press and commercial photographers, 1967-mid-1970s.
Architectural and industrial photographers requiring perspective control on roll film.
Contemporary film photographers seeking maximum negative size with view-camera movements.
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.