Collection: Mamiya 645

Mamiya’s 645 system is a long-running series of diminutive modular SLRs taking 15 6x4.5cm exposures on rolls of 120 film. It has been in constant production, with changes and revision, since 1975 and is currently produced by Phase One.

The 645 offers a much easier shooting experience than Mamiya’s 6x7cm offerings, the RB and RZ67. Unlike these cameras, the 645 uses a focal plane shutter. This helps keep lens size down, but limits flash utility. There are some specialty leaf shutter lenses that help with this, though.

All manual focus Mamiya 645 lenses will work on all Mamiya 645 bodies (including AF bodies), but AF lenses will only work on AF bodies. The Mamiya 645 system is home to the 80mm f1.9, one of the fastest normal lenses ever released for a 120 camera.

Handling a Mamiya 645 is simple and easy due to its small size. Otherwise, it handles similarly to other modular SLRs and feels a bit different than a 35mm SLR.

First generation Mamiya 645 cameras have interchangeable finders, focusing screens, film inserts, lenses, and grips. Second generation cameras added a removable film back, and third generation cameras added autofocus. This third generation is technically a different lens mount, since the lenses are not backwards compatible.