Mamiya Super 23 Medium Format Press Camera Body, Chrome

Mamiya's modular medium format press camera, built to adapt

The Super 23 is a medium format rangefinder built around a simple idea: nothing on the camera should be fixed if it doesn't need to be. The body accepts interchangeable film backs loaded with 120 or 220 roll film, so you can switch aspect ratios and frame counts mid-shoot without burning through a full roll first. Pair that with the Mamiya Press lens mount and you've got a system that swaps glass as readily as it swaps backs, letting you reconfigure the whole camera for the job at hand than carrying multiple bodies.

This is a press camera in the literal sense, descended from the era when photojournalists needed a rangefinder that could take a hit and keep working. The chrome finish is the classic press-camera look, but the real story is the bellows-and-rail construction underneath, which on this line typically allows for closer focusing and perspective corrections that a fixed-lens rangefinder can't touch.

Running black-and-white and color roll film through a body like this means working with a real medium format negative, and the back-swapping architecture makes it practical to shoot a full session without babysitting a single film stock. It's a camera built for people who want to slow down, compose deliberately, and get a negative that holds up under a loupe.

Who It's For

Film shooters drawn to large-negative rangefinder work will find the interchangeable 120/220 backs let them switch film stocks or formats mid-roll than committing an entire spool to one choice. Documentary and street photographers get a rangefinder-style shooting experience scaled up to medium format, useful when a project calls for negatives with more resolving power than 35mm can offer. Portrait and studio photographers benefit from the swappable Mamiya Press lens mount, which allows a longer or wider lens to be dropped in as the assignment shifts. Anyone restoring or building out a working film kit will appreciate a press-camera body designed from the outset for modular lenses and backs instead of a single fixed configuration.

Key Features

• Medium format rangefinder with interchangeable film backs
• Accepts 120 and 220 roll film backs for mid-shoot swaps
• Mamiya Press lens mount for interchangeable lenses
• Bellows-and-rail construction for closer focusing and perspective control
• Chrome finish classic press camera design
• Modular system reconfigures for different assignments

FAQ

What film formats does the Super 23 accept?

The body accommodates interchangeable film backs loaded with 120 or 220 roll film, so you can switch between them mid-shoot without finishing a roll first.

Can you change lenses on this camera?

Yes. The Mamiya Press mount accepts interchangeable lenses, letting you swap glass as readily as you swap film backs to reconfigure the camera for different jobs.

What's the advantage of interchangeable film backs?

Swapping backs lets you change aspect ratios and frame counts during a single session without committing to one film stock for a full roll.

Is this a true press camera?

It is. The Super 23 is a medium format rangefinder descended from the working press cameras of the mid-20th century, built with the durability and modularity photojournalists needed.

What's the bellows-and-rail construction for?

That design typically allows for closer focusing and perspective corrections that a fixed-lens rangefinder cannot achieve.

What negative size does this produce?

A real medium format negative, which holds up under a loupe and gives you the tonal range and detail that roll film medium format is known for.