The Sub Club

Mamiya 16 Delux

The Mamiya 16 Automatic of 1959, with it's built-in meter, was designed to replace Mamiya's original , meterless series of 16mm cameras. But because it included a meter, the Automatic was much larger and more expensive. So in 1961, Mamiya decided to produce the Mamiya 16 Delux to fill the gap. Basically, it was a return to the original, manual Mamiya 16 camera in a new stream-lined package. In fact, the camera body is so clean, that many assume the camera lacks features. But the opposite is the case. A strictly manual camera, it lacks the meter of the Mamiya 16 Automatic but keeps it's fast f2.8 25mm lens. Apertures are set from f2.8 to f16 with a wheel on the left-hand side of the camera and a readout on the camera top. It has a focusing lens, with close-focusing to 10 inches, and a parallax-correcting viewfinder. No need for close-up filters. Shutter speeds from 1/5 - 1/200 plus B. Accepts filters with a slip-in set-up like the original model. These were rectangular and not the same as those used on the Super series or the Automatic. Has two tripod sockets (one was used by a flashbulb unit), cable release connection, and PC contact. The built-in lens cover acts as a shutter lock. It's a full-featured 16mm submini, but substantially larger than the original Mamiya 16.