However, the original M645, and successor M645 1000S, are quite affordable. While the second-generation Pro bodies are excellent, they are certainly not budget options. The first included the M645, M645 1000S, and M645 J the second introduced the 645 Super, 645 Pro, 645 Pro-TL, and 645E the third and final generation adopted an autofocus system and, in the late 2000s, partnered with Phase One to function with digital medium format backs - some of these work with current Mamiya Leaf and Phase One backs. There were three generations of Mamiya 645 cameras. The 645 format had not been used in forty years, making the Mamiya 645 the first medium format SLR to use the 645 format, which allowed for 15 shots on 120, or 30 on 220 (the more popular 6×6 format would produce 12 shots on 120 and 24 on 220).

Mamiya, at the time known for its C series of 6圆cm TLRs, Mamiya Six, Mamiya Press, and RB67 6x7cm medium format cameras released its first 6×4.5cm camera body in 1975. Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) Cameras Budget: Mamiya 645 Series Photo by Matt Williams

Premium: Plaubel Makina 67 / Plaubel Makina W67.

Mid-Range: Fuji GS645 Professional Series.

Premium: Rolleiflex 2.8/3.5 “Letter Model” Series.

Both offer six-month warranties and free shipping on a majority of products. In our opinion, the best U.S.-based sources for vintage cameras are Robert’s Camera (UsedPhotoPro) in Indianapolis, Indiana, and KEH Camera in Smyrna, Georgia. While used cameras can come from a variety of sources, quality can vary. This isn’t a slight against those not included, but simply a reflection of my personal choices based on very extensive experience with just about any camera you can name.

There are dozens upon dozens of brands and models not listed here - this is an inherent trait of any guide of this nature and choices must be made. Similarly, not every category is created equal - rangefinders are inherently more expensive than SLRs or TLRs, which naturally shifts the price scale upward. Thus, these choices are a combination of system cost, availability, and quality. While there are some very budget options, such as the Seagull 4A or Lubitel TLRs, I find no point in recommending mediocre (or downright awful), unreliable cameras simply because they are the absolute cheapest. We have broken options down into three categories (SLRs, TLRs, and rangefinders) with three price-based subcategories within those (Budget, Mid-Range, and Premium).

Photos from my minolta autocord