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THE DIGITAL SOAPBOX OF ANDY CLEAVENGER

MAMIYA C220

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Email:  graycard18@gmail.com

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I really enjoy this camera a lot.

Before I got it my only exposure to medium format was a Hasselblad 501cm. I know... poor me. But this is further proof that just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s going to be the perfect tool for you. For whatever reason I always find myself nearly on top of whatever I’m shooting, and with the Hasselblad I was constantly wanting to get closer to my subject than the lens would allow. The closest I could focus the Hassy’s 80mm was roughly 1 meter. How close can I focus the C220’s 80mm lens? Oh, about 8 or 9 inches. Effin’ A, Cotton...  effin’ AYYYY!!!

Of course at that distance you then have to start worrying about stuff like parallax and bellows extension, but these things aren’t that big a deal for me. Since my formative years in school were spent with a 4x5 monorail, I’m more than comfortable with bellows extension. And I’m slowly getting used to adjusting for parallax.

The only minor issue I’ve had with the camera is with the shutter release. If you press it down too lightly it will trip the shutter without tripping whatever mechanism allows you to advance the film. The first time this happened I had to open the back and trash the film. The second time I was able to figure out a way to recover without losing the whole roll. Basically, once the jam occurs, switch from “single” to “multi” exposure mode, put the lens cap on, cock and release the shutter, switch back to “single” exposure mode and advance the film as normal. After this happened a couple of times I just learned to be more deliberate about hitting the shutter release. Hasn’t happened since.

Eventually, I’d like to try a C330 because I think I’d probably like the placement of the shutter release on the base of the camera better. The C220’s shutter release is a plastic knob on the right hand side of the front standard. Pushing it down can sometimes cause you to accidentally tilt the camera. The C330 appears to have a more typical style shutter release button that is released essentially by pulling your hand towards yourself.

Before I bought the C220 I read a lot of reviews that said it was too heavy for “street photography”, that it was strictly a studio camera. I disagree. Yes, it is bigger than your average TLR, but it’s not much bigger than a Hasselblad or Bronica. You just hold it vertically instead of horizontally. So if you see a lot of talk about that everywhere, don’t worry about it. It’s really not a problem.

What I like best about this camera is how those around me react to it. It definitely sticks out, but not in a way that makes people instantly question your motives. I don’t know if it’s the old fashioned look of it or the fact that you look down through the top to frame your shot, but people seem to be less threatened by it than they are by a 35mm camera.

Anyway, long story short... if you have the patience for film, I highly recommend this camera. Great fun.