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Accessories for the Mamiya NC Series Cameras
This page features information on various accessories like extension tubes, bellows, adapters etc. I will update it from time to time, so please check back regularly.
Auto Extension Tubes
There is a set of three auto extension tubes available for the NC series. They have a thickness of approx. 25 mm, 13 mm, and 8 mm. The automatic diaphragm function is maintained even when all three tubes are used together. |
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The main use of the extension tubes is for macro photography. Best results are usually achieved when using a 50 mm standard lens. Stopping down to f/8 or f/11 is recommended for better depth of field and better optical performance. You still get better results with a true macro lens.
You can also use the smallest extension tube in combination with a telephoto lens (e.g. 135 mm) to enable a smaller minimum focusing distance. This lets you take tightly cropped head shots and full frame portraits of smaller children.
This set of extension tubes is not seen too often on the used market. Sometimes it is available as part of a complete Mamiya NC outfit. |
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P-Mount Adapter for Mamiya TL/SX Lenses
This very useful accessory lets you use M42 lenses on your Mamiya NC series camera. Lenses with the M42 mount are widely available on the used market at very reasonable prices. |
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The manual for this adapter recommends to only use Mamiya TL/SX lenses with it. The adapter should also work with any other M42 lens and supports automatic aperture function i.e. closing the aperture to the set value when the shutter is fired (metering always has to take place stopped down). See below for more details of practical use of this adapter. |
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You can use this adapter in two different ways:
a) Mount the adapter on the lens and turn your M42 screw mount lens into a Mamiya CS lens
b) Mount the adapter on the camera and turn your NC camera into a M42 screw mount camera
For me personally, option a) makes more sense since I´m not planning to acquire a lot of M42 lenses and if I want a M42 screw mount camera, those are widely available on the used market. But I might be interested in a M42 lens which was not available for the NC series cameras or is very hard to find today, e.g. certain zoom lenses, super wide-angle lenses or long telephoto lenses.
Operation of the camera when using this adapter is quite easy. There´s a difference if the lens has an automatic diaphragm or if the aperture is preset on the lens. In both cases, you have to use the stop-down metering index mark in the viewfinder and line up the needle with this mark (so you can only use the camera in manual mode, shutter priority is not possible). Metering always takes place with the lens stopped down. If you use a lens with an automatic diaphragm, you must use the depth-of-field preview button to stop down the lens (when aligning the exposure needle to the stop-down metering index mark). For more details, please check out the Documents section where you can download the manual for this adapter. |
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The P-Mount Adapter in Practical Use
I was able to obtain two M42 screw mount lenses to test my recently acquired P-mount adapter. One of them is a very nice Tamron 35-70 mm 1:3.5 zoom lens with a neat macro function (which lets you achieve a magnification of 1:2.8) and the other is a very well built Vivitar 24 mm 1:2.8 prime lens. The Tamron lens also came with the Adaptall-2 adapter for M42. I am now able to use any Tamron Adaptall-2 lens with my NC1000S cameras (in combination with the P-mount adapter). These lenses are still produced today and there are some very fine pieces of glass available by Tamron (for example a beautiful 90 mm macro lens). |
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In the picture left you see the individual parts of the Tamron Adaptall-2 system. This is the officially recommended way to use Tamron Adaptall-2 lenses with the Mamiya NC series cameras. Manual focus Adaptall-2 lenses are still produced today by Tamron. Most of them are of very good quality (especially the SP lenses).
There is also a Tamron Adaptall (first version) adapter available for the Mamiya MSX/DSX series cameras. In theory, this adapter should also work in combination with the Mamiya P-mount adapter, but the respective lenses are very rare. |
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Clockwise starting top right:
1) Tamron 35-70 mm 1:3.5 CF Macro BBAR MC zoom lens
2) Tamron front lens cap for 35-70 mm zoom lens (58 mm)
3) Tamron Adaptall-2 rear cap for M42 adapter
4) Tamron Adaptall-2 adapter for M42 (with automatic aperture)
5) Mamiya P-mount adapter for NC1000S |
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Turn M42 screw mount lenses into Mamiya CS bayonet mount lenses |
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You can easily turn any M42 screw mount lens into a Mamiya CS bayonet mount lens for the NC1000S/NC1000 by mounting the P-mount adapter directly on the lens.
Note how the pin for the automatic aperture function ligns up with moveable part (black) of the adapter. You still have to stop down the lens for metering. |
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Turn your Mamiya NC series camera into a M42 screw mount camera |
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By mounting the P-mount adapter into your Mamiya NC series camera, you will turn it into a M42 screw mount camera which will accept all M42 screw mount lenses.
You will have to stop down the lens for metering. For me personally, this option does not make a lot of sense since Mamiya also made many nice M42 cameras, some of them even for open aperture metering (like the MSX/DSX series cameras). |
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The renown Carl Zeiss Jena MC Flektogon 2.8/20 mounted on the Mamiya NC1000S |
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Eveready Case
Mamiya also offered an eveready case for the NC series cameras. Every once in a while you can see those up for auction on eBay. Unfortunately, they don´t hold up to well when they are used, and the material usually gets small cracks. They still serve as a very good protection for the camera, and very often when buying a used NC series camera which was kept in such a case (which is usually worn) the camera is in excellent condition being protected all its life. |
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Auto Extension Tube for Macro CS 50mm f/3.5 Lens |
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Pictured right is the Macro CS extension tube Mamiya offered as an accessory for the Auto Mamiya-Sekor Macro CS 1:3.5 50 mm lens (the one which is almost impossible to find).
This tube is almost identical to the largest one of the also available three extension tube set. I assume that this tube transmits the maximum effective aperture of the 50 mm Macro lens to the camera, but I haven´t tested this yet.
You can also use this tube in combination with any other lens, but it might tequire stop-down metering for correct determination of exposure. |
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Auto Bellows for Mamiya NC
Mamiya made a nice bellows unit to go with the NC series. This unit offers a rack and pinion control for the bellows which allows precise adjustments of the desired magnification. It comes with a double cable release for diaphragm automation and also an adapter which allows the lens to be mounted reversed for even greater magnifications. Fine focusing is done by the built-in focusing rail. |
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Left: auto bellows with lens mounted in normal position and shifted to the side (for control of plane of focus)
Right: auto bellows with lens mounted in reverse position for improved optical quality at higher magnifications |
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Lens Hoods
For some of the CS lenses there are metal lens hoods available. There is one for the 35 mm and the 50 mm lenses and another one for the 28 mm lens. Both of them have a thread diameter of 49 mm. There is also a metal lens hood for the 80-200 mm zoom lens, but as far as I know this one wasn´t introduced before the ZE series (the same lens is also available for ZE series. Of course, this lens hood also works perfectly well fpr the respective CS zoom lens. |
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Left: metal lens hood for the 35 mm and the 50 mm lenses with original box and leather case (49 mm thread size)
Right: metal lens hood for the 80-200 mm zoom lens (58 mm thread size) |
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Portable Copy Stand
This accessory is not specifically made for the Mamyia NC series. It was available for the XTL, TL, DTL, MSX, and DSX series. Pictured on the top left is the mounting plate in which the four tripod legs are screwed in. Pictured on the top right is a mounting ring which can be mounted on any lens with a 55 mm diameter. There is also an adapter ring from 55 mm to 52 mm so you can use lenses with a 52 mm thread. The copy stand is designed to be used with standard lenses only. The tripod legs are extendable and have amrkings for the various formats. For small formats, there is also a tiny little M42 extension tube. |
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Portable Copy Stand |
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