FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

This is a list of the most common and frequently asked questions regarding the Mamiya NC series cameras. The FAQ will be updated regularly based on any questions I get asked by you. My goal is to make this website the most comprehensive source of information for this camera series. To accomplish that your help and feedback would be very helpful.

If you have any questions which are not yet covered by this FAQ, please feel free to contact me.

1. Where can I get a manual for my NC 1000 (S) camera?
2. Which lenses can be used with the NC series camera?
3. How good is the optical performance of the Mamiya CS lenses?
4. Which batteries do I need for this camera?
Will those be available in the future?
5. How should I maintain and store my NC series camera(s)?
6. What is the difference between the NC 1000 and the NC 1000 S?
7. Is there a silver version of the NC 1000 available?
8. During which time period were the NC series cameras produced and sold?
9. What kind of flash is best suited for the NC series?
10. How much are my Mamiya NC series camera and lenses worth?

1. Where can I get a manual for my NC 1000 (S) camera?

There´s an online manual available at Joerg Krueger´s Mamiya 35 mm SLR Cameras homepage and since April 2002, there is also another excellent online manual available by Michael Butkus. If you want to buy an original printed manual, the best place for that is at Craig Camera (they are specialized in manuals of discontinued cameras and have over 9,500 different manuals in stock). The last time I checked (March 2002) they still had a manual for the Mamiya NC 1000 in stock. The original is US$ 25 and a reprinted version is US$ 18.
Another place to get reprints of instruction manuals for the NC1000 and NC1000S cameras is Finger Lakes Photo Books. Reprints are available for US$ 12.
Maybe one day I´ll get around to making a manual for the NC 1000 S available for download, but I won´t promise.

2. Which lenses can be used with the NC series camera?

You can only use Mamiya bayonet mount lenses designated “Mamiya-Sekor Auto CS” with the NC series cameras. As long as you´re not looking for extraordinary focal lengths these are usually available regularly on the used market. Another alternative is trying to find the original Mamiya P mount adapter which lets you use widely available M42 lenses. This adapter is usually quite hard to find though.

3. How good is the optical performance of the Mamiya CS lenses?

I have tested many different lenses for all kinds of 35 mm SLR cameras including many renown and excellent Carl Zeiss lenses for the Contax SLR system. The Carl Zeiss Planar 50 mm 1:1.4 lens for example is one of the best lenses available for any 35 mm camera. The lens tests I have done with my Mamiya CS lenses reveal that for example the 50 mm standard lenses come very close to the performance of the Carl Zeiss Planar. There is still a small difference, but that will most likely not be noticeable in daily shooting situations. Of course, not every Mamiya CS lens is the same. For more details on the performance of the individual lenses you can check the detailed lens descriptions available in the CS Lenses section of this site. Overall, the Mamiya lenses are very good and definetely superior to most consumer grade zoom lenses available on the market today.

4. Which batteries do I need for this camera?
Will those be available in the future?

According to the manual, the camera uses two 1.5 V silver oxide batteries of the following types:

Eveready S-76, Ray-O-Vac RS-76, Mallory MS-76 or equivalent

This battery type is very common for all kinds of SLR cameras from the 70´s and 80´s before the integrated motor drives had been introduced to most cameras. You can buy these batteries at every photo dealer. Another common designation for them is:

SR44, V76PX or D357H

I have also have successfully used 1.5 V alkaline batteries in the NC 1000 S. These batteries are usually called LR44, PX76A or A76.

Disclaimer: If you use any battery type not listed in the manual, this is at your own risk.

I think this battery type will be around for a very long time. Nothing to worry about. Don´t confuse the silver oxide batteries with the now discontinued mercury batteries which were use in some other cameras of the 70´s and are now no longer available due to environmental reasons.

5. How should I maintain and store my NC series camera(s)?

Another Mamiya collector has told me once that it is better to store the camera without the shutter being cooked. Supposedly, this increases the life of the rubberized silk focal plane shutter. Makes sense to me not to store the camera with the focal plane shutter (silk cloth) under tension.
If you don´t use the camera regularly, you should take the batteries out. Also, it is a good idea to cook and fire the shutter every once in a while (I do it at least twice a year) to keep the mvoing parts in good function.
Otherwise, the camera doesn´t really need any maintenance. The only thing you might have to do eventually is to replace all the light seals and the mirror dampening material. Any local camera repair facility will probably be able to do that and it shouldn´t cost all too much.

6. What is the difference between the NC 1000 and the NC 1000 S?

The differences between these two cameras are very little and as follows:

NC 1000 has no film memo pocket on the back door

NC 1000 has no interchangeable focusing screens
(a special part called curtain is obstructing the change of the focusing screens
on the NC 1000 - this part is simply omitted in the NC 1000 S)

earlier models of the NC 1000 S have an older electronic shutter control design

The first two listed differences are based on the Mamiya Parts Catalog for the NC 1000 and NC 1000 S. The information about a change in the design of the electronic shutter control is from a Mamiya technician in Munich, Germany. The design change regarding the shutter can only be seen when the camera is partly disassembled. The new shutter control of the NC 1000 S which was introduced with later models yields more precise shutter speeds over a longer period of time. You can find out more details about this on th NC 1000 S page.

7. Is there a silver version of the NC 1000 available?

As far as I know, no. I´m 99.9% positive there isn´t a silver version of the NC 1000 existing but I have no written proof.

8. During which time period were the NC series cameras produced and sold?

The NC series cameras were introduced in 1977 (I don´t know exactly which month, but I have a German brochure from September 1977 about the NC 1000 S). In 1980, the next Mamiya 35 mm camera generation was introduced: the first model was the Mamiya ZE of the Z series cameras (ZE, ZE-2, ZE-X, and ZM). Unfortunately, Mamiya also changed the lens mount again when they introduced the Z series.
I assume production of the NC series ended by 1980 the latest. I don´t know how long the cameras were available in the stores.
If anybody has more information about this, please send me an e-mail.

9. What kind of flash is best suited for the NC series?

There is no dedicated original Mamiya flash available for the NC series. The camera does not offer TTL (through the lens) flash metering. You can basically use any flash which has its own flash sensor and which lets you set a film speed and aperture on the flash itself to match the settings of the camera. For flash photography, it is usually best to use the camera in manual mode so you can set a specific aperture and thereby have better control over flash exposure.
My favorite flashes for this camera are the Vivitar 283 and 285HV. They are very powerful, 100% reliable and economically priced. These flashes have been on the market for more than 20 years and you can still buy them new. They are easily available on the used market at even more reasonable prices, and you can also get a wide range of helpful accessories for them. With the introduction of digital cameras, these flashes (especially the 285HV) seem to get their second wind. I personally own two 285HV´s and haven´t had a single problem with them.

10. How much are my Mamiya NC series camera and lenses worth?

Many people have asked me how much their NC 1000 or NC 1000 S camera is worth. They usually want to have an idea how much they can ask for when they offer it for sale (e.g. at eBay).
You have to know that these cameras are not really considered collector´s items. There is a rather small following out there of owners, users, and collectors of this camera series. The market price (I don´t want to call it value) strongly depends on the technical and cosmetic condition of the items. A camera body with a standard 50 mm lens usually sells for no more than US$ 100 if it is in decent condition. Samples in close to mint condition sometimes receive a little bit higher price.
The only items which are worth more than that are the rare lenses (i.e. 14 mm, 21 mm, 50 mm macro, 300 mm, some zoom lenses) or accessories (i.e. auto bellows etc.). Their value is depending even more on the condition of the item because they are usually only bought by collectors.