Where it all started!

Today's blip shows my old but still in perfect condition Mamiya RB67 film camera. It was a major purchase back in the day, and I saved up my money and bought it in early 1972 from the same camera store in Adelaide where Paladian recently bought her 6D camera.

It was my second camera with my first camera, bought in my teenage years being a 35mm Pentax. In 1970 I started shooting sporting events overseas, on super 8 film and in photos, for resale to collectors and fans. Concentrating on my special field of interest and expertise, namely fitness, strength athletes and gym related events, contests and personalities.

I noted that the top photographers in my field were using RB67s, and the various magazine editors all wanted large format transparencies for possible use for covers. Considered a "professional's" camera, the Mamiya RB67 was the perfect choice for me, even though it was quite large and bulky for my carry-on luggage.

It is a medium format bellow-focusing, leaf shuttered, single lens-reflex, all mechanical, fire-breathing monster, mostly meterless design that exposes film in removable backs. I always used the 20 shot back in the 6 x 7 format. It is pictured with my favourite 127mm lens.

The camera system was first introduced in 1970 and with some minor improvements is still being sold today. It truly constitutes a complete and well maintained system, with different lenses, finders, focusing screens, film backs, grips, flash compatibility, along with my Metz flash etc.

I loved this camera and it gained me many successes along the way. Then in 1988 I packed it away carefully in a box, along with all of the accessories, and unused film. This week I lovingly took it out, checked it, and photographed it today. I am now doing photos of all of the accessories. Shortly it will be going onto eBay so it can find a new home, and preferably kept out of the box!

Affectionately called The Tank, it can be seen more tank like in large.
Here is a link to some scanned fitness photos I took with this camera at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.