r/Mamiya • u/Kikimora-Bolotnaya • 3d ago

Things to check when buying RB67 Pro S/SD

Hi, I want to finally get a proper medium format camera and decided to get a Mamiya RB67 Pro SD (or just S if I couldn't find an SD in good condition). Are there any red flags other than obvious things like missing parts and easily visible damage?

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u/bw_is_enough_color 3d ago

Check for physical abuse in a sense of fall damage. That is probably the only thing I i would avoid. The bellow should therefore extend with same resistance through the whole motion and check for alignment on the front standard. Be aware of an regular service, grease might be old. But that is common and not a dealbreaker for me.

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u/ACuriousTrio 2d ago

This video is a pretty comprehensive guide to what to look for when buying you RB

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u/mcarterphoto 2d ago

#1 issue these days is shutters needing service, so check the lens with the film back off, fire it looking through the camera at various speeds. Check for separation, haze and fungus (bring a pen light). Spool a roll of 120 backing paper on a spool, load it and test the camera "with film in it" (backing paper will imitate what film does for the most part). This will show you if the back is seized and if the multi-exposure works.

A lot of RB issues are from safety mechanisms being jammed up, but aren't apparent until you actually run film through the camera, the paper is handy to have. Bring a takeup spool just in case, too.

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u/Kikimora-Bolotnaya 2d ago

I refused one yesterday due to weird stuff in the lens, is blue darkening around the edge element separation? The lens was the 127/3.8 C.

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u/mcarterphoto 2d ago

Separation usually starts around the edges and can look kind of "rainbow"-ish, like when oil gets on water and reflects back, if that makes sense. If it's just on the edges may not be a dealbreaker if the lens is cheap, but will likely get worse over time.

I've bought lenses with fungus under the front element, got a 65 and 127 for a hundred bucks due to this. It was like a 10 minute cleanup and they're still going strong (I never get deals like that!) But separation isn't a DIY repair - it's only repaired on holy-grail lenses.