Mamiya 16 Super II (c. 1957)
The Mamiya 16 Super II is one of the more thinly documented entries in Mamiya's 16mm subminiature line, which the company produced from 1949 into the early 1960s. It launched in 1957 as a refinement of the earlier Super 16, and it sits between that model and the Super Model III that followed in 1959. In most respects it is the same camera as its predecessor. The meaningful changes were cosmetic and ergonomic.
The most notable difference, per the surviving record, is on the top plate. The camera is engraved "Mamiya 16 Super," but to the Super 16 was added a film type reminder and a focus scale insert with silver lettering on a black background. The insert was a cost-saving measure. It let Mamiya produce separate metric and imperial scale versions without extra tooling. The parallax scale is marked in both 1 Ft and 0.3 M, and the aperture scale is fully marked. Collectors note that these small variations are not well documented, and that one Super II may not look exactly like another. Serial numbers appear on some examples.
The lens is a 25mm f/3.5, and the camera takes 16mm film. Past that, the documentation thins out. No shutter speed range, dimensions, weight or original price for the Super II specifically appear in the record. A "Tower 16" version exists, but that Sears-marked variant belongs to the later Super Model III, not this one. One Super II example sold at auction in the range of $73 - $86.
- Manufacturer: Mamiya
- Type: Subminiature camera, 16mm film
- Lens: 25mm f/3.5
- Launched: 1957
- Preceded by: Mamiya Super 16 (1950)
- Followed by: Mamiya 16 Super Model III (1959)
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