Mamiya 645 1000S (1976–1990)

Name: Mamiya 645 1000S
Brand: Mamiya

The Mamiya 645 1000S was the second camera in Mamiya's 6×4.5cm medium-format SLR line, introduced in 1976. It answered the loudest complaint about the original M645, which topped out at 1/500. The 1000S extended that to 1/1000s and added a multiple-exposure function and a built-in self-timer. The self-timer is unique to the 1000S within the 645 series. It also introduced support for TTL autoexposure, and like its predecessor, it uses a focal-plane shutter inside the body rather than in the lens.

The camera is often described as remarkably similar to the earlier M645, which makes sense. It was an incremental refinement of a system Mamiya had launched just the year before. The modular design accepts interchangeable waist-level and prism finders, and the standard lens was typically the Mamiya Sekor C f/2.8 80mm. The 1000S builds on the reputation of the 645 series for image quality and versatility, and period and contemporary users alike praise its build and accurate metering. Lomography (n.d.) notes that the 645 system paved the way for Mamiya's 6×4.5 SLRs, with the 1000S following up on the original with the faster shutter.

Known specs, such as they are documented:

Format: 56 × 42mm on 120 roll film
Shutter: Focal-plane, top speed 1/1000s
Flash sync: 1/60s
Features: Multiple exposure, built-in self-timer, TTL autoexposure support
Focus: Manual
Lens: Mamiya Sekor C 80mm f/2.8 (typical standard lens)

Surviving documentation is thin on the usual specifics. Original price, dimensions, weight, and battery type are not recorded in the sources available. The camera has a reputation as a relatively affordable entry into medium format, often compared favorably against far more expensive Hasselblad systems. Anecdotal market data is sparse: one collector reports buying a 1000S for $500 in 2020 and selling it for $650 a year later. Metered prisms are a known failure point on cameras of this era. One dealer listing notes the meter on the included prism no longer works.