Mamiya Rapid Omega 200 (1975)
The Rapid Omega 200 is a 6x7cm medium-format rangefinder taking 120/220 roll film, dated to 1975 in the sources that document it. It belongs to the tangled Koni-Omega family. The same camera appears in period listings as the "Koni Rapid Omega 200" and even the "Omega Rapid Omega 200," and one source credits the design to the Simmon Brothers. The naming lineage between Koni-Omega, Koni Rapid Omega, and Mamiya Rapid Omega is not cleanly documented anywhere. What is consistent is that it's the same basic camera body under all those names.
The camera was built around interchangeable film backs and interchangeable lenses. You could swap magazines mid-roll using a dark slide. Known compatible glass includes a Super Omegon 90mm f/3.5 (the most commonly seen), a Wide Omegon 58mm f/5.6, and a Hexanon 180mm f/4.5. Film advance is a pull-push operation on a side handle, a mechanism shared with the Koni-Omega Rapid M and Koni-Omegaflex M. The shutter is a built-in leaf type running 1 second to 1/500 plus B, with flash sync at all speeds. A direct-vision finder with rangefinder is standard. A sportsfinder and hand grip appear in period listings.
Surviving documentation is thin and somewhat contradictory. One source describes the camera as "manufactured by the German company Koni-Omega in the 1960s" - which conflicts with the 1975 date and with Mamiya as manufacturer. A Christie's auction lot attributes a "Rapid Omega 200" to Konishiroku, Japan. The 1975 Mamiya attribution appears in multiple independent photo listings, so 1975 is the date to trust. The full corporate history is still murky.
What owners do say is consistent: it's heavy, solidly built, and gets the job done. One user notes it's "heavy, cumbersome, but it gets the job done. Solidly built, and you can have a set with a few backs and lenses for cheap." A used-listing inspection found the rangefinder working with good contrast and the shutter firing nicely at all speeds. The camera is also described as "known for its high-quality photographs."
Known specs:
- Format: 6x7cm on 120/220 roll film
- Shutter: built-in leaf, 1 to 1/500 sec + B, flash sync at all speeds
- Interchangeable film backs with dark slide
- Interchangeable lenses: Super Omegon 90mm f/3.5 (apertures to f/32), Wide Omegon 58mm f/5.6, Hexanon 180mm f/4.5
- Pull-push film advance on side handle
Current collector pricing is speculative. One price guide page exists (under the code KE-58) but quotes no figures, while another source suggests $500 - $1500 for a body with lens. No original retail price, dimensions, or weight are documented.
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