Mamiya XTL and X1000 - high tech SLRs from the early 1970s

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4015 Location: Switzerland

Both the Mamyia Auto XTL and the later X1000 are technical marvels from early 1970s. Both are virtually unknown to the "normal" collector who focuses on Nikon, the Canon, Pentax and - maybe - the Minolta series.

The Auto XTL had (at that time) unique features like the combination of AE and switchable spot / integral metering or the specially shaped focusing grips. The two cameras (XTL and X1000) had also a unique bayonet mount, the Mamiya ES mount. A wide range of lenses from 21mm to 800mm was available, but most of them are really hard to find these days. I have some of the most common ones such as the 2.8/28mm, the 1.8 and the 1.4/55mm, the 3.5/200mm and the 4.5/90-230mm zoom.

Today i got a nice looking XTL from Scottish collector near Zurich, together with the Sekor ES 1.8/55mm. He had recently found the camera in a thrift shop and was seemingly eager to get rid of that crazy monster Wink

. The X1000 was bought in another thrift shop, some years ago, along with the 28mm lens. Later I found also the 1.4/55mm (in a local auction), the 3.5/200mm and the 90-230mm zoom (flea market).

Does anyone else have these SLR, or even collect its Sekor ES lenses?

Stephan

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

Nice looking nice features cameras. I think of Medium Format cameras when I see Mamyia.

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4015 Location: Switzerland

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I had several Mamiya-Sekor E series lenses, never got to use them though as I was never able to find a working Z series body. The electronics in them are very unreliable.

aidaho · Joined: 29 Apr 2018 Posts: 456 Location: Ukraine

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4015 Location: Switzerland

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thanks for the very kind offer but today, the only mamiya lenses I own are an SX 2.8/28 in M42 and a few medium format lenses I dismantled and mounted the optics into shutters for use on my Century Graphic.

You used to be able to buy the Mamiya E series lenses for next to nothing, today, they seem to start at 25-30ukp, which is odd as there are so few uses for them other than shooting film on a Z series body.

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4015 Location: Switzerland

Just found another XTL, obviously in better condition than the one I got recently. Still have to pick it up in southern Switzerland, though Wink

S

Victor_Marian · Joined: 10 Mar 2021 Posts: 2 Location: Canada

Hi

Just found this post. I am thinking of selling my Mamiya XTL with 3 ES lenses. 21 f4, 55 f1.4 200 f3.5.

Not really sure what they go for these days, just know the 21mm is rare and worth a little more than the other lenses.

Let me know of you are still collecting these.

Thanks, Victor

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4015 Location: Switzerland

Thanks a lot for that offer - which I really appreciate! -, however I'm usually just buying stuff here in Switzerland: Custom fees can be disgusting, raising the original costs by nearly another 100%: Paypal fees, postage, VAT, customs charges, handling fees for the private company doing the customs stuff, and - most appaling, storage fees when they decide to keep your stuff for a few weeks before they check and process it. Welcome to modern Switzerland!

In addition - and that's the good side of traditional old fashioned Switzerland - there is plenty of nice and "like new" stuff available, often for very reasonable prices and sometimes even for free. I did get a "like new" Mamiya CS 2.8/21mm (which is much more rare than the Sekor 4/21mm) for CHF / USD 120.-- recently, just to give you an example.

Maybe somebody else here is interested? Otherwise ebay should give you a decent price estimate - the SX variant has been selling for around 400 - 550 USD recently. The ES variant (which optically is the same as the M42 SX version) might be a bit cheaper because you can't really adapt it to mirrorless digital cameras - or it might be more expensive becaus it's rarer than the M42 / SX version ...! I dn't know ...

S

jamaeolus · Expire: 2015-08-20

Ramir, in California has adapters available for Mamiya ES lenses to NEX (AKA E mount) for 65 USD. He makes adapters for a variety of systems that don't have enough lenses to support the Chinese adapter factories. Small volume stuff. I bought his adapter for the Argus c44, fit and finish not super but it did work. I was unimpressed with the lenses I tried for the Argus though.

Alun Thomas · Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 659 Location: New Zealand

I found this XTL a few days back on ebay. It seems to have an M42-ES adapter fitted, although it does not appear to be Mamiya's official converter which boasted automatic operation for M42 lenses. It will be interesting to see who manufactured it.

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4015 Location: Switzerland

A few more images of the Mamiya XTL / X1000 SLRs:

Image above: The Mamiya XTL, obviously considered as an extension of the previous Mamiya TL/DTL camera system which had M42 lenses (the XTL had a new large diameter baynet mount). The auto XTL was introduced at the same time as the Minolta XM, another "failed" professional SLR. Unlike the XM, it had a fixed prism though. And unlike the XM, it had connections for a Motor Drive (which never went into full production).

Above: The rare Mamiya X1000, the successor to the XTL, was produced for only about a year (1975/76). It was pretty similar to the XTL, but had a few cosmetic differences. And it was lacking the connection for the Motor Drive!

Finally an image of the auto XTL with the four most important lenses. The famous Sekro ES 1.4/55mm is mounted on the camera, and on the right we have the ES 2.8/28mm together with the ES 2.8/135mm and 3.5/200mm tele lenses.

S