Having been a long-time user of Mamiya medium-format cameras, I have come to appreciate the quality of their optics. My old Mamiya RB67 has never failed me, and continues to produce beautiful images. I had never paid much attention to Mamiya’s 35mm offerings, until one came along at a price that justified the risk. “Pleasantly surprised” would be an understatement.
This Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL was introduced in 1968, as an upgrade to the 1000TL. The “1000” gives reference to the top shutter speed. The “TL” refers to the (stopped-down) “through-the-lens” metering system. This was advanced innovation for its day. The “D” in the new model’s name reportedly signified its dual-metering system. There is a typical averaging meter as well as a spot meter option.
To be honest, I was less excited about the body than I was the lens. The 55mm f1.4 just looked like a serious lens. A hint of yellowing in the glass indicated that it may have been built with thoriated glass to improve the refractive index, and it was. Mamiya put some effort into making a quality lens. Metal and glass dominate its construction and it feels good in the hand.
New light seals, battery and a thorough cleaning were required to bring the body up to combat readiness. Lubrication of the mirror return mechanism cleared up an occasionally sticky mirror problem. I’m beginning to actually enjoy this process, as it gives a second life to machines that want to work. This camera was clearly built to work.
A quick look at this camera’s contemporaries shows what Mamiya was up against in the marketplace. Pentax’s Spotmatic, Nikon’s F and Nikkormat, Canon’s FT, Minolta’s SR-T101, and many others were serious competition. Mamiya had to stand out to get any attention.
Perhaps Mamiya was trying to appeal to photographers wanting to use Ansel Adams’ Zone System in 35mm photography. Maybe it was just a feature they found missing in their competitors’ models. Whatever the reason, the dual average-spot metering system was the standout feature that defined it as innovative. A December 1968 article in “Modern Photography” magazine raved about the feature. It’s about all they could talk about.
With the 55mm f1.4 lens the camera cost about $260 USD in 1968. Adjusted for inflation, that equates to over $2300. This was not a toy camera. In fact, it was priced right up there with its competitors. Mamiya wasn’t messing around.
It has a mechanical cloth focal plane shutter with shutter speeds typical to cameras of the era. 1/1000 second was plenty with the typical slower speed films of the 1960s. Kodak’s Tri-X was considered a high-speed film at ASA 400. Kodachrome 25 and 64 were popular slide films and Panatomic-X at ASA 32-40 was legendary.
Particularly with the 55mm f1.4 lens, this is a heavy rig. Most cameras of its era were manufactured with metal and glass and very little plastic. I have a 1972 Chevrolet ¾ ton pickup truck built the same way. I think humans were built more robustly in that era, too. They must have been.
You have probably noticed that spot metering didn’t become the dominant metering system for 35mm SLRs. Yes, I know many of the later electronically-controlled systems had the option, but for 1968 it was relatively rare. Reportedly the Spotmatic prototype , introduced in 1960, was originally designed for spot metering, but was changed to center-weighted average metering shortly before production started. Apparently the name stuck.
I find that the averaging meter works just fine for the majority of situations. It wouldn’t surprise me if most of my parents’ generation did as well. Disneyland was no place to be futzing around with spot metering, when child #1 wants to ride the next ride, child #2 is starving, and child #3 clearly needs to go to the bathroom but won’t admit it. That said, a more dedicated enthusiast in a complex lighting situation would find it helpful.
Despite the camera’s age, I have found that the two metering systems give me very close to the same reading in a typical, simple lighting situation. As long I spot meter on a gray card in the same ambient light, the readings are within a half-stop of each other. That’s not bad.
Tactile feedback is marvelous, and typical to mechanical cameras of that era. The shutter gives a satisfying sound, albeit a bit loud. All controls move smoothly and click into place as they should. The weight of the camera absorbs much of the vibration from the shutter and mirror movement. I simply enjoy shooting it.
Perhaps I will write about the lens separately, as nearly any M42 lens can be used with this camera. Suffice it to say that the Mamiya-Sekor 55mm f1.4 lens it was wearing when I bought it is special. Yes, it contains thoriated glass elements, and yes it is radioactive. It is simply marvelous. I’m surprised and humbled that it flew under my radar for so long. It shouldn’t have, as I have revered Mamiya’s medium format lenses for many years.
Recently a couple of notable podcast hosts have favorably mentioned the 1000 DTL and its kin. Their findings have been similar to mine: heavy but robust, quality glass, interesting dual metering, and overall capable and pleasant to use. Why didn’t I know about this years ago? No idea. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.
There are a few operational quirks. First, of course, is the metering switch on the bottom right of the lens mount (facing the camera). There is an indicator in the viewfinder that shows which meter system is engaged. In the viewfinder there is a darkened area in the bottom middle of the frame that is the area that is measured for spot metering.
Second could be the way the meter is engaged. The film advance lever is pulled out a little and there is a click. Upon pushing the lever back in, the aperture closes and the meter turns on. This is the method to take a meter reading of a scene. Pushing the button in the middle of the advance lever hub retracts the advance lever and turns off the meter. It’s odd, but it works.
The first half of the photos I took on the first roll were metered with a trusted external meter, and the rest were metered in-camera. When I hung the film to dry, I couldn’t tell which half was which. That was gratifying. Of course, I had checked it against another meter before using it, but it is always nice to see it behaving consistently.
I found no compatibility problems with other M42 lenses, namely the Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5 and 105mm f2.8 lenses that I have already reviewed. Those are keepers, and my “Go To” long and short lenses for testing any M42 body. Focus was accurate, and those lenses have already proven themselves. The Mamiya-Sekor 55mm lens also removed any doubt about its quality and performance.
It was a pleasure to use.
Specs:
Designation: Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL 35mm SLR
Introduced: 1968
Manufactured: Japan
Lens Mount: M42
Weight: 720g (1lb, 9.4oz)
Shutter: Horizontal cloth focal plane, mechanical
Shutter Speed range: 1-1/1000 second plus bulb.
Flash Sync: 1/60 second
ASA range: 25-3200
Hot shoe: No. Accessory clip-on cold shoe available.
Meter: TTL, averaging and spot
Modes: Metered manual
Battery: 2 x LR44 1.5v batteries (or equivalent)
Self-Timer: Yes
DOF Preview: Yes, as part of the stop-down metering system.
Mirror lockup: No
Multiple exposures: No