Vol. 29: Medium-Format Photography III: Mamiya C3 & C330

Book excerpt: There's something odd about twin-lens reflex (TLR) film cameras, but very appealing. I can't really explain it. TLR cameras are bulky, awkward to use and, well, kind-of weird. Still, I love picking one up and taking it out to shoot. Mamiya TLRs comprise a rare line of TLR cameras in that they were the only pro TLR cameras that had interchangeable lenses other than Contaflex. That fact alone made me long for one a long time. When I bought my Yashica Mat EM, there were Mamiya TLR cameras available, but usually at two to three times the cost. Like the other medium-format (MF) cameras - Hasselblad, Bronica, Pentax, etc. - the Mamiyas were far out of reach. That is until around 2003 when photographers were ditching their film cameras, and selling them cheap. They may not be as cheap now, but they're still worth the prices. As I said, shooting with a TLR is an odd experience, but one definitely worth experiencing.