Mamiya�s slow me down and that can be a good thing.!ħIIs lenses contrasty.? Perhaps, but lighting conditions and subject attributes seem to matter more than Leica or Mamiya glass, for the same film type. Much much less than I would shoot with my Leica under the same circumstances or subject matter. While the 6x7cm format only yields 10 exposures per roll, I can rarely shoot more than 8 or 10 rolls in a busy day. They are both a joy to use, but each having a different feel and rhythm. Once you take a photo, slide the switch to remove the red warning label, unlocks the film advance, and wind to the next frame.I use both Leica M6 with various lenses (circa 59-94) and Mamiya 7II with 43/50/65/80mm lenses. Now the frame counter and the film frame number coincided with each other. Close the back and with the rear window open, advance the film to number 1. Slide back the pressure plate into place, and turn the advance knob until you see the starting arrow on the film leader. Drag the leader through the slots where the pressure plate goes and wind onto the take-up spool. Load the film on the right side of the camera. Since the film plane moves for focusing, the pressure plate is a removable plate that slides into the film plane. I always make sure my film counter is at number 1 before loading. On the back of the Mamiya Six is also a red window and cover, which you can see the film advance and stop at the next frame, which is automatic. It’s a small round window next to the film advance knob. The frame counter is at the top of the camera. Moving that switch to the left allows you to wind the film to the next frame and also takes the red warning out of the viewfinder. Under the viewfinder and to the left is a switch with an arrow pointing to the left. Once the shutter is cocked and you depress the shutter button on top of the camera, a red window appears in the viewfinder letting the photographer they have taken a photo. Looking through the viewfinder is the typical rangefinder for focusing the camera. To the right of that is a thumbwheel that focuses the camera. On the back of the Mamiya Six is the viewfinder window. My scale only goes to F8, which is standard on the early cameras. On the top of the camera at the far right are the focus distance and a depth of field scale. There is a self-timer on the bottom of the shutter, which has a red dot. The pin on the top of the shutter cocks the shutter. It’s somewhat hidden and took me a minute to find it, but it’s easy to change once found. There is also a knurled ring on the back of the lens are on the right side that allows you to change aperture settings. To change shutter speeds, you move the knurled ring on the outside of the lens to the desired shutter speed. Sola Special Anastigmat lens in an NKS-TOKIO shutter with speed from 1-200 & “B.” The aperture setting range from f3.5-32. The Mamiya Six I have has a 7.5cm (75mm) f3.5 K.O.L. The Mamiya Six I have is 4″ tall by 5.5″ wide and 2″ deep unopened or 4.5″ deep opened, and weighs 1lb 12.5 oz without the case or film. To me, it resembles the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 530/16 in size and weight. Depress the button, and the lens extends downward. Just to the left of the waist level finder window is a small button to open the camera. Looking at the camera, the first thing I noticed when I bought it was the camera has both a waist-level finder and an incorporated rangefinder, which you can see from the window on top of the camera. I believe the version I have is the Mamiya Six II because the strap eyelets are no longer on the camera as they were on the original models. Please don’t confuse this model with the Mamiya 6 that they introduced in 1989. To see some of the changes, you can look here. Over the years, the Mamiya Six had many changes and modifications. Lens and rear element removed on Mamiya Six.