Mamiya's first 645 SLR — focal-plane shutter, interchangeable finders, 645 mount, 1975.
The Mamiya M645 is a mid-1970s medium-format SLR that launched Mamiya's 6x4.5 system. It brought the 645 frame to a more compact, SLR-style body with interchangeable finders and lenses, aimed at photographers wanting a medium-format negative in a camera that handled closer to a large 35mm SLR.
It is a medium-format (6x4.5) SLR producing a 56x42mm frame on 120 or 220 film. Unlike the leaf-shutter RB and RZ systems, the M645 uses a body focal-plane shutter, and early bodies use fixed film chambers rather than fully interchangeable magazines, though inserts allow film changes. It takes interchangeable waist-level or prism finders and focusing screens and mounts Mamiya 645 bayonet lenses; a metered prism finder can add TTL metering.
The 645 frame and lighter body made the M645 suited to portrait, wedding, and reportage work where more frames per roll and easier handling mattered. With a metered prism it works much like a scaled-up SLR, bridging 35mm handling and medium-format image quality.
Test the focal-plane shutter for accurate speeds and even curtain travel, and confirm the film insert and its seals hold light out. Check the mirror, screen, and finder mirror, and if a metered prism is fitted, confirm the meter reads correctly on the right battery. Foam light seals commonly perish on bodies of this age and should be inspected.