Omegaflex Twin Lens Reflex Camera
Photo courtesy of Imre de Pozsgay
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Related Links:
Peter Lanczak's
Koni Omega-flex site (German)
Peter
Lanczak's Koni Omega-Flex site (French)
Special Thanks to Craig Zeni for providing the online Koni Omegaflex Manual:
cover,
p. 2,
p. 3,
p. 4,
p. 5,
p. 6,
p. 7,
p. 8,
p. 9,
p. 10,
p. 11...
(more to come soon) [1/2004]
The Koni-Omegaflex M (from 1969..) is an unusual twin lens 6x7cm camera. A nice feature
is the use of the same film magazines as the Rapid M. You can add an optional reflex
viewing attachment. Besides the 90mm lens, you could also buy the 135mm f/3.5 Hexanon and
the 180mm f/4.5 Hexanon lenses in this TLR mounting too. As the posters note below, the
original goal was to compete against the then popular Rollei TLRs, while offering
interchangeable lenses and the "ideal" or 6x7cm format (less cropping on prints) plus the
convenience of interchangeable film magazines. Great idea, but a heavy camera that
probably got clobbered by the switch to SLRs like Hasselblad and Bronica in the 1960 timeframe?
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998
From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [KOML] RE:Koni-Omegaflex...Puget Sound
Yes, it is a 6x7 format. Twin Lens, great lenses, flash sync. leaf
shutters. This is really a fine system. It is bigger and heavier than the
Rapid, but produces very fine images and has the advantages of the twin
lens design. I love my Omegaflex's. :-)
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998
From: [email protected]
Subject: [KOML] RE: History...Koni-Omegaflex
I spoke with Paul Klingenstein today. Paul was the person who
bought out the Simmons brothers camera to later develop it with
Berkey into the Koni later Rapid Omega. The Omegaflex was a
Konica made TLR that was designed in the 1960s to compete with
the Rollei TLR, at that time still an immensely popular camera.
Although the projections for sales were high, the reality was
that the sales were disappointing (Paul's phrase not mine). He
indiacted that they overestimated the demand and because of
this manufacturing discontinued after the first production run.
Peter K
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998
From: Peter Caplow [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Koni Omegaflex
I've asked this question before but never received an answer.
I have a very nice Koni Omegaflex with the 90mm f3.5 lens (in addition
to a Koni-Omega Rapid M) that seems to work perfectly in every respect
except for the fact that infinity focus occurs when the camera is
focused to about 11 feet. When the lens standard (which appears to be
in perfect alignment with the body) is racked back into the body as far
as it will go, the footage scale says it's focused to infinity but the
viewfinder says otherwise. If I focus carefully on a very distant
subject, the lens standard has moved away from the body by just over
1/16 of an inch, and the footage scale reads about 11 feet. This is
quite a substantial discrepancy and yet focusing tests on film indicate
that the focus on the film and on the focusing screen are in agreement.
I've also tested the camera by taping a piece of waxed paper across the
film aperture and comparing the image on the waxed paper to the image in
the viewfinder and it passes this test as well.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone on the list who has an
Omegaflex. Does your camera behave the same way mine does. I just
don't understand how any defect, manufacturing or otherwise, could
result in a camera that focuses distant objects to perfection, both on
the film and on the focusing screen with the lens standard racked out so
far.
Peter Caplow
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998
From: Eric Goldstein [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Koni Omegaflex
Peter Caplow wrote:
> I would appreciate hearing from anyone on the list who has an > Omegaflex. Does your camera behave the same way mine does. I just > don't understand how any defect, manufacturing or otherwise, could > result in a camera that focuses distant objects to perfection, both on > the film and on the focusing screen with the lens standard racked out so > far.
Ask Ken Ruth
Eric Goldstein
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998
I never owned one, but a friend of mine had one and I used it a few times.
It works a lot better than it looks!!!!
There were 220 backs. My friend shot portraits and weddings with his. I
think it was the 180 he used for most portraits. I know he had a wide
angle for weddings, but don't recall the focal length.
His photos and those I shot were very sharp.
Bob
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998
Absolutely correct.
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999
Hi Scott:
I have two finders with my Koni-Omegaflex. One is the reflex
viewer that you look down into, as you described. The image is upright and
reversed. The other viewer is looked into at eye level and the image is
upside down and reversed, as in a view camera. Both viewers have a single
lens of proper magnification to focus the ground glass image.
Hope this helps.
Jim Jameson, Las Cruces, NM
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999
Scott:
The eye level viewer protrudes like the 90-degree one does.
It is a different shape but attaches in exactly the same way as the reflex
viewer. There is also another attachment that is a folding hood and has
side, sun shades, but no magnifier.
Jim
Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999
"R. J. Bender" wrote: Here's a "minty" one on Ebay. It will be
interesting to see how much
That was a fine example that your supplied fron eBay!
I have a McKewon listing that shows a $$ range for a clean one to be $300 to
$450. They make a statement in the listing, " Despite the implication of the
name, it is not a reflex. An optional reflex viewing attachement was
available." It it was not a "reflex" is the large 2nd lens simply for the
viewfinder?
Roger
Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999
Roger M. Wiser wrote:
=========================
The ground glass is behind the viewing lens instead of above it... no
mirror between the viewing lens and the groundglass. "Reflex" just
refers to the mirror.
I know a photographer who used them in his studio and swore by them.
If I see him at a show on March 6th, I'll ask him more about them.
R. J. Bender (A Nikon, Mamiya, Rapid Omega and Rollei user.)
From Rollei Mailing List:
Ahhhh, John, don't forget the Koni-Omegaflex, which may
be the only Japanese 6 X 7 TLR. Interchangable lenses,
interchangable film magazines, weird viewfinder.
Sort of like a Gowlandflex but with spiffier finish.
I have not seen one for years. A local wedding photographer
used to use them and got great results.
Bob
From Rollei Mailing List:
Not that bad, actually,
The Koni Omegaflex is not reallly a TLR as there is no reflex mirror in
the camera itself. I think it qualifies as a Twin Lens Viewcamera or
TLW:-).
The camera can take at least 3 finders, one being a cheap folding finder
for arm's length, the other being a reflex finder (which is switchable
from landscape to portrait format in about 3 seconds, if you don't know
what you are doing (i.e. it takes less if you do) and an eye level one
(upside down and left to right reversed image just like on a view
camera).
The camera has tripod sockets on the bottom and on the side.
Parallax compensated. Self cocking shutter, when advancing the film.
Multiple exposures possible (and avoidable).
The Omegaflex has a lot better close up capability than the rangefinder
version. You can get extension plates for it and the close up diopeters
from the RF work as well, but with a groundglass (focus on a tripod
before putting the back in to take the picture.
The camera can take 4 lenses (5.6/58mm (about 28mm in 35mm terms, 8
element in 7 groups) 3.5/90(Tessar type 4 element) 3.5/135(6 element in
5 groups) and 4.5/180(5 lements in 4 groups). An interesting fact is
that the viewing and taking lenses are identical, so you can replace a
damaged taking lens by the viewing lens.
The 135mm lens is probably the wierdest lens of the bnnch as it has the
diaphragm fitted to both lenses for depth of field preview.
The lenses are exemplary. Of course the camera is a lot bigger and
harder to get used to than the Rollei TLR, but you can use the backs off
of the Koni Omega Rapid M or Rapid Omega 200 (which I prefer actually
for wide angle, as the rangefinder is excellent in low light with the
wide angle) and use the rangefinder for wide open shots with the 58mm.
The only one I am not comfortable using wide open on the rangefinder
body is the 180mm.
I think Koni rangefinder cameras are a bargain in the used market due to
their weirdness )compared to the current crank or thumb lever wound
cameras and to that fact that there is a slew of beaters out there (it
used to be standard equipment for wedding photographers in the'70's, and
it was actually aimed at them. Even the books show wedding photos as
examples. I think the Mamiya 7 is the descendant of the Koni-Omega (I
seem to recall Konica selling the line to Mamiya or something like
that).
Cheers,
Lucian
Jon Hart wrote:
From Rollei Mailing List;
I understand the Omegaflex has an eye level viewfinder that shows the
picture upside down.
Have a look
http://www.uuhome.de/Peter.Lanczak/koni.htm
From: Bob Shell [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Koni Omegaflex anyone?
>I have purchased one of these beasts which looks so unergonomical, but
>supposedly has good glass, so I am wondering if any of you uses this
>interchangeable lens 6X7 TLR?
>Do you know of pitfalls with these?
>Which lenses are good and which are bad? I am thinking of portrait (135
>and 180) Does parallax compensation work good or should I think of a
>paramender type solution for mug shots? (with 180 of course, which I don't
>have yet).
>How good is the glass? compared with Xenotar 2.8, is it anywhere near
>that?
>Can you get 6X6 backs for these? how about 220 film backs?
>My 2.8F Xenotar and 2.8GX 60yr Planar will be the benchmarks (there you
>have the Rollei content!).
>Thanks in advance to any comments!
>
>Lucian
From: "Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" [email protected]
Subject: RE: [KOML] The twin-lens
> ----------
> From: [email protected][SMTP:[email protected]]
> Reply To: Koni-Omega Mailing List
> Sent: Monday, November 23, 1998 5:09 PM
> To: 'Koni-Omega Mailing List'
> Subject: [KOML] The twin-lens
>
> And speaking of lenses: can anyone comment on the relation between the
> twin-lens Omegaflex lenses and the rangefinder lenses? That is, is the
> 135 or 58 the same lens plus a image thrower of the same focal length?
> Regards,
From: Jim Jameson [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Omegaflex finders??
From: Jim Jameson [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Omegaflex finders??
From: "Roger M. Wiser" [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Koni-Omegaflex pic on Ebay
> it goes for.
> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=72313474
>
> R. J. Bender (A Nikon, Mamiya, Rapid Omega and Rollei user.)
From: "R. J. Bender" [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Koni-Omegaflex pic on Ebay
> I have a McKewon listing that shows a $$ range for a clean one to be $300 to
> $450. They make a statement in the listing, " Despite the implication of the
> name, it is not a reflex. An optional reflex viewing attachement was
> available." It it was not a "reflex" is the large 2nd lens simply for the
> viewfinder?
mailto:[email protected] or
mailto:[email protected]
http://homepages.infoseek.com/~rbender/RS.htm
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001
From: Bob Shell [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Camera choice
> From: Jon Hart [email protected]
> Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001
> Subject: Re: [Rollei] Camera choice
>
> As for
> firsts, per a recent post, Konica made the first
> Japanese camera to use 120 film in 1923, the Pearl
> (Showa 8). Strange, though, that they never made a
> TLR, as far as I know.
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001
From: Lucian Chis [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Camera choice
> --- Bob Shell [email protected] wrote:
> > Ahhhh, John, don't forget the Koni-Omegaflex, which
> > may
> > be the only Japanese 6 X 7 TLR.
>
> (Slap to forehead, really, really HARD) Yes, I
> did forget it. Not really difficult, I suppose,
> considering its weirdness and scarcity. Do you mean to
> tell me that there are other 6x7 TLRs? Now, that's
> really strange. Of what possible value could it be
> compared to a real TLR like a Rollei? Verticals would
> be hell to shoot. I take it the designer, engineer,
> and marketer were all lined up against the wall and
> shot for their efforts.
>
> Jon
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Omegaflex
