Thank you for your kind words! The M645s are definitely worth a good look. Lots of choice between models as well, it was in production for a loooong time!

Wait... I replied to this?? Where'd it go? Anyway, thank you again. I'm sure you're right, I will treasure these photos. I do try to be disciplined in storing my negatives, and in printing good ones of my girls. It won't be long before they're teenagers and the last thing in the world they want to do is go taking photos with their dad! Definitely dig out that 645 AF and try to get it fixed! I'll keep my eyes peeled for spares, if I find anything I'll let you know!

Thanks! Some of the other images on the rolls, especially the latter half of the Gold 200, were pretty bright and losing detail in the highlights. I think the greasy aperture blades were all happy while they were in my house, in the warm, but they obviously gradually gummed up out in the cold. Lesson learned, do it properly the first time! I feel like I've learned that lesson before... maybe a few hundred times. I am starting to think I may not ever learn...

That first camera that you fall in love with stays with you forever right? I would definitely recommend the M645 if you're in the market for a 645. And if you're already a Mamiya fan then you're likely to love these lenses too. I probably won't keep this one. The equivalent of your C3 is my Bronica S2A, and as a huge fan of that camera, I am naturally drawn to other Bronicas! I have an ETRS, and that is my go to 645, so I'll be popping the Mamiya on eBay soon. But it's definitely a great cameras, I highly recommend!

The dog… Never. Gets. Tired. EVER. When it’s super hot in the summer she will occasionally stop in the shade for thirty seconds. But that’s it. Love that dog!

I've seen plenty of that before, where you're getting oil gradually leaking into the blades. The reason I thought this one was a deliberate act of stupidity was that these blades were literally dripping... and it hadn't gummed up, it was all fresh and liquid, and everywhere! I also discovered that one of the screws that you need to remove to get to the blades is jammed pretty solid, that's the reason I cut the corner and just mopped up what I could to get it working again. I suspect it's also the reason the oil was there. I'm guessing someone tried to get in and fix it, got stuck on that screw and decided to throw oil at it instead. I shall now set about working that screw loose!

I got a C220 with stuck shutter blades, opened the shutter and there was a loose part in the speed mechanism, I can get the part out but not the mechanism, one darn screw ain’t coming loose …

My lens was the oil migrating from the helicoil lubricant like you described.

Oooh, not sure I'm afraid. I don't even have a body cap for mine!

If you're getting clear, crispy defined specks of dust and hairs, it's on the negatives. Dust on the lens won't come out clearly defined like that. Are you developing yourself? Or sending your films away to be developed?

@@the120istI send them off with a developer. I actually have the same viewfinder as you. Do you ever notice as you press on the shutter the green light flashes into red? I think that happens to me because pressing down on the shutter moves the camera down a little, but the results aren’t tarnished because I’m shooting at 1/250. That being said, I’m gonna utilize the tripod more.

Hey, sorry it's taken me a while to respond. I don't have the Mamiya any more, so I can't check directly. However, general thoughts on things that go wrong with focus rings - often on cameras of that generation the knobbly bit on the focus ring that helps you grip it is a poor quality rubber or soft plastic, that can get saggy with time, the glue holding it in place loosens and the grip spins freely. Is that the case with yours? If it's not the glue, but the ring itself that's spinning freely, then often the focus rings are held in place with tiny grub screws that keep it pinned to the barrel underneath. If that's the case, peeling away the knobbly rubber bit that covers the focus ring should reveal some tiny screws. Take the knobbly bit off, tighten up the screws and all should be well again. Bear in mind that the focus ring will likely be out of position - ie the distance markings won't be lined up correctly any more. Tighten up the screws, rotate until you find one end or the other (infinity or closest focus distance, the barrel itself should hit a stop at each end), undo the screws again, line up the focus ring, tighten the screws again, and then glue your knobbly rubber bit back in place over the top! Let me know if that works!

Thanks so much for the help! It was actually the screws that just needed to be tightened. I aligned the distance markers with infinity, but it still seems to be just a bit off according to the scale and actual focus. I will need to do some fine-tuning, but in any event, the focus ring works as it should and the lens is once more functional. Thanks again for all the help!!!