The original Mamiya 7 set a new standard for medium format photography when it first hit the market in 1995. Soon the Mamiya 7 was firmly established as the interchangeable lens 6x7 format rangefinder camera with outstanding image fidelity. Its compact design made it the smallest, lightest camera in its class, bringing easy portability and 35mm handling convenience to the 6x7 format.
The Mamiya 7 II packed all the features and functions of the original Mamiya 7 into a new design that enhanced both operation and portability. Features included an easier-on-the-eyes bright frame viewfinder, multiple-exposure capability, and much more.
A significant advantage of rangefinder camera design is the elimination of the mirror box and the resulting shorter flange focal distance which permits placing the rear lens element close to the film plane. Various other restraints on lens design are also removed, providing far more versatility in coming up with a lens composition that approaches ideal optical theory. For just one example, lens groups can be positioned in near perfect opposition, doing away with almost all problems of spherical or chromatic aberration. The six interchangeable lenses provided for the Mamiya 7 not only enjoyed the benefits of superior design, they also yielded the highest quality of pictorial impact thanks to cutting-edge optical technologies and manufacturing technologies of unmatched precision. Mamiya's original electronic lens shutter ensured accurate speed control with minimal lag time. Electronic flash is synchronized with the shutter at all speeds for simple daylight fill-flash even at a shutter speed of 1/500.