Mamiya 16 (original) 1949 MIOJ 16mm Spy Camera
Mamiya 16 (original), Type II, 1949 MIOJ, "spy camera", with two original cassettes and leather case, in mint condition. I can find no serial number on the camera. This 1949 camera is the ORIGINAL Mamiya-16, far rarer than the Mamiya-16 Super or Mamiya-16 Automatic.
Camera: Marked "Mamiya 16", "S-M" with lens graphic, and "Made in Occupied Japan". Aperture lever operates smoothly changing iris through its f-stop range of f3.5 to f11. Shutter speeds all work and sound about right to me (but may or may not be accurate). Film-wind knob turns smoothly, and film counter works through its range of frame 1 to 20 (frame 19 uses red numerals). Front surface of lens looks pristine -- but judge for yourself from the photos. Pull-up viewfinder in front is integral with built-in lens cover. Camera measurements (with viewfinder extended) is about 62 x 42 x 30 mm, and weighs in at 170g (6oz).
Cassettes: (2) cassettes, each with take-up spool (one spool is still wound with 16mm film), screw-on caps marked "O/C" with arrow, bottom of cassettes are marked "Mamiya-16, Made in Occupied Japan". Cassette bodies are plastic, spools are plastic with brass film-clip. These are the original "two cassette design" cassettes (later models of the Mamiya-16 use a single-piece cassette).
Leather case: Embossed "Mamiya 16" and "S-M" with lens graphic.
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REFERENCES
McKeown's 2005/2006 p.645 notes: Mamiya-16 (original), 1949. Subminiature with chrome finish. No built-in filter. Fixed-focus Cute f3.5/25mm lens. Type II: Speeds marked 100, 50, 25, B. Standard 1/4" tripod thread. 20 exposures 10 x 14 mm on 16mm film.
The Sub Club's Mamiya-16 page adds: "Mamiya made a fairly successful series of 16mm cameras for 13 years -- from 1949 to 1962. Their cameras are known for their outstanding features and ease of use. Their downfall was due, in part, to the nemesis of 16mm cameras -- a unique cassette. Actually, Mamiya made a wide variety of cassette styles, but all the types apparently fit in all of their cameras. Some were metal, some plastic. Some were single-lobed, some double-lobed. Some had snap-on caps, some screw-on. Some were designed for re-use, some not. Mamiya also made many cosmetic changes within each particular model. In other words, your Super 16 II probably will not look exactly like your neighbor's Super 16 II. These differences are not well documented, and the various idiosyncratic types are prized by collectors.".
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CAREFULLY PACKED, TRIPLE BOXED, and ready to go; see the photos. Item is packed with silica gel dessicant pack(s) to prevent humidity damage in storage/transit. Note: Packing-photos show stages of packing this item; know that boxes are always full or slightly overstuffed with packing material to prevent any shifting or settling.
Additional keywords: post-WWII, Korean War era, submini, MI5 CIA NSA KGB Stasi secret police, cloak-and-dagger type spy camera, Ian Fleming, James Bond, collector, collectible, rare, Cold War, great Hollywood movie prop,
