Oh Man! Plaubel Makina III!

[Nokton48]

Plaubel Makina III 190mm by Nokton48, on Flickr

^^^ Been out using the new Makina III, shown here with the 19cm telephoto f4.8 Anticomar. Interesting how it works, you focus as you would with the standard 100mm, then transfer the distance setting to the 190mm lens helical, not changing anything from your initial focus. It works perfectly and the ground glass back confirms perfect sharpness. Focusing this lens would be impossible without the Makina rangefinder mechanism, it goes way in and out as you turn the helical (it is very touchy). Quirky and strange but fast and sure and wonderful to use. Shown huddled around the Makina III are some of my many many boxes of 6x9cm cut film.

Been testing the 100mm F4.8 Anticomar too. The beautiful fall weather is coming, looking forward to getting out and using these babies. This camera is so much fun to use, now that I am used to it's unique shooting requirements. I also understand how Roger could become frustrated using it, there is a definite learning curve and many issues to overcome. Rolls of film back in the forties and fifties and sixties were not made to the same specs as the modern stuff we use now, but there are ways to compensate. I enjoy working through and working out the problems.

No wonder the Makinas were the favorites of the elite photo press and the rich and famous!

 

[Nokton48]

Reposting this. Love old photo literature. A lot of history here!

2016-01-26 19.53.17 by Nokton48, on Flickr

2016-01-26 19.54.31 by Nokton48, on Flickr

2016-01-26 19.54.17 by Nokton48, on Flickr

2016-01-26 19.54.03 by Nokton48, on Flickr

2016-01-26 19.53.44 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Lost some digipix in this thread, so reposting some.
Here is the F4.2 Plaubel Anticomar. Finding this is like finding the Holy Grail of Plaubel Makina stuff.
95% of Makina cameras come with the F2.9 Anticomar, which has it's own unique charms.
The F4.2 was designed for reportage and travel. When razor sharp images are required.

2016-07-15 13.43.30 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Makina3 #2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #5 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #4 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #9 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #8 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #7 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina3 #5 by Nokton48, on Flickr

^^^ These are all 120 roll film (Foma 100 & Ilford FP4+) 100mm F2.9 Anticomar wide-open Microdol-X

 

[Nokton48]

Plaubel Makina III Ilford FP4+ by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makina III Efke 100 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makina III Ilford HP4+ #2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

^^^ Some tests with 6x9 cm Cut Film Ilford FP4+ and Efke PL100 Microdol-X

 

[Nokton48]

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

^^^ My collection of 6x9 cm Plaubel Makina Sheet Film Holders. I have acquired a few more still this photo was taken (they seem to find me!)

2016-02-03 18.05.03 by Nokton48, on Flickr

^^^ Some outdated 6x9 cm Orwo I picked up last year. Looking forward to using it. This size is hard to find in the US. The seller says it needs a stop or two of extra exposure but comes out fine. We will see. It is slow film so it should be AOK.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

^^^ I bought into the JOBO system to process 6x9cm cut film and large amounts of 120 roll film. I can process eight rolls of 120 at a go in the big JOBO. Or eighteen sheets of 6x9 cm cut film. That is good production!

 

[Nokton48]

DSC05591 by Nokton48, on Flickr


^^^I bought these three 6x9cm Plaubel Makina film holders, and this Plaubel Makina Pop-Up Viewing Hood, for $12 on Ebay. I had a lot of fun restoring the Pop-Up Hood. I re-glued the fabric side pieces back down with Goodyear Pliobond, and cut plastic/paper strips on my Roto-Trimmer, which I glued in the inside, to stiffen up the action of the hood. You can see them inside the Pop-Up Hood in the digifoto. Finally, I bought a 5x7" Fresnel Magnifying Sheet for $2.25 on Ebay, and trimmed it to perfect size on the Roto-Trimmer, and installed it inside the hood. It all works a treat, the Plaubel Pop-Up Hood is as good as new, and a bonus is that it also fits my Plaubel Makiflexes, as well as the two Plaubel Makinas I own. Not at all bad for $12.50! I think I will apply some leather dye to the back and it will look like new and function much better than when it was new.

The Great Great Grandfather of the HOODMAN

Here is the fresnel. This will work great with any folding camera viewing hood. You can really see the groundglass image with this installed!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350856015268?_trksid=p2060353.m2763.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[Nokton48]

Scan-161104-0001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Ye Olde Mill, Utica, Ohio

Plaubel makina IIIR, the RARE F4.2 (SHARP!) Anticomar, Foma 200, Legacy Mic-X Replenished.

 

[Nokton48]

Here are two items that I am still looking for.

1) The Plaubel Makina Flash/Tripod Bracket

2) The Plaubel Makina Wide Angle Viewfinder

Plaubel Makina Tripod Bracket by Nokton48, on Flickr

Let me know if anybody has theser items to sell!

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

The WA viewfinder attachment looks very similar to the Graflex brand. Are they the same?

 

[Nokton48]

The WA viewfinder attachment looks very similar to the Graflex brand. Are they the same?

No they are specific to the Makina. It slips over the regular viewfinder.

 

[Nokton48]

Excellent tip has come to me .................

Four winds of plain old duct tape around the film spool resuts in beautiful even frame spacing in the Makina film backs. A clever solution to a vexing discouraging spacing problem which is intermittent in nature.

I think this will fix matters.

Now need to dust off this gear and get busy with it.

DSC05851 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Here is a Plaubel Makina "action shot". I was rocking back and forth while looking through the rangefinder, trying to get the left eye closest to me in sharp focus. And of course the horses were excited and constantly moving about, not so easy to do with this type of camera! But here it is.......... I think I was using the 100mm F4.2 lens, I was trying it out for the first time.

Plaubel Makina III Ilford FP4+ by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[chassis]

Here is a Plaubel Makina "action shot". I was rocking back and forth while looking through the rangefinder, trying to get the left eye closest to me in sharp focus. And of course the horses were excited and constantly moving about, not so easy to do with this type of camera! But here it is.......... I think I was using the 100mm F4.2 lens, I was trying it out for the first time.

Plaubel Makina III Ilford FP4+ by Nokton48, on Flickr

Looks great! Well done!

 

[Nokton48]

Looks great! Well done!

Thanks Chassis! Good to hear some positive response on this thread!

There is a Guy on Ebay who repairs Plaubel Makinas (Wizcam) and he has my Makina III right now. Frank Marshman overhauled this camera last year, but Frank does not have any Makina rangefinder parts. He said part of my linkage was missing !! and fabricated a part, which worked OK, but still not up to factory specs.

Wizcam is replacing with the original Makina rangefinder cam, calibrating the cam to my lens, and cleaning the rangefinder glasses. Camera should be ready in seven to ten days! I think I may have some more Plaubel work for this Guy............... He was been very communicative and helpful so far......

Not many have any experience working on Old Plaubel Makinas..........

 

[Nokton48]

Here is the result of the duct taped spool, with one of my five or six 6x9cm Plaubel Makina backs. These are somewhat dodgy regarding frame spacing, so shoring this up, is HUGE for me. It's quite disapointing to have important frames overlap (especially when you are not expecting it!) The mechanism is rather primitive and archaic, as well as extremely unusual in design. But now it appears to be working beautifully so far.

Make a tick mark on the duct tape, with a sharpie marker, as you wrap it, so that you get the correct amount of tape on the spool. Easy to do.

Hurray!

DSC05861 (2) by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

From the internet, here is a very beautifully clean Plaubel Makina lens set. Notice the 10cm F4.2 Anticomar lens on the far left; It is quite rare. The are several hundred F2.9 Anticomars, for every F4.2 Anticomar. I was lucky to find one last year. I am still getting familar with it.

Plaubel Makina lens set by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

I've sent my Makina III to a Guy in NYC that advertises on Ebay that he fixes Plaubel Makinas. The camera is now on it's way back to me, he called the other day, and we had a pleasant conversation. He has a lot of experience, and has probably the last stock of original Makina parts on the planet. He replaced the rangefinder cam with an original Plaubel one, and fixed my back and attached an original Makina ground glass, which are extremely hard to find.

I think I may have some more work for him He says "Clean, bright, and beautiful.You will like it" Can't wait.

 

[Nokton48]

An Ocean of Soybeans

Foggy morning light

Plaubel Makina III, 73mm Ortho Wide Angle lens. Camera focused hyperfocally using Makina DOF charts engraved on camera rear cover. F11 Neopan 400 120 roll film, Mic-X dev

Makina III 73mm Ortho Neopan 400 120 Mic-X by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

This one was taken at a local park, during a driving rainstorm. My Wife and I were soaked to the skin! Makina III didn't care.

HP5+ 100 F2.9 Anticomar at F5.6 Mic-X dev

Makina III F2.9 HP5+ Mic-X by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Connell Hardware sign, in full sun.

Plaubel Makina IIIR, 100mm F4.2 Anticomar (the sharp Plaubel lens!) 1/50 F11.
Ilford FP4+ Legacy Mic-X replenished.

Connels Sign Makina IIIR 100mm F4 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Horizonal Format tripod Makina III issue resolved. Very solid setup. This will work great and the tripod weighs very little. I can easily reach the film back advance knob with plenty of room for my fingers. This is the lightest weight tripod I have in my studio. This will get some use believe me. And now I am thinking I want a Leitz Tabletop tripod to use with the Makina on location. That can go folded up in a Domke bag!

Leitz Ball Head Plaubel Makina IIIR Star D tripod by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Hi Dan,
Good to hear from you!
I tell you what, I sure love the Makina, one of the most precision cameras ever built.
I have a IIIR, later II chrome, 2-Black II's, several roll and sheet film backs, several lenses etc.
Been stocking up on 6.5x9cm sheet film for a couple of years now - one can never have too much film
As far as the tripod bracket, I thought it's purpose is to support the weight of the heavy camera front. That would keep the focusing struts from being stressed. I have an original Plaubel ball head but didn't think about just trying it. I'll give that a try.
When I have more time I might still try and make a bracket though.
cheers,
Robert

 

[Nokton48]

I will probably fabricate some brackets when I have the time and energy also.
Cool that he likes Makinas and 6.5x9cm sheet film. They really are pleasurable to use and look at.

Wonder what kinds of film he has found so far. I just bought three more boxes of the Polish Fotopan FF ISO 50.

Fotopan FF 4 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Prototype Tripod Bracket made from cardboard stock. Fits my two Makinas perfectly.

Cardboard prototype Makina tripod adapter by Nokton48, on Flickr