Nokton48
Veteran
Ken Ruth (Photography on Bald Mountain) sent me an email today, so I called him and had a pleasant conversation. My Plaubel Makiflex Automatic camera and 150mm Plaubel Xenar Automatic lens is done and ready to be used! I sent the original bellows to England, and got a replacement, and then shipped the camera lens and bellows to Ken. He is retiring and is no longer accepting any new work, according to his email. Wants to concentrate on taking photographs in his retirement. I told him I want to do the same thing.
This is my first experience with Ken. The repair has taken about a year, so hopefully time and money well spent. We will see.
This is my first experience with Ken. The repair has taken about a year, so hopefully time and money well spent. We will see.
Mackinaw
Think Different
Ken is one of the good guys. He modified a Canon 50/0.95 TV lens I had to Leica M-mount. The lens was partially disassembled when I bought it, so he had to custom make, and fit, parts to the mount to make it work. The conversion he did works beautifully, the focus is spot on at F0.95. I wish him a happy retirement.
Jim B.
Jim B.
Timmyjoe
Veteran
While I wish Ken the best in his retirement, it makes me sad when skilled artisans like himself are no longer keeping our precious equipment working.
mbisc
Silver Halide User
Bummer -- he is a giant in the business! I wish him well in his well-earned retirement.
He modified my Medalist II to 120 film, and it made it one of my favorite cameras!
He modified my Medalist II to 120 film, and it made it one of my favorite cameras!
Kenj8246
Well-known
Not good news. Unless you're Ken Ruth and looking forward to not working. 
He has a Medalist I of mine and I'm glad to know that he will, hopefully, finish all work he has in hand. I almost wish I'd had him do the 620-120 conversion. Almost. I don't mind respooling. Yet.
He has a Medalist I of mine and I'm glad to know that he will, hopefully, finish all work he has in hand. I almost wish I'd had him do the 620-120 conversion. Almost. I don't mind respooling. Yet.
Nokton48
Veteran
He says everything in the shop goes out by the end of the year
Here's another of my Makiflexes. He has had three of these go through his shop.
The last one came all the way from Italy!
2016-06-20 13.02.19 by Nokton48, on Flickr
Here's another of my Makiflexes. He has had three of these go through his shop.
The last one came all the way from Italy!
2016-06-20 13.02.19 by Nokton48, on Flickr
Kenj8246
Well-known
I'm sympathetic to his desire to make images in retirement: that's what I HOPE to do in October of 2017. I just hope my film hobby is enough to 'keep the grey matter stimulated'.
Moto-Uno
Moto-Uno
^ Get yourself a motorcycle to drag your gear around and you'll be set for life .
Ask me how I know . Peter
Ask me how I know . Peter
Emile de Leon
Well-known
Great guy! Don't know who else could work on my Brooks Veriwide though..don't want it to become a doorstop..
Hope Ken has a good and creative photographic retirement!
Hope Ken has a good and creative photographic retirement!
Nokton48
Veteran
Yeah I asked Ken about the Brooks Plaubel Veriwide, and Yes, he is an authority on these. He says the #00 Compur was never really designed for the somewhat heavy 47mm F8 Super Angulon. If the camera is dropped at the right angle, the heavy lens cells will deform the shutter. So optical performance will suffer bigtime. And the only cure is to transplant a new shutter, like from an old folding camera.
He says he does love the Plaubel Veriwide.
unixrevolution
Well-known
Happy retirement to Ken!
He repaired a Leica M2 for me, as well as a Medalist. I did not ask for the 120 conversion. Respooling ain't no thing.
He repaired a Leica M2 for me, as well as a Medalist. I did not ask for the 120 conversion. Respooling ain't no thing.
rjschell
Established
Ken-
You will be missed by those left behind, but welcomed by those you meet on the road ahead. Via con Dios.
You will be missed by those left behind, but welcomed by those you meet on the road ahead. Via con Dios.
Nokton48
Veteran
Ken has now shipped my Plaubel Makiflex, and I am scheduled to receive it this evening. It's been a bit over a year, and I'm excited to receive it back. The camera had a very sticky shutter, and needed a new bellows, which I ordered from the UK and shipped it with the camera. Hopefully the bellows works properly. Very few repair guys would touch this camera. Ken has had three of these come through his shop over the years.
Here is the Makiflex Bellows that "Camera Bellows" in the UK custom made for the camera:
001 by Nokton48, on Flickr
Here is the Makiflex Bellows that "Camera Bellows" in the UK custom made for the camera:
001 by Nokton48, on Flickr
Nokton48
Veteran
2016-07-30 16.58.31 by Nokton48, on FlickrMakiflex #2 w/Auto Iris back today from Ken Ruth. The restoration took a year, shutter was sticky and not really usuable for serious work. Also he installed a new bellows which I ordered from Camera Bellows in the UK. Also the Plaubel auto-iris 150mm Schneider Xenar was squeaky and slow; He sorted that as well. So far it seems to operate like a brand new camera!
I wish Ken well in retirement but I am going to miss him as a competent conservationist of the esoteric.
Maybe someday I will meet him while out photographing!
http://www.baldmtn.com/