Need some Plaubel Makina 67 User Feedback

[jloden]

I know there are some Plaubel Makina 67 or 670 owners out there on the forum, so I thought I'd ask here. I'm especially looking for experiences/feedback with the handling in use. The PM 67 seems to check all my desired boxes (compact size, fast lens, 6x7).

However, I am a bit concerned I won't get on with the unusual handling, particularly focusing with the right hand knob on the top-plate instead of the lens. Does anyone who owns one find it was tricky to get used to, or hard to switch back and forth between other cameras?

I'm already aware of the common metering wires, bellows, and winder/transport failure points, but any other gotchas or tips from those who have used one?

 

[MikeL]

Great lens.

After a few minutes you won't notice the unusual knob. I don't find it any different than using the knob on a rolleiflex or on a lens.

Did I mention it has a great lens?

 

[FrankS]

Not a problem! Super camera. I have the wide version.

 

[struene]

Thats really no problem, only the blank plasitc Focusing knob on the 67 can get a bit slippery (my fingers tend to get minimally wet when they do someting). I imagine the rubberized knob on the 670 is better in this regard. I supose this is why they changed the detail.

Focusing by the knob is just not so fast, as witha leica oder Mamiya 7. Otherwise the camera is just great for atmosmpheric photograhpy, as the lens is not as "clean", as the Mamiya 7 ones.

schöne Grüße,

Johann

 

[sevo]

Like the medium format Fujis it has a slight tendency to eject exposed film spools - hold a hand over the spool as you unlock it, or you may spill the (yet untaped) film all over the floor.

 

[rybolt]

The 67's were my most used cameras for about 20 years. If you're like me you'll adapt to the focus knob very quickly. Just a few points on operation. When you close the camera do it gently. Don't release the button and turn it upside down and let it slam shut. That sounds like it would only be common sense but...
Also, if you shoot Tmax film be aware that the slightly thicker film puts mjore strain on the transport. Advance smoothly and slowly rather that jerking the advance. I owned two of them and shot thousands of rolls and never had the first problem with either camera.

 

[jloden]

Like the medium format Fujis it has a slight tendency to eject exposed film spools - hold a hand over the spool as you unlock it, or you may spill the (yet untaped) film all over the floor.

Yeah, that certainly sounds like a good thing to be aware of! 😉

The 67's were my most used cameras for about 20 years. If you're like me you'll adapt to the focus knob very quickly. Just a few points on operation. When you close the camera do it gently. Don't release the button and turn it upside down and let it slam shut. That sounds like it would only be common sense but...
Also, if you shoot Tmax film be aware that the slightly thicker film puts mjore strain on the transport. Advance smoothly and slowly rather that jerking the advance. I owned two of them and shot thousands of rolls and never had the first problem with either camera.

Good to know - I don't use Tmax at the moment, but you never know!

Thanks all for sharing your experiences.

 

[DrTebi]

My favorite Camera

My favorite Camera

I have the 670 since about five years. I love it, it's my favorite of all my cameras, and I do own quite a few...

Regarding the handling—I actually really like the way you focus with your right hand. I think it would not have been good to have a focusing ring on the lens, because you need your left hand to keep the camera steady. It's not exactly a light-weight, well, it is compared to other MF cameras, but if you are used to 35mm cameras or even digital ones from this century, you will find that using your left hand to hold the camera (sort of from underneath) will give you a good and steady hold. The right hand can still support the camera as well, while moving the focusing ring.

I have done a lot of hand-held photography, and even at 1/30 I still didn't seem to get camera-shake.

The format of the camera is great. I usually use it on my trips when hiking for landscape stuff, or cityscape photography. When I don't use it, I just bring the lens in and swing the camera under my arm (sort of like a messenger bag). Very comfortable, in fact, I find it better than e.g. carrying an SLR, which may be smaller, but has the lens sticking out, which I find annoying when moving around.

It seems like the prices for Plaubel Makina 67/670 have gone down lately, I check occasionally on eBay. Hopefully you find one in great condition.

Talking about condition—mine has been repaired once. And guess by who? By Plaubel themselves. That's one of the fantastic facts about this camera, in my opinion, that the original maker still repairs the camera today, and for reasonable prices, too.

Here are some of my images shot with the Plaubel:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drtebi/tags/plaubel/

Good luck, ask if you have any more questions.

 

[shiro_kuro]

Awesome camera .. Adjusting to the new way you focus the camera is instantaneous ; ) It may have been mentioned above ... but it is recommended that you set the camera to infinity before closing the below ..... Last year while in, I saw a like new 67 for $999.00 in a Hiroshima camera shop ... great deal .
I had my 670 repaired at Nippon photo clinic ... the meter and the frame advance ... was not cheap !

Regretfully I sold it to get the 67 W ... I don't regret having the 67W , just would like to have both .... Great set of images DrTebi

 

[jloden]

Great, thanks for commenting guys! Thanks especially for sharing your images on Flickr DrTebi. Always appreciate seeing example images and those look really nice too.

I came *this* close to picking up a PM 67 but it ended up not working out at the last minute (buyer actually refunded the sale). In the meantime I stumbled across an immaculate Mamiya 7II that I couldn't pass up, so a Plaubel Makina purchase will have to wait a bit longer. Definitely still on my wishlist however, so I appreciate the extra info.

 

[DrTebi]

Thank you for the compliments on my images.

It's interesting that you picked up a Mamiya 7II, because I did the same thing just about two years ago! I already had the Plaubel, and was too curious about the Mamiya due to all the raving about the sharpness of the lens...

Well, so I suppose I should tell you my opinion about the two:
The Mamiya is definitely sharp, extremely sharp. I had the 50mm lens, which I highly recommend. I liked it better than the 80mm. I shot mostly slides with the Mamiya, and also projected them with a Rollei P66 which I upgraded to a Schneider 150mm 2.8 HFT AV Xenotar lens (awesome projection lens). Let me just say this: I had two visitors sitting on the couch, when the first Mamiya Slide hit the screen, they jumped up and stood 5 feet away from the projection screen for the remaining 10 slides! Yes, it's really amazing to see the MF slides projected, put that on your shopping list if you haven't already 🙂

But my enthusiasm didn't last too long. First the rangefinder needed adjustment, which was not cheap, but at least it was perfect afterwards. I also had a problem once where the lens counldn't be changed during mid-roll (even though the curtain was closed correctly etc.), but that problem disappeared again.

What made me sell the Mamiya in the end was the fact that I just found the lenses too contrasty. This is especially a problem if you shoot slides. Of course I compared the Mamiya Slides to the Plaubel ones, and when people say that older lenses are less contrasty, I must say that this is the case with the Plaubel (even though it's not that old). I had much better shadow detail with the Plaubel images than with the Mamiya, where dark shadows where often just pure black (0,0,0). I do scan my images as RAW images, so the software was not the issue.

I also didn't like the lightmeter too much. It really measures on a small spot rather than a center circle. Keep that in mind, it's a commonly known fact.

Nevertheless, the strong contrast I experienced on slides won't be a problem if you shoot print film. If you do shoot slide film however, be careful when shooting on a bright day. Anyway, hopefully your results are better than mine, let me know.

I will upload an image to my flickr account to let you see what I am talking about. I'll post the link here in a minute...

Make sure to let us see your Mamiya images once you've got some!

 

[DrTebi]

Here is the image I was talking about:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drtebi/16891143199/

Scanned in as RAW file with the Minolta Dimage Multi Pro. Converted with ColorPerfect. I tried to get shadow detail back, but there just wasn't anything there... the image is super sharp, as usual with the Mamiya, but the dark shadows are a bit disappointing. Maybe I should have waited for better light...

 

[DKimg]

I had both the PM67 & 670. After owning and liking the 67, I was in the hunt for the 670 because of the few extra features (hotshoe & 220 film). However; it was never easy finding a camera without having some issue(s). I've had bought and immediately returned 2 PM670 cameras because of lightleaks, dead meter, and misaligned focusing... I won't get into details but it was a frustrating time dealing with sellers online who were selling the cameras. The third PM670 camera I've bought was from KEH and it was in the best condition possible. The few images here were from that camera (more on my flickr).

In regards to your OP, it's indeed a portable camera when the lens is collapsed but by all means it's not a lightweight. If I remember correctly, it's very similar in weight to a 2.8 rolleiflex. The handling was fine for me and the focusing knob wasn't problematic at all... It was a joy to use when I had the camera.

Few reasons why I parted with this camera:
-I've personally noticed that most of my images shot with the PM67/670 can be cropped to a 6x6 frame (hence why I've decided to go back to a Hasselblad 500 series). To my logic and style of shooting, it was beneficial with the interchangeable options I had with the Hasselblad.
-I've had the hardest time focusing at f2.8. It was something that bugged me personally...
-It's a sharp lens but personally felt the resolution wasn't comparable to other lenses I've owned. This is a personal preference and base upon my own comparison.

One thing I really miss about the camera, is the fact that I can get one extra shot per roll (especially 220 rolls). After your 'last' shot on the roll of film, crank the winder twice, as you would normally advance the film, and take another shot... then you can continue advancing the film. It's something you can get away with. It's one of the frustrating things about electronic/automatic film cameras in general... cause I like to get a many shots I can from the roll of film I'm using. 😎

 

[furcafe]

I've had a 67 for 6 years, a 670 for 5, & just picked up a W67, so haven't had any problem using them, either individually or in combination w/other cameras.

. . .

However, I am a bit concerned I won't get on with the unusual handling, particularly focusing with the right hand knob on the top-plate instead of the lens. Does anyone who owns one find it was tricky to get used to, or hard to switch back and forth between other cameras?

I'm already aware of the common metering wires, bellows, and winder/transport failure points, but any other gotchas or tips from those who have used one?

 

[jloden]

Thanks guys for the added info, both posts are very helpful. Sharpness and contrast of the lens are definitely important to me so I appreciate the comments on that area. I come from a pretty much all digital background and tend to gravitate toward really sharp & contrasty images (and lens rendering styles of course).

And DKimg, I feel your pain - it seemed very hard to find these in good condition from reputable sellers. This is one camera where I definitely like to see that it's been tested with a roll film and/or came from someone that was currently using it, to be assured it's in good working order.

DrTebi - I have yet to try slide film, though I absolutely love the way it looks. Definitely something I plan to try... just wish they still had more options for slide film speeds available now. That's what I get for being such a latecomer to analog photography! 😀 Good to know your experience with the Mamiya, I'll bear that in mind if/when I get around to shooting any slide film for sure.

Fortunately I read all about the Mamiya 7's odd metering setup before buying, so I'm prepared in advance to adjust my metering methodology, or double check with an external meter 🙂