Oh Man! Plaubel Makina III! Back to RF.

[Nokton48]

"Torturing" the 100mm F2.9 Anticomar, shooting directly into the sun.
Plaubel Makina III F2.9 lens wide-open, Foma Classic 200, Microdol-X replenished.

Makina3 #10 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Ye Olde Mill. One of the original stones.
Plaubel Makina III 100mm F2.9 Anticomar wide-open, Foma Classic 200, Microdol-X (replenished)

Makjina3 #11 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Ye Olde Mill. Machinery of old.
Plaubel Makina III 100mm F2.9 Anticomar, Foma Classic 200, Microdol-X (replenished).
Cropped slightly due to overlapping frames in the film holder.
Scenes like this in partial sun would benefit from higher speed film.
ISO 400 & 3200 film they did not have when this camera was in it's heydey.

Any other Makina shooters out there? Please contribute 😀
Any and all comments are welcome.


Makina3 #12 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

You can see how small and compact the camera is when using sheet film holders.
BTW I applied "Venetian Creme" from CameraTools to the scrapes on the body leather and it looks like new now. Works like magic.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Three 6x6 Film Backs for the Plaubel Makina III. And the RARE 6x6 Viewfinder Mask for the Makina III. Today just arrived, two more Plaubel Makina filters, these came from a camera collection from Cuba 🙂

Two of these backs are loaded with film. I have not tested any of them at this point, but I will soon. It will be interesting to see how the camera handles as a 6x6. As a 6x9 obviously it is wonderful.

Also I want to mount a large strobe on this baby. Maybe one of my Norman 200B's would be a good fit. I'll need a Makina sync cord and a Makina flash mounting plate, if anybody knows where I can find one cheaply (PM Me)..... Truly a strut reportage camera with a lot of significant history.

2015-12-12 14.19.12 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Here is what I have in mind for strobe photography with the Makina III.

I used to use these Stroboframe Brackets on my Hasselblads for Wedding Photography; I have five or six of them around. Added a Bogen Manfrotto Tripod Plate, Bantam Battery, and a Vivitar 283 with Inflatable Photoflex Softbox. Bulky Yes, Heavy, No. Had to re-drill the bottom socket to fit the bottom of the Makina. Actually fits fairly tightly, should be fine.

Works as well on the Plaubel Makina as the Hasselblad. All I need to do is figure out how to sync the strobe. Maybe some contact pins can be had from Radio Shack to fit the Makina triple socket in the front? Beautiful soft portable strobe lighting that I prefer for candids.

Makina III Flash by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[raid]

Beautiful equipment here. All thought of using a digital camera go away. This is art.

 

[sevo]

Maybe some contact pins can be had from Radio Shack to fit the Makina triple socket in the front?

The pins won't be the hard part - these look as if printed-circuit posts could do as a substitute. But you would have to have a matching plug 3D printed - 283's are high voltage, I would not want to have a bare connector right where I might rest my finger.

Many Makinas hereabouts have a standard PC socket - these days it might be cheaper to buy a replacement camera...

 

[Nokton48]

Beautiful equipment here. All thought of using a digital camera go away. This is art.

Thanks Raid,
For your kind comments. Appreciate it. I'm having a lot of fun 🙂

The pins won't be the hard part - these look as if printed-circuit posts could do as a substitute. But you would have to have a matching plug 3D printed - 283's are high voltage, I would not want to have a bare connector right where I might rest my finger.

Many Makinas hereabouts have a standard PC socket - these days it might be cheaper to buy a replacement camera...

Sevo,
I wish I still had the Makina Flashbulb Unit I sold to the UK a couple of years ago. It had the original three-prong Makina Male Flash Cord with Socket that would plug right into this camera. There is a switch on the front of the camera that goes from "X" to "M" so that explains the three flash sockets. So if I had one of those Plaubel Cords, I could cut it and solder it onto the 283 sync cord; I used to do this all the time, even with some of my Monster Broncolor Studio Flashes.

 

[Nokton48]

OK It's been pointed out to me, on another forum that I frequent, that Plaubel made an adapter (three-pin male to modern female pc) which will suit my needs perfectly for connecting a modern strobe cord.

See here; it's plugged into the Makina III in the first picture:
This is a great Plaubel Makina website. Check it out.

http://www.120folder.com/makina_iii.htm

Now, if anybody here knows where I can buy one of these adapters, please let me know. Merry Christmas Everybody! 😀

 

[Jerevan]

Nokton,

some really lovely photos from the Makina III!

Are the sheet film holders hard to get? It looks like it would be much easier to work with it handheld since you get your eye closer to "the action" compared to the bulky roll film holder. They look like they are single-sided, right?

It would be cool to have one of these, just for fun, since I spend a lot of time in the Frankfurt area. But I guess it won't happen - but one can dream ... 🙂

 

[sevo]

Now, if anybody here knows where I can buy one of these adapters, please let me know. Merry Christmas Everybody! 😀

I've seen them as part of collector grade complete Makina III kits, but don't think I've ever run across a spare. You might try asking Horst Rusch of Foto Brell (info@foto-fina.de) - if there is anybody in town who has one it will be him.

 

[Nokton48]

Nokton, some really lovely photos from the Makina III!

Are the sheet film holders hard to get? It looks like it would be much easier to work with it handheld since you get your eye closer to "the action" compared to the bulky roll film holder. They look like they are single-sided, right?

It would be cool to have one of these, just for fun, since I spend a lot of time in the Frankfurt area. But I guess it won't happen - but one can dream ... 🙂

Hi Jerevan,
Thanks for the comments.

I've not really had any trouble finding cut film holders over time. Like the cameras, sometimes they are very expensive, and sometimes not. I have accumulated fifty of them over thirty years, but I have three Makiflexes, and the Makina III. Yes they are single-sided, and very compact on the camera. The camera is easier to operate with the plates, because the roll holders are bulky and push your face away from the camera (but it can be done).

I buy 6.5x9cm film in Germany and the UK via the internet.

AG-Photographic tells me that they are right down the road from the Ilford plant. They say the Ilford truck comes by with deliveries almost every day. http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/fp4-65x9cm-sheet-film-25-186-p.asp
I have bought a lot of 6.5cmx9cm Ilford FP4+ from them


Wephoto (Orwo I think) 6.5cmx9cm film I buy here:
http://www.lumiere-shop.de/index.php?page=product&info=1481
I have also bought a lot from them.

B&H in NYC used to stock 6.5cmx9cm Efke in ASA 25 and 100.
I bought twenty boxes of each, before it was all gone.

 

[Nokton48]

I've seen them as part of collector grade complete Makina III kits, but don't think I've ever run across a spare. You might try asking Horst Rusch of Foto Brell (info@foto-fina.de) - if there is anybody in town who has one it will be him.

Thank You Sevo!
I will try emailing them.
Happy Holidays to you!
-Dan

 

[Nokton48]

Further regarding 6.5cmx9cm sheet film:

I can process up to eighteen 6.5cmx9cm sheets in one run, using the JOBO 2509n reels and the JOBO Multitank 5. The small one reel Multitank 1 tank is good if I want to try inversion or stand development. I spin the Multitank 5 on an old Unicolor Uniroller.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Here are my smallish film holders, from Germany and the UK. Four of the Linhof 6.5x9cm, and four of the Linhof 2 1/4x3 1/4". Enough to go out for a shoot. The 2x3 film I buy fresh from Freestyle. 6.5x9cm I have been buying from Europe on the internet. www.lumiere-shop.de has been a good resource for me for 9x12cm Wephoto (I think this is Orwo?). Today on Ebay I bought three old boxes of Orwo NP20 6.5x9cm (from Bulgaria). Outdated but said to be usuable. B&H in New York used to have Efke 25 & 100 in 6.5x9cm. I bought twenty boxes of each, when they were closing it out. I do buy Ilford from AG in the UK. They tell me they are right up the road from the Ilford plant. 🙂

Are there other internet dealers with 6.5x9cm film for sale? Where are they?

2016-01-16 13.07.45 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[sevo]

Are there other internet dealers with 6.5x9cm film for sale? Where are they?

Fotoimpex have Adox CHS 100II and Fomapan 100 in 6.5x9cm. Many German dealers have one or the other, or can order it (at least if you can talk German on the phone). What has become difficult to get here is 2x3" film (the corresponding US format, 5.7x8.3cm) - while it still seems to be listed by Foma, it has been out of stock for more than a year upstream of all German dealers I've tried.

 

[Nokton48]

I emailed Photoimpex, and Benjamin responded, "Fomapan 100 is not available in 6.5x9cm".
But they do have Adox CHS 100II, which is good to know. I have plenty of Efke PL100 in 6.5x9cm, and lots of Ilford FP4+ in 6.5x9cm, which is easy to get in the UK.

The shop www.lumiere-shop.de has Wephoto 6.5x9cm 100 ASA, which is good. They are on holiday until Febuary 2nd. I will probably order some of that at that time.

The dealer in Bulgaria has nine unopened boxes of Orwo NP20 (dated 1999) in 6.5x9, so I bought all of it. Outdated and -slightly- foggy but excellent results he claims (with extra exposure) when processed in Microphen. Anyway the price was very good. So we will see, that is 225 sheets. Total cost 37.5 cents per sheet. 🙂

Are there other German shops on the internet that stock (or order) 6.5x9cm B&W film? I need one that speaks English, and takes Visa, can't do bank transfers from here. Much too expensive to do and zero tracking, so not good for me. I need shops that take Paypal.

Maybe I will have to stick to Foma 200 in 120 rollfilm? No sheets anywhere?
I'm still looking.

 

[Nokton48]

Searching around the internet today, I found this kewl website on the old Plaubel Makinas. I guess we are not the only ones that think these are "Steampunk Cameras"

http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/monday-camera-12-plaubel

 

[sevo]

I emailed Photoimpex, and Benjamin responded, "Fomapan 100 is not available in 6.5x9cm".

Their web site claims that they have it. But they made a mess of backconverting the nominal size in inches to cm - it is listed as being 1mm short each edge, i.e. as 6,4x8,9cm film.