Oh Man! Plaubel Makina III! Back to RF.

[Nokton48]

I've been collecting and using the Plaubel Makiflex LF SLR for thirty years. I have always wanted a nice Makina III (the film backs holders and some other accessories are interchangeable between the two cameras). These are not the modern black Makinas, that seem to get all the attention. In it's day this was an expensive luxury product, and not too plentiful. Built like a Leica, but a very old one.

Here is what I just bought. Can anybody help me identify the actual model I have? Is it a III or IIIR? Where can I get an original instruction book? Any other tips? A folder will be cool to easily carry around, can't do that with the Makiflexes! 😱

Here is my new to me Makina III: http://www.ebay.com/itm/391232755405?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thanks Guys! Can't wait to get it. This will open some interesting options for me.

 

[Bisakok]

Crumbs haven't looked at these for years... but from memory, the flash sync connector at the bottom right side of the front panel (as you gaze upon your latest love, and not as point her at somebody else) and a compur rapid shutter with 1/400 top speed is a IIIR. (But its saturday night, so don't take that as gospel).

Instructions.... http://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/makina.pdf

As we say in Hong Kong.... please enjoy!

 

[Nokton48]

OK Thanks for that.
My shutter goes to 1/200, I'm thinking it is a Makina III not IIIR?
I am good with having a III.
The 100mm F2.9 lens has no red dot, so not coated?

This will be fun to use.
I know some people don't like the rendering of the 100mm lens but I have seen some wonderful work done with them.

 

[Bisakok]

Ah yes,... yours has a compur shutter ("compur" on the front panel). So it's a III. See bottom page 6 in the instructions. Apologies, but can't help on the lens coatings

 

[Nokton48]

Ah yes,... yours has a compur shutter ("compur" on the front panel). So it's a III. See bottom page 6 in the instructions.

Thank you for the link to the instruction book! I printed it out. Yes it's a Compur (not Compur Rapid shutter) so it's a III. Good deal. Made from 1948 to 1954. I have fifty sheet fim holders for this camera. And twelve 6x6cm and 6x9 film backs. Even have some original Makina accessories around somwhere in the studio. Even have the Makina flashgun.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

From my perspective, the lenses that make the most sense to me, are the 100mm F2.9 Anticomar (which is on my camera), the 100mm f4.2 Anticomar, and (maybe) the 73mm f6.8 Rapid Wide-angle Orthar.

According to the original Makina IIIR instruction book, "The 100mm F2.9 is an ideal lens for pictorial work in landscape and portrait photography. Where a graduation on subtle grey tones, a soft definition and a certain "plasticity" is required this lens is unsurpassed." "The 100mm F4.2 Anticomar is a lens yielding the highest possible definition and contrast and is the objective for the photographer of every-day tasks, news, machines, architectural details and reproductions. It is the lens of the press photographer and traveler." Perhaps I will decide I need both of these?

Has anybody here ever compared the two lenses in a side-by-side test or in everyday use?

I'd also be interested to hear of anybody here with experience using the 73mm f6.8 How has it worked out for you?

 

[f16sunshine]

I have just a handful online. These are taken using the anticomar f2.9/100mm.
All handheld and scanned on Epson V700.

It's a fun camera. I've used it for a bunch of Model shoots. People love to be on the other side of the lens looking at that funky chromy "plate".
If you've never seen one before it's quite unusual looking. Very steampunk in a way.
To focus,..it's difficult for me to get my eye in the right position with the rollfilm back in place. It takes up a lot of space and moves my face too far from the eyepiece.
Still, I manage to use it handheld/ wide open/ 1/200 of a sec.
I have the wide and tele lens also although I have never mounted them.
Actually I believe I have two copies of the tele in my set (bought them all together but only interested in the 100mm 🙂 )

Anyway..... here are a few. First two are tmax400 at 100. Second two are Acros


tmax400@100002 by Adnan, on Flickr

tmax400@100005 by Adnan, on Flickr

Acros
img005 by Adnan, on Flickr

Infiity focus wide open. Atmosheric but not sharp.
img002 by Adnan, on Flickr

 

[astro8]

I'm afraid that clicking that link and looking at the pics posted above just brought on a bad case of Super-GAS.

 

[astro8]

Andy, viewing on my phone here, butI feel I could just step into that third shot of yours!

 

[f16sunshine]

You should find one Greg. You and Cindy would have a blast with this camera.
It's very inspiring to shoot with for some reason.
Mine is from about 1937. It just feels sort of magical 🙂

 

[Nokton48]

You should find one Greg. You and Cindy would have a blast with this camera.
It's very inspiring to shoot with for some reason.
Mine is from about 1937. It just feels sort of magical 🙂

This is great to hear. Those ^^ are great. Can't wait to get mine.

In my case, I have Plaubel film backs that have all these different kinds of film in them. Some sit for a while. Having this new Makina will encourage me to finish the rolls much more quickly. I hardly ever shoot my Makiflexes without a tripod. It will be great (and liberating) to shoot with a handheld rangefinder.

Ready for some magical inspiring steampunk action here. 😀

 

[f16sunshine]

This is great to hear. Those ^^ are great. Can't wait to get mine.

In my case, I have Plaubel film backs that have all these different kinds of film in them. Some sit for a while. Having this new Makina will encourage me to finish the rolls much more quickly. I hardly ever shoot my Makiflexes without a tripod. It will be great (and liberating) to shoot with a handheld rangefinder.

Ready for some magical inspiring steampunk action here. 😀

It would be fun to get a thread populated with actualimages from the old PM's
I hope yours comes in looking grand and ready to go 🙂

Check out this website. It's what sent me down the PM and Konica Pearl Rabbithole about 10 years ago !

 

[Nokton48]

Thanks for the link, Andy! More wonderful Makina photographs. From reading I determined the camera I wanted was the III, so glad I got it.
I am stoked to try mine and hope I can get along with it as well as you guys have. I agree starting a Makina images thread would be fun.
-Dan

It would be fun to get a thread populated with actualimages from the old PM's
I hope yours comes in looking grand and ready to go 🙂

Check out this website. It's what sent me down the PM and Konica Pearl Rabbithole about 10 years ago !

 

[Roger Hicks]

My Plaubel Makina images (I've had several in the past) had a wonderful roundness and three-dimensionality to them but if I over-enlarged them (more than about 3x, call it 16x24 cm or a bit over 5x7 inch) the limitations of the f/2.9 standard lens became all too obvious. The f/4.2 was reputedly a much better lens but I never had one.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Nokton48]

My Plaubel Makina images (I've had several in the past) had a wonderful roundness and three-dimensionality to them but if I over-enlarged them (more than about 3x, call it 16x24 cm or a bit over 5x7 inch) the limitations of the f/2.9 standard lens became all too obvious. The f/4.2 was reputedly a much better lens but I never had one.

Cheers,

R.

Thanks Roger. I will be good with 5x7" silver prints from the F2.9 Anticomar from 6x9cm. Should be gratifying to look at in that size. Actually lt will conserve my stock of frozen Ektalure paper. 🙄

 

[Nokton48]

The Plaubel Makina 35mm Film Back, shown on one of my Makiflexes.
So this will also fit the new Plaubel Makina.

The camera is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow evening 😉

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr


Columbus Camera Group Exterior detail. Plaubel Makiflex test. 150mm F9 Rodenstock Apo-Ronar, 6x9cm Agfa 100 APX developed in straight Microdol-X. Holders need further dusting. Like the curved corners in the Makina magazines. Honeywell Nikor tank does not lead to even film development at the edges of the frame. Not so cool. Frame overlap can be an issue, I allow a little extra space between frames.

 

[sevo]

The Plaubel Makina 35mm Film Back, shown on one of my Makiflexes.

"Made in Switzerland"? Traces of a past corporate import tax evasion by "finishing" components in the high tax destination country, or did they at some time have backs made by other makers than their subsidiary Rada (from Frankfurt, Germany like Plaubel)?

 

[Nokton48]

"Made in Switzerland"? Traces of a past corporate import tax evasion by "finishing" components in the high tax destination country, or did they at some time have backs made by other makers than their subsidiary Rada (from Frankfurt, Germany like Plaubel)?

Sevo,
I seen many other ones without the sticker.
Are the black film backs older or newer?
Wind knob looks more modern than the silver ones.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[sevo]

Sevo,
I seen many other ones without the sticker.
Are the black film backs older or newer?
Wind knob looks more modern than the silver ones.

Early backs were all black, but even when the silver/black variety became standard, they never stopped making all black ones, at least with Rada branding. Rada catalogues, with all black ones depicted, were published at least into the eighties, maybe even later. Later ones generally have stickers with the "modern" Plaubel typeface (AFAIK introduced in 1959) and type number as your black one, and are "Made in Germany" - the leather usually is embossed with the old Plaubel or Rada logo as well.

It is a bit odd to see a clearly Rada type back branded "Made in Switzerland", as Rada positively never had any plant outside Frankfurt, Germany.

Perhaps Plaubel at some time sourced out the magazines and hired some Swiss maker (my guess would be Arca, who were a major OEM for the LF industry, being e.g. the producer behind all earlier Sinars). Maybe as a re-run after they ran out of original Rada ones - Plaubel catered for many governmental clients, the magazines were part of German police mug shot systems that weren't replaced until digital systems took over in the past decade, so they may have been obliged to supply spares for longer than estimated.

 

[Nokton48]

Very concise answer, Thank You. I have always wondered that.

So Arca manufactured the Sinar Norma. As it was made in Switzerland.
I did not realize that. Makes perfect sense.