Paxette focus

S

sr1200

Established
Local time
3:29 PM
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
87
Hello all, I have my father's old Paxette but can't figure out how to get the rangefinder focus to work. I assume it works just like my Leica, so that when I adjust the focus on the lens, I should see two images converge, yes? I only see one image, and nothing changes.

Also, the light meter isn't working, but that's not much of a concern. The focus is, however.

Thoughts? I've already sent it to the gent down in NZ for him to fix the shutter, but he didn't mention the focus issue.

Thanks, Steve
 
sr1200 said:
Hello all, I have my father's old Paxette but can't figure out how to get the rangefinder focus to work. I assume it works just like my Leica, so that when I adjust the focus on the lens, I should see two images converge, yes? I only see one image, and nothing changes.

Also, the light meter isn't working, but that's not much of a concern. The focus is, however.

Thoughts? I've already sent it to the gent down in NZ for him to fix the shutter, but he didn't mention the focus issue.

Thanks, Steve
Click to expand...

As mentioned, there were a lot of Paxettes. Some were not rangefinders, so that's a possibility.

Of those that were rangefinders (typically but not always known as 'Super' Paxettes'), some have removable lenses and some do not.

Presuming yours is a rangefinder model AND that it has a removable lens, you can unscrew the lens and remove it from the camera. Under the lens, you will find a thin piece of metal that gets pushed in under spring pressure as the lens focus is adjusted. This is what moves the rangefinder patch in the viewfinder. By holding the camera up to your eye without the lens on, and pushing the metal pressure plate in and letting it spring back, you should see the rangefinder patch move.

If there is a metal spring-loaded plate but the patch doesn't move, then you have a mechanical issue with the rangefinder.

If there is no metal spring-loaded plate, then you probably do not have a rangefinder camera.

Another possibility if you have a rangefinder AND you have a removable lens model, is that the lens itself is not rangefinder-coupled. Braun made many lenses for the Paxette. Some were removable but were NOT rangefinder-coupled. The coupled lenses all have an -E- on the rim of the lens where you find the focal length, manufacturer, and f-stop information. If there is no -E-, you probably do not have a coupled lens.

There were also Braun Paxettes that used 'Deckel' or 'DKL' mount. Totally different system.

Final thought - the Paxette removable lens rangefinders are 39mm screw mount. Other 39mm lenses may physically screw on, but won't engage the rangefinder correctly or at all. For example, M39 lenses designed for SLR cameras (predated M42), or lenses designed for Leica cameras.

I would recommend you post a couple photos of the camera and the lens, and the back of the lens if it is a removable one. We can probably be of more help then.
 
Fair enough, here's a low res image of it.

Paxette-L.jpg
 
Is the lightmeter you mention the extinction meter on the camera? If it has that then there will be no rangefinder on it and you'll have to just scale focus the camera.
regards,
nathan
 
If it's a IIM the rangefinder is uncoupled. You rangefind with a little wheel on top, rather than by turning the lens.
 
So... after review of the sites, the best I can figure it's a IIM, which *has no rangefinder function* (is that correct?)

Perhaps the "light meter" (I learned a new term... extinction meter) is what I thought was the second window for the rangefinder.

???
 
tunalegs said:
You rangefind with a little wheel on top
Click to expand...

Umm... ok, somewhere you're going to point me to a manual, but you really stumped me with this one. "rangefind with a little wheel on top"

I know the little wheel. I turn it while looking through the (now) viewfinder? Or?
 
sevo said:
Right. If nothing happens, the mirror is stuck or has desilvered.
Click to expand...

So, when I turn the wheel I should see something happen in the viewfinder? But... it's not actively focusing.. I just transfer the number from the wheel to the lens?
 
Read the link, yeah, that's how it's supposed to work. I'll have to try it. (my camera may not be broken at all!)

And on to the extinction meter, I can't see anything through the little hole, any way to fix this? I use Sunny 16 for my Leica and Rollei, I can do so with this too, but it would be nice if it worked.
 
sr1200 said:
Read the link, yeah, that's how it's supposed to work. I'll have to try it. (my camera may not be broken at all!)

And on to the extinction meter, I can't see anything through the little hole, any way to fix this? I use Sunny 16 for my Leica and Rollei, I can do so with this too, but it would be nice if it worked.
Click to expand...

If it has a rangefinder, it won't have the extinction meter since there was only space for one or the other under the top plate.
 
I have one of these that I was given by my next door neighbour a while ago. Mine has a rangefinder which actually works ok but the viewfinder is very small and also very dim. Quite a well made little camera ... the way the lens connects to the rangefinder mechanism is intriguing.
 
I can't say if the camera body is a rangefinder-coupled model or not. But the lens is NOT rangefinder coupled, so that explains that.

http://cameratique.com/SUPER-PAXETT...STAEBLE-KATA-1:2.8-45-LENS-f=45mm-CASED-CLEAN

See the -E- on the lens? If it hasn't got that, it's not a rangefinder-coupled lens. Sorry.

Chances are that the camera body is also not a rangefinder body, assuming that is the lens it came with, so getting a rangefinder-coupled lens won't help you either.

The idea behind rangefinder cameras that were NOT coupled to the lens was that you did your rangefinder focusing to determine the distance to your subject and then manually transferred that number (meters or feet) to the lens. Very slow and cumbersome, so the 'super' cameras which offered coupled rangefinders were much preferred.

Enjoy your camera for what it is - have fun with it! It's not that difficult to do manual distance-based focusing, and if the camera rangefinder doesn't work (presuming it has one), you can always pick up an inexpensive external rangefinder. Slip it in the accessory shoe, find your range, transfer that number to your lens, and you're good to go.
 
Well, the camera has the "little wheel" at the top and kinda functioned to "rangefind" last night when I tried it. (I am being careful not to say "rangefinder").

I suppose that the fact that it has the wheel means that it does NOT have the extinction meter? But it has the little peep hole for the extinction meter... confusing.


bmattock said:
Enjoy your camera for what it is - have fun with it!
Click to expand...

Right, that's my plan. I DID want to find out if it was broken or just didn't have a rangefinding features, but now that I understand that it is basically working, but just not as complex as I'm used to, I'm ok with that.

BTW, thanks everyone for the great help. I'm new to this forum but EVERY TIME I've gotten some very detailed and helpful commentary. Nice!
 
So guys, sorry I missed this answer, but because it has the "little wheel" (rangefinding wheel?) it doesn't have an extinction meter, right? Even though it has the peep hole for the meter?
 
sr1200 said:
So guys, sorry I missed this answer, but because it has the "little wheel" (rangefinding wheel?) it doesn't have an extinction meter, right? Even though it has the peep hole for the meter?
Click to expand...

It can't. The rangefinder takes up the space and uses the window that would be used by the extinction meter, so they can only have one or the other.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom