9x12 plate camera

[spoolman]

I recently purchased a Zeiss-Ikon Maximar 207/7 9x12 plate camera off e-bay.The only accessory it has is the ground glass insert.Does anyone know of a source of other inserts for both roll film holders and/or sheet film/plate holders?.I checked out the latest edition of McKeown's Price list and could'nt find any specific information regarding this camera or it's various inserts.Any help would be greatly appreciated as it is in excellent condition and fully operational.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[Ian Grant]

Hi Doug, unfortunately unlike the later 9x12 holders which have the same dimensions as a 5x4 darkslide so fit an international back, there's no standard for pre War German 9x12's.

There are at least 2 different Zeiss types of holder so you need to be careful when buying them to ensure they fit your camera. Try searching on ebay.de (Germany) the login details are the same as ebay.ca, .com or .co.uk.

There are usually spare plate holders listed you need to use the right German term the cameras are plattenkameras. Rollex 6x9 roll film backs are also quite common, I have two, one may be spare, but won't know until I return to the UK in a couple of weeks.

It's possible that the russian 9x12 plate/film holders fit a Zeiss as they made a copy for quite a number of years.

Ian

 

[spoolman]

Thanks Ian.Any info on this subject is greatly appreciated.
Doug

 

[Luddite Frank]

I have a Zeiss "Donata" 9x12 plate camera (c. 1930), which is a descendent of your Maximar.

I found a RADA (Plaubel) 6x9 roll-film adapter for 120 film on e-bay this fall.
I have shot a couple dozen rolls of 120 with this camera, and love it !

Other makers were Suydam and Rollex, to name two.

Be careful about Rollex: a friend just got a 9x12 Rollex film back that turned out to be for 116 roll-film, long-obsolete here in the US.


The Kodak Recomar 33 is the most common "US" 9x12 (although it was actually made by Nagel Camera Werk, which was purchased by Kodak in the '30s) - Recomar film holders will also fit the Zeiss cameras.

My Donata came with three plate-holders; I need to find either film-septums / sheaths to use sheet film in the plate-holder, or actual sheet-film holders.

Good luck with your Maximar !

Luddite Frank

PS: while these cameras did have a ground-glass focusing-back, it's not a backwards-displacing spring back like a view camera or a press camera, where the film-holder slides-in in front of the ground-glass. The ground-glass back has to popped-off the camera after focusing and replaced by either the film/plate-holder or the roll-film adapter.
(Kind of a bother)

I've been using my 9x12 as a "hand camera", using the fold-out wire-frame finder, which I've stretched rubber-bands across to create frame-lines for the smaller 6x9 format. My camera has a 13,5 cm lens, which is a little bit "telephoto" for 6x9, but I've had good results as far as framing goes. I estimate focus distance and try to stop-down as much as possible, to gain maximum help from depth-of-field.

I use a Gossen Luna-Six meter (CdS), and Fujicolor 160 print film.

I mostly shoot landscapes, railroad scenes with mine.

You may want to seek-out a lens-hood, as these pre-war cameras have uncoated lenses, which can be prone to flare.

 

[Ian Grant]

Be careful about Rollex: a friend just got a 9x12 Rollex film back that turned out to be for 116 roll-film, long-obsolete here in the US.

The Kodak Recomar 33 is the most common "US" 9x12 (although it was actually made by Nagel Camera Werk, which was purchased by Kodak in the '30s) - Recomar film holders will also fit the Zeiss cameras.

My Donata came with three plate-holders; I need to find either film-septums / sheaths to use sheet film in the plate-holder, or actual sheet-film holders.

116 was yet another of Kodak's film formats that never really took off, a bit like 828 (resurrected as 126), 110, the Disc camera etc in more modern times. My guess is 116 Rollex backs are exceedingly rare.

The Recomar's are as far as I know the only US 9x12 cameras, of course other German cameras must have been imported but the Recomars were built just for the US, mainly with US made lenses and are the only 9x12's I've ever seen with a range-finder.

I'm back in the UK next weekend and will measure my 9x12 cameras, film holders and 120 backs, it might be useful if we shared some facts and figures because we may well buy holders etc and find they don't fit our cameras but they might fit other APUG members 9x12's.

Ian

 

[Ole]

There are several different styles of 9x12cm plate holders, and any one camera can only use one style of holders. The most common is called "Universalfalz", and was used on (among others) all Voigtländer plate cameras. I believe these are compatible with the Maximar, but can't promise anything.

Film inserts show up on ebay occasionally, especially on ebay.de (German Ebay). But most of them come complete with plate holders and associated camera, which of course is as good an excuse as any to building up a small collection of old 9x12cm plate cameras.

 

[Ian Grant]

That's why you are going to help us set a little 9x12 sub-Forum

We need to share our problems, film & plate holder sizes etc

Ian

 

[Ole]

That's why you are going to help us set a little 9x12 sub-Forum

No; that's why we have our little "Plate Cameras and Accessories" sub-Forum.

The problems are exactly the same with 6,5x9cm cameras and holders, and the less common 10x15cm, not to mention the rare 4,5x6cm and 13x18cm plate cameras. Yes, there are 4,5x6cm plate cameras (I've got one) and 13x18cm cameras of the classic "folding box" type. All I know about the latter is that the Linhof Medizin came in this size, was a precursor of the Technikas, and that I have a plate holder for one. Since I also have a Linhof adapter for using 13x18cm plate holders in international backs (and another one for 10x15cm plate holders), I'm keeping the holder.