Anybody Here Using the Plaubel Peco Junior?

[Nokton48]

I'm guessing the rodenstock is in the same ballpark at the G-Claron? A process lens used as a taking lens? (why are all process lenses f9?)

Apo Ronars (and G Clarons) are dialyte type 45 degree coverage process lenses. F9 due to the optical design.

 

[el_37]

Very cool stuff. I have always wanted a Peco Jr. ever since I found out Elliot Erwitt used one in the 1960's and 70's. Bought one around 12 years ago- of course I have never used it........

Actually found a NOS bag bellows at the old Lens and Repro about 20 years ago. Bought it since I knew how hard it would be to ever find another one. Do you have the 35mm back? My setup came with one and also a homebrewed Polaroid back.

I love all the old 1950's and 1960's Plaubel stuff- you really have some collection. I also have a pile of Peco Universal III stuff. I can't bear to part with it- but the last time I used it was 20 years ago.....

 

[Nokton48]

How I modded my Galvin Back to fit the Peco Junior:

I cut a piece of Alder wood to size in my workshop, took a while to get it all just right. Painted it black, then used brass wood screws to attach it to one of my Makiflex Rear Plates. It allows horizontal and vertical attachment. This does increase the overall extension a bit, so it won't work with widest lenses. Works great with Normal and Tele lenses.

Here are the pieces I put together:

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[OrientPoint]

This is very helpful, thank you! Now I need to find a Makiflex rear plate...

 

[Nokton48]

" Do you have the 35mm back? My setup came with one and also a homebrewed Polaroid back."

Yes I have a 35mm Makina Back, I've never played with it (yet). The NexC3 Digital Back is about the same size as the 35mm back, and I use that in leiu of expensive Fujiroid Instant testing. Quite liberating actually

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

On the left back, a Plaubel Makina 35mm Roll Film Back (miniature size) on a Makiflex MX/525 Adapter Back. So 35mm film on the Peco Junior or my Makiflexes. On the right back, Sony 16mp Nex3 E camera body attached to another PJ 120x120mm lens board. As you can see the E chip is about 35mm size or so. The advantage of this new digital back is that is weighs practically nothing, and is about the size of my Makina Film Backs, with a lot less weight. Finally in the front left is a Canon Digital rear lens mount, ready to be bolted to another Plaubel 120x120 lens board. With a very short extension tube, the Canon 50D digital camera will clear the back, due to the bulging grip on the front of the camera. All this is quite usuable for photography especially digital testing of lenses and such. And of course the idea can be upscaled with an old Hasselblad or Phase 1 etc for medium format digital photography on the cheap. With the Makiflexes, I have to open the focal plane shutter at the "B" setting, then compose and shoot with the digital backs. Useful for testing and reads out correct exposures in the digital camera. So a quick and easy switch to 35mm or medium format/sheet film and digital back and forth easily.

Same digital back also fits my Makiflexes.

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Digital Test photo from above Automatic Makiflex Body as seen above. Shot with 150mm Makiflex Auto iris Symmar

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Jim Galvin 2x3 Back bought from Glenn Evans, who bought up his entire inventory of these. Great with Graflex Wind Knobs (early) and Lever Wind (later) ones too. Even 220 I have around. In the lower left is a Profia hammered grey finish board for the back of the rear standard, fits the Junior. On the right lower is an earlier vintage Rear Board, so I can make two backs out of these if I decide to. Shown with inserted Graflex Wind Knob 6x6cm back inserted, what is really great is how greatly you can pull the wire bail back, just about anything Graflok 2x3 will fit. Attaching an older digital back on one of these is another possibility I am thinking about.

 

[abruzzi]

Apo Ronars (and G Clarons) are dialyte type 45 degree coverage process lenses. F9 due to the optical design.

I don't believe G-Clarons are dialyte. from what I've read early ones are a Dagor type formula, and the later ones are Plasmats of some kind.

I know the F9 is due to the design, I just wonder why they're all designed to f9? I have plasmat process lenses, tessar process lenses, dialyte process lenses, all with f9 as the max aperture. (actually, I don't know if an "apo-tessar" is really a tessar, or is just using the name.

 

[Nokton48]

Peco Jr 135 f3.8 Xenar Delta 100 D23 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Windowlight test of Plaubel Peco Junior with 135mm F3.8 chrome Schneider Xenar in Compur Shutter. Delta 100 in 6x9 Plaubel Makina Roll Film Back F11 aperture. Camera movements utilized, strong back tilt, which I could easily see on the magnified screen. The camera is fun to use. I like the out of focus rendering with the Xenar lens. 5x7 RC Arista #2 Dektol Omega Dii 180 black Rodagon. F3.8 is a joy to look through

 

[rknewcomb]

How do you like the 3D printed Peco Junior boards and what do you think of them?
Robert

 

[Nokton48]

Peco Jr 135 f3.8 Xenar Pan F + D23 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Peco Jr 135 f3.8 Xenar Pan F + D23 Focus Test by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I am testing focus accuracy, using the Peco Jr Magnifier with Hood to focus/compose wide open. Then switching out to a 6x9cm Plaubel Makina Roll Holder loaded with PanF+. D23 1:1 5x7 #2 Arista Dektol dev Omega DII laser aligned 180 black Rodagon. The lens/back/camera passes, everything matched in perfect sharp focus. I had hoped this was still keyed to Makina Backs. I have them in 6x6 and 6x9cm

 

[rknewcomb]

How do you like the 3D printed Peco Junior boards and what do you think of them?
Robert

 

[Nokton48]

Well I do like them and they are easily worth $10 a piece. Honestly I have not film tested any of them yet, but I have installed light traps on the back of each one, so they are ready to go. Seem to fit the cameras ok

Considering going prices for Peco Jr boards can go for $50 and up, these are worth having around IMO. In fact I may need to buy more

 

[Nokton48]

Peco Jr 150 F9 Apo Ronar FP4 Kelly LIghting D23 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Kelly Portrait Lighting Test Peco Jr 150mm F9 Rodenstock Apo-Ronar in compur shutter. Another of the original lenses in the catalog for this camera. Ilford 120 FP4+ in Plaubel Makina 6x9cm Film Back, D23 1:1 5x7 #2 Arista RC Dektol dev Omega Dii 180mm Rodagon laser focused. DOF is kinda thin on this one but I like it. Camera is fun to use

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

I took my second Peco Junior Rail (It has three attachment points) and precisely cut into two shorter rails, using my Lil' Machine Shop Band Saw. Finished with hand file and two new perfect, Small, and Medium length rails. Very very useful to me. See how teeny tiny the camera is now, with the shorty Sawed-Off Rail. Perfect for use with my 65mm F8 Super Angulon in Compur Shutter, and with Schneider Center Filter For 65mm F8. So Schneider-matched parts. This digiphoto was shot with my other Peco Junior, with a black Schneider Componon 100mm F5.6 Mint condition great standard focal length. Captured onto Sony Nec C3 JB Welded to a Plaubel 120x120mm lens board. Nice lens for this type of use, like the 1970's rendition no multicoating. This digital back for the Peco Junior is going to get a lot of use!

These same rails also interchange with my Plaubel Pecoflex Adapter.

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Peco Junior with sawed-Off Medium Sized Rail, 240 chrome barrel Schneider Tele-Arton, Sony NexC3 Digital Back. Lens Board is the 3D printed one from Italy; quality pretty good for the low price, well worth having. Camera focused at about forty feet with this lens; the sawed-off medium Rail is good with the 240mm tele focal length

 

[Nokton48]

Here's a Guy in Germany that makes bag bellows for Peco Juniors:

Plaubel Wide Angle Beam for Junior 9 x 12 Replacement Part Beam Only | eBay

Ersatz - Weitwinkelbalgen für Plaubel Junior. Der Balgen ist kürzlich angefertigt und besteht aus sehr stabilem Spezial-Gummituch.

www.ebay.com

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Baggie Bellows for Plaubel Peco Junior. I added the light trapping, I have a lot of trapping material of all types. Brass Hobby Modeling Screws hold it all together. The front is 95x95mm, and the back is 120x120. Same as their lensboards

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here's one more. The interior of the Rear Baggie Bellows Board. Washers are screwed on in the four corners, glued on as well.

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is rainy foggy day handheld digital view camera photography. Plaubel Peco Junior with 240mm Schneider black barrel Tele-Arton wide open. Handheld exposure NexC3 Digital Back. I like the bokeh and lower contrast rendering, thanks to the olde Tele-Arton formula. Making up this digital unit enables me to use this lens for the first time Lens mounted on 3D printed board from Italy, I added light foam trapping and it works OK

See the camera setup in #65 above ^^^ That's what produced this digiphoto

 

[lobitar]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is rainy foggy day handheld digital view camera photography. Plaubel Peco Junior with 240mm Schneider black barrel Tele-Arton wide open. Handheld exposure NexC3 Digital Back. I like the bokeh and lower contrast rendering, thanks to the olde Tele-Arton formula. Making up this digital unit enables me to use this lens for the first time Lens mounted on 3D printed board from Italy, I added light foam trapping and it works OK

Very nice and inspiring photo - thank you.

 

[Nokton48]

BTW the Plaubel Peco Jr 3D printed lensboards are -here-.

Lens Board for Plaubel Junior 6x9 all Sizes Copal Compur Ilex 3 3/4x3 3/4in | eBay

Lens board for Plaubel Junior 6x9 All Sizes Copal Compur Ilex 95x95 mm size This is a High quality 3D Printed Lens Board available in all sizes. The lens board is light-tight and has bees tested on a camera. The material used is PETG, one of the strongest 3D printing material with high...

www.ebay.com

I want some more with #00 and #0 holes.

Next I will put my 100mm F2.9 Plaubel Makina lens on the digital Peco Junior.

Digital Plaubel Makina photos!

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Onward with the Plaubel Peco Juniors. Center front, the 3D printed boards from Italy, flocked with strips of adhesive foam shown front right. Many lenses to try out with this. New sub-project: I have nearly all the Fuji GX680 lenses, I adapted them to Plaubel Makiflex, to use with focal plane shutters. Now I am adapting them again, mounting them Seiko Shutters from the WS Fuji view lenses. I buy shutters with bad glass, for the shutters, you see. And onto the Peco Juniors they will go.... Gx680 are modern, very hot glass, a good match to Peco Junior actually. Big image circles and nice to look through. This will be an ongoing project as I find what I need over time. Five more lenses will complete my Peco Jr GX680 set. Useful for film or digital

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Yesterday I put these four lenses together, had been using them on Plaubel Makiflexes. Have four shutters from Fuji WS 210 and WS 270 lenses; these perfectly fit the GX680 front and rear cells.
Shown from left front: the 65mm F5.6 GX680, front right 100mm G5.6 GX680. Back left the 125mm F3.2 (hot glass!) and back right, the 125mm F5.6. These lenses are heavy, metal Peco Jr boards are solid and they balance well on my two Peco Junior cameras. These lenses are 90's modern uber sharp, and have big image circles, a perfect choice to go on these 6x9cm view cameras. I still have five more GX680 lenses to convert to Peco Junior, I need some more metal PJ lens boards, and some more Seiko shutters. I do like the olde glass from the 60's, but it is great to have modern glass as a choice. This project will continue as I find what I need to finish it.

Fujinon GX lenses on digital medium format

Short version: Fujinon GX lenses for the Fuji GX680 system are an option if you need a large image circle on a camera that provides a focusing rail. Image quality is very good, and they’re inexpensive. However, to use these lenses on a digital camera you really need to disassemble and remount...

www.getdpi.com

Here is a writeup on hacking the Fuji GX680 lenses to fit digital cameras. Also applies to the Plaubel Peco Junior

 

[Nokton48]

58 Grandagon Graflex XL Peco Jr Short Rail by Nokton48, on Flickr

I found my 58mm f5.6 Rodenstock Grandagon, which I removed with some surgery, attached it for decades to a Custom hand welded Norma deeply recessed board. I used this lens (sometimes) for landscape and Architectural Interiors. It was just a teeny wider than the 65mm lenses of the day. Loved it and has sentimental value to me. Now it's on a flat Peco Jr Board, all tuned up and ready to shoot. This lens covers 9x12cm but is really sweet on Peco Junior 6x9cm, which allows maximum camera movements without running out of image circle. This is a good setup for the Atomic Age LOL

 

[Nokton48]

Done Five Fuji GX680 lenses converted to PLaubel Peco Jr by Nokton48, on Flickr

Been working on these five Fuji Gx680 (first I converted them to Plaubel Makiflex Barrel Mount Lenses). When my two Plaubel Peco Junior cameras came in, I decided to convert these lenses, adding modern Seiko Shutters from the Fuji 210mm and 250mm WS series of lenses. All good even the f/stop scales will work good without modifications. These are 90's era cutting edge glass for the Fuji GX680, used for studio and professional use. From left to right, Peco Junior focused at infinity, with 65mm F5.6 GX680. Amazing to look through! Next the 80mm F5.6 GX680, then the 100mm F5.6 GX680, then the 125mm F3.2 Uber Glass. Best of the Best, they also make a F5.6 model. Finally the other Peco Jr, focused at infinity with the 180mm F3.2 GX680. Some portrait photographers say this lens is TOO sharp for portraiture, subjects complain. LOL All these lenses have Beeg image circles, allowing for full use of the Peco Junior's front and back movements. So the best lenses from that era, combined with the tiniest most precise view camera ever made. What a match-up! Can't wait to take out a small bag, small tripod, and try out all this new stuff. In the foreground is the new shorty sawed-off focusing rail, great with the really wide older lenses.