Plaubel Makiflex Standard.

[gorbas]

Thank you very much Nokton48 for this interesting thread and all your effort of uncovering mysteries of this great camera! How do you know about Makiflex? Well, I saw it for the first time in 1980 in the book Fotografija from Yugoslavia by Milan Fizi. He was well known photographer and educator from Zagreb, Croatia, also home of Fotokemika, then our only Photo sensitive material factory

 

[Nokton48]

Hi Goran!

Thanks for your contribution to "the Makiflex archive".

-Dan

 

[ppp147]

Hi all,

thanks to Nokton48 and this thread for all the valuable information about Makiflex !
After a long search i finally got myself one. Now i want to open it for some CLA, but am stuck - can't remove the big speed dial and the focusing knob (see pictures). Any help with that is much appreciated.


br,
rado

 

[Nokton48]

Welcome ppp147! Thanks for your response. It is cool that you finally found what you have wanted. You will enjoy using this camera.

Regarding repairs, I myself will tackle some projects, but I draw the line at lens helicals, and camera shutters. Better to leave that to the more experienced. I am brave but not that brave.

Actually that brings up a very good point. Along with how to properly open this camera up (if you have experience please speak up here!) Who is experienced at CLAing these cameras?

Ken Ruth is a bit of a legend, and several years ago he CLAed my Makiflex Auto #2, which was rather sticky inside. The restoration took over a year, but was and is now like a new camera. Ken was a bit of a trip on the phone, he relayed to me that this was third Makiflex he had worked on. Based on those very pleasant conversations, I was confident to send him one of my prized cameras. I was not disappointed, it is now like new. But who else can do this work? Who has Makiflex repair experience? Anybody?????? Unfortunately Ken has retired............... Ken had somebody send him a Makiflex all the way from Italy.

Here is some original Makiflex literature I uncovered while looking through my files today. No dates on the literature but it has to be from the early '60s.

Makiflex Brochure by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

This is an example of the type of 120x120cm recessed lens board I am looking for. It was designed by Plaubel for the Peco JR View camera, but it also fits the Makiflex Standard and Pecoflex, but not the Automatic Makiflex types of cameras (due to smaller throat and cables inside the body), but is quite useful for mounting shorter than 150mm lenses. I JUST bought this one for 79 GBP from a dealer in the UK. Looks to be in beautiful shape, even has the original foam I think. Recovering the board with new strips of adhesive foam can be a real test of patience.......

Plaubel Recessed Board by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Recessed Board 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Still waiting for my new Automatic iris Plaubel Makiflex 150mm Symmar lens, and long tubus. It's been six weeks so far, coming from Poland. Probably sitting in customs right now.

 

[Nokton48]

Hi all,
thanks to Nokton48 and this thread for all the valuable information about Makiflex !
After a long search i finally got myself one. Now i want to open it for some CLA, but am stuck - can't remove the big speed dial and the focusing knob (see pictures). Any help with that is much appreciated. View attachment 189223 View attachment 189224 View attachment 189225 View attachment 189226
br,
rado

How many actuations are on your camera? How many times has the shutter been fired?

I have one more thought. Try firing your shutter fifty to one hundred times. Perhaps the performance will improve and the inner mechanisms will "free up". You will not hurt the Makiflex by doing this.

 

[Nokton48]

OK your camera has had 48,000+ actuations during it's lifetime. So it has had a nice workout and that is good for it! Makiflexes are very tough cameras.

Plaubel is still in business, although they no longer doing repairs. But they may know of a local repairman for you!
I am told they are very friendly folks!
http://www.plaubel.com/

 

[Nokton48]

I've picked up a Fuji GX680 65mm lens cheaply from KEH. So my next project will be hacking that to the Makiflex. It will be interesting to see if it will work; The 80mm F5.6 ended up being usuable only in extreme close ups. The rear cell struck the mirror. So the lens is on it's way to me. The 65mm does not have a big rear cell. But it is big up front!

 

[EdSawyer]

might be more usable than the 80. Has to have at least the same F-F distance...

 

[Nokton48]

might be more usable than the 80. Has to have at least the same F-F distance...

That is exactly what I was thinking, too. I should have the lens in my hands in a couple of hours.

 

[Nokton48]

This arrived today in a package from Krakow, Poland. Delivery took about nine weeks, I was getting apprehensive! But now it is here and it looks absolutely brand new and probably never used. And the mechanisms are snappy and operating perfectly. Like it has been in a time capsule Even has a mint original lens cap. As previously stated, this lens for some reason was never imported into the U.S. but it's in the European Plaubel catalogs. Same thing with the Voigtlander Makiflex Automatic Heliars.

Symmar 150mm f5.6 Automatic Makiflex Lens by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

And here is the 65mm F5.6 Fuji GX680 lens hacked to the Makiflex. Amazingly it focuses easily to infinity, even well beyond infinity. But the rear cell is striking the mirror at longer distances. But as I focus forward, and get to about eight feet or so, I can fire the mirror. I can tell by viewing through this lens that it is a great one. I am so happy I have it in my collection!

65mm F5.6 Fuji GX680 lens on Makiflex Standard by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Here again is Sneebot (Matt)'s Pecoflex. Looks like it has a small barrel lens on it. The advantage of the Pecoflex, is that you can use wider lenses and infinity focus. With the Makiflex and Auxiliary Bellows, you can use longer lenses and more bellows extension. In the end it is probably good to have both of them. I would love to have a Pecoflex, it is much rarer than the Makiflex by far.

Sneebot Pecoflex by Nokton48, on Flickr

See how close you can get the front standard to the camera body? That is the principal advantage of the Pecoflex.

 

[Nokton48]

From the internet.......

178mm F2.5 Aero Ektar on custom made lensboard for Makiflex Standard. Beautiful metal working!

Makiflex Standard with 178mm Aero Ektar 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex Standard with 178mm Aero Ektar by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex Standard looks like new! Mine is battered and well used.

 

[EdSawyer]

that is nicely made, no doubt. do you know who made it?

 

[Nokton48]

A dealer on German Ebay is selling the lens. (Not the Makiflex Standard).

NOT affiliated with the sale in at way; I just admire his handiwork!

 

[EdSawyer]

it is well done, no doubt.

 

[Nokton48]

If you want a recessed board and you have the Makiflex with the auto iris mechanism, I suggest you find a Durst IXOTUB enlarging recessed lens board, and then attach it to a flat Plaubel 120x120mm lens board. This combo will fit onto the front of a Makiflex with auto iris mechanism. Of course you have to cut a large hole in the flat board to fit the IXOTUB. I used very tiny model making brass screws and nuts to hold the whole thing together. Alternatively you can flip it around, and make yourself an extension lens board.

These IXOTUBs are very good thing to acquire for this purpose. Prices are all over the place for these.

Durst IXOTUB by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here is a barrel mount 135mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar, mounted into a Durst IXOTUB, on an automatic Makiflex body.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

I have met on the internet a Guy who lives in New York City, and he has SIX Makiflexes!


Here are brief instructions on how to lube a Makiflex:

It's not hard to remove the back to access the rollers and the gears to the shutter can be seen a bit as well. There are six screws holding the back on. You'll need to rotate the back as you go to access all the screws. With the back off, squirt a mixture of naptha a few drops of watch oil mixed in, into the rollers where they meet the body of the camera. There are I think four rollers. If you don't see access to all of them because the shutter ribbon is covering them, cock the shutter to reveal them. Be careful not to get the solution onto the shutter curtains, though if a little gets on, no biggie. Squirt a bit of the solution into the gears that can be seen on the side through the slit on the side.

This is GREAT relevant info so I am sharing it here.

 

[Nokton48]

An original Makiflex brochure and price list, all in German. Unfortunately I was outbid on this one. Did anyone reading this win this? I would definitely like a copy

Makiflex Brochure Price List Germany by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Dan Fromm]

I don't think Dan has started a Pecoflex thread. IF so, or not, here's something entirely(?) different: https://web.archive.org/web/20180126215315/https://www.leboncoin.fr/image_son/1370838376.htm?ca=12_s

 

[EdSawyer]

Back around post #245 in this thread I posted pics of my 4x5 Arca Reflex, the 6x9 one you posted Dan is the baby version of that (with the addition of the monorail). cool stuff. I wish there was more of it around, it's hard to find spare bits for the Arca Reflex gear. Fortunately lensboards and such are not hard to fab up from scratch, I made at least 3 so far including a recessed one.

 

[Nokton48]

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for contacting me. I have been collecting cameras and lenses for many years. I am the executive director of the Penumbra Foundation, a non profit photographic arts and education organization in NYC. We teach historic and alternative photographic processes, support artists, do outreach, research, etc. Please visit our website, Dead Link Removed

I have five or six Makiflexes. Two of them are Makis with the Pecoflex adapter components but these are not true Pecos. I have some of the original lenses that came with the cameras, mostly 180s and 210s. I have a nice Trioplan 210/3.5. Some of my cameras have the auto-diaphragming feature. I have two that have the slow speeds. Several need to have the shutter repaired or, at least, lubed. Can you recommend someone you trust to do this?

I have many accessories including the 4x5 spring back and the back that holds Polaroid and Grafmatic backs. I have a right angle viewer but I am looking for a Chimney viewer. Do you have one for sale. I don't have the original Xenotar 150 / 2.8 but I have that lens? I do need lens boards. Do you have any available for sale, especially a recessed lens board. I'm working on fashioning my own but the recessed one will be difficult. I've mounted an adjustable iris onto a board so I can swap out lenses. I have a very large lens collection, perhaps 1500 to 2000 so quite a few that can be used on the Maki. I've also mounted a Fuji GX680 mirror finder which allows me to see the image on the ground glass with correct orientation, though I think I'd prefer a standard chimney finder. The right angle Plaubel Maki finder flips the image upside down. I'm assuming there was never a Plaubel prism finder made for this camera.

I'll take a look at the blogs you've sent. I've actually already have seen these. Are you Nokton48?

All best, Geoff


Geoff & I are quickly becoming good friends. -Dan

 

[Nokton48]

Here is one of Geoff's Makiflexes with 180mm F2.8 Xenotar. Note the adjustable mounting ring. I probably sold ten or so of those when I was in college.

He says this focuses to infinity with this configuration. And it doesn't hit the mirror at infinity. I told him he is a lucky man as I went through major fits to get mine the way I wanted it to be.

One of Geoff's Makiflexes with 180mm Xenotar by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Penumbra Foundation NYC

Penumbra Foundation by Nokton48, on Flickr
Penumbra_Foundation 2_161 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Penumbra_Foundation 3_016 by Nokton48, on Flickr


Penumbra_Foundation 4_212 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I know Milos. He's a nice guy. We correspond on Facebook. We've shared information about Makiflexes.

Even though NYC is a big city there are many camera repairman here. In my building we have Frank Rubio, the camera doctor. I asked him if he could repair the Makis. He said he would need to study up on them. He hasn't had one in his hand. I'd be willing to let him work on one of mine but he is pretty backed up. He doesn't charge me so he takes a long time. You could send him yours. Since you'd be paying, he'd do it quicker. I'm sure he could lube it of that's all it needs but if the shutters need to be replaced, I don't think he could do this, though we do have some shutter material. I can't think of anyone else who could do it.

I do have a 150 Apo LAnthar but it's in shutter. I'd like to make it work but the shutter will get it in the way to get into a recessed lens board. C'est la vie!

Thanks for you help.

All best, Geoff