Plaubel Makiflex Standard.

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've been working on shooting 70mm film again. Have decided best possible for now is the Graflex RH-50 70mm Film Back, I have two in house. One is now loaded with Kodak 2485 Recording Film (Uber high-speed low light emulsion) Type II perfed. Other RH-50 is loaded with fresh (bought frozen from B&H close-out) Kodak Tri-X Professional 70mm Unperfed. The RH-50 dosent care if it's perfed or unperfed (YAY) and takes standard Kodak 70mm film cartridges, so it's daylight reloadable (YAY). On my hack modded Paterson 70mm film reel I can load eighteen exposures, format is roughly 6x7cm so pretty nice to shoot. It was fun to work all this out. I prefer the Graflex 70mm back over the Beatty Coleman Transet 70mm back, at least for now. I also have a couple of tan Linhof Technika 70mm backs which I will investigate agian soon. The initial loaded test roll of eighteen exposure 2485 Recording Film will be tested at nominal EI 1600 (a total guess) and bracketed in full stops each way. I will process in straight Acufine 800ml in Paterson System 4 single reel tank. Acufine recommended by Bill Pierce decades ago for maximum highlight nuance and detail. This film can be rated up to EI 8000 we will see if developed in Kodak 857 Special Developer. Another plus is that the 70mm RH-50 is listed in the original Makiflex catalog, so somebody was using it

Shown is Auto Iris Plaubel Makiflex #2 body with Mamiya RB Stovepipe Hacked Viewfinder, and Auto Iris Schneider 150mm F2.8 Xenotar. Seems like a good lens for low light shooting with high speed film.

Special Thanks to Goran Basaric for talking me into buying a second RH-50 from him for a very reasonable price.

Pierce Article 2485 pg 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Foxglove on Rainy Back Deck by Nokton48, on Flickr

Daisies in the Rain Front Yard by Nokton48, on Flickr

First test roll of hand spooled 1992 vintage 70mm Kodak 400 Tri-X Professional Unperfed film. Rated at EI 400, extremely dark stormy rainy day on my back deck. Camera was Plaubel Makiflex Standard, lens is Bausch and Lomb Super Cinephor 159.1mm F2.0. A movie theatre projection lens intended for projecting 35mm and 70mm movie film in cinema houses. Film back is Graflex RH-50 18 shots bulk loaded. Film processed in D23 1:1 12 minutes at 74F in single reel Paterson dev tank. RC 8x10 print Arista #2 Matte developed in Multigrade. Omega DII laser aligned 180mm black Rodagon lens. Camera was handheld at the Makiflex Standard's top speed of 1/125. I really like the "look" I am getting with this extremely unusual lens. It's quite a heavy rig so I get a gym workout to boot. I am really diggin' all this 70mm stuff at this point. 18 6x7 exposures fits into two Vue-All 70mm pages when cut into threes.

 

[Nokton48]

B&L 159.1mm F2 Super Cinephor 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

4 inch wide strip fits tightly in holders by Nokton48, on Flickr

This cuts down nicely (I just test cut some in the dark) into 4 inch wide sheets, going directly and perfectly into my 4x5 film holders, of which I have quite a few kinds. For shooting 9x9cm full frame images with my Plaubel Makifexes, this couldn't be better. This roll will produce 1,050 sheets of 4x5, at a total net cost of 28 cents each. Pretty darn good !

Fits tightly in the film holder too.

 

[Nokton48]

More Makiflex literature from Germany


Plaubel Makiflex Studio Stativ by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Head by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makiflex Brochure by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

5 Inch 2402 Aero PX ADOX Borax 240 Tele Xenar by Nokton48, on Flickr

5 inch Kodak Aero 2402 Plus-X cut down to 4x5. Plaubel Makiflex, Linhof Glass Plate Holder, ADOX Borax MQ developer just mixed up, 8x10 Arista #2 RC print. Omega DII laser aligned with 180mm black Rodagon, Multigrade developer. This 2x3 240mm Tele-Xenar I have not used much at all. F5.6 or F8 so not much DOF in this closeup. For a couple of years now I have been playing with the idea of selective focus with LF lenses, frequently hand holding the camera but not always. Next I will try D23 1:1 as I know that works well with 2402

 

[Nokton48]

6x9 Plaubel Makiflex Ilford PanF Plus D23 1 to 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I have a lot of PanF 120 (not +). Plaubel Makiflex, Plaubel Makina 6x9cm/120 back, D23 1:1, Classic Kelly lighting, Arista 8x10 #2 RC Multigrade dev Omega DII Omegalite head 180mm Rodagon laser aligned.

 

[Nokton48]

Makiflex 150 F2.8 Auto Xenotar MINR Mammo by Nokton48, on Flickr

Foxglove on the back deck. Plaubel Makiflex with 150mm F2.8 Schneider Auto iris Xenotar lens wide open. 4X Neutral density filter added. Kodak MINR Mammography Film 18x24cm, cut down into four 9x12cm's. Microdol-X Legacy Developer 12 minutes at 74F. Aristo #2 RC 8x10 print, Omega DII laser aligned 180mm black Rodagon, Dektol dev 1:2. Handheld which I have been doing with Makiflexes a bit.

 

[Nokton48]

Makiflex Auto 270 Tele Arton Mammo 9x12cm MicX by Nokton48, on Flickr

18x24 Kodak Mammography MINR film cut down to four 9x12cm's. Sinar Norma film holders, Plaubel Makiflex with 4x5 Adapter Back. 270 Auto Tele-Arton Yellow filter. Broncolor Portrait lighting. Microdol-X Legacy developer 12 mins 73F. 8x10 RC #2 Arista Dektol 1:2 dev. Handheld camera

 

[Nokton48]

Plaubel Junior 6.5x9 Monorail Makina Backs by Nokton48, on Flickr

Have 50+ Makina 6.5x9 planfilm holders, and about as many RADA glass and film holders. Also have a good supply of 6.5x9 Makina backs in 6x6cm and 6.5x9cm. Many lensboards here Peco Jr which were my mistake, this stuff looks kinda identical some times. I do have a Pecoflex Adapter for my Makiflex Autos, it's identical to the front end of the Peco Jr so I already like the handling. I have most of the original lenses in the catalog, just need more Peco Jr 95x95mm boards to move them around to. Starting with the 47mm chrome Super Angulon, up to the 180mm chrome Symmar. Should be another interesting system which fits in with my other stuff. And I am contemplating a medium format digital back in the far future and this could very well be the ideal platform for it!

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

All of my soon to be new to me Peco Jr shuttered lenses and Boards will fit on my Plaubel Makiflex Automatic with PJ Adapter. I refoamed the light traps on the Adapter and it's good for another fifty years. Actually this camera becomes a Pecoflex with the Adapter, exactly the same front as the Peco Junior. So I already know I will love my new Peco Junior. It will prolly need some work but that is prolly OK with me. Certainly a new light trap in the back at least. Here the camera is shown with my 180mm f5.6 Symmar in Compur, on a slightly forward mounted board. Today the 150mm Apo Ronar in #00 Compur will appear, along with an original PJ board with #0 hole. My 135mm f5.6 Symmar will go on that one. The Magnifying Hood is Mamiya RB67 Meter model attached to stripped down Makiflex Hood Frame. My fave finder for Makis

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

I had an excess pile of Imagon parts not matching. I cobbled this together with JBWeld. Could be a 200mm cell group not really sure. But it is sure sweet on the Makiflexes. Extension tubes China Ebay, a good well made extendable system. This is perfect to use on the Makis. Basically making something useful out of scraps

 

[lobitar]

Nice outfit! The Imagon is nice also due to its low wight. By the way the rings look a lot like Mamiya Press extension rings, that I once used for a similar purpose.

 

[Nokton48]

My new Avatar. Notice how the camera is hand holdable. Bulky but not heavy

 

[Nokton48]

Makiflex with PJ1325 Universal Normal Double Groove Back and Double Groove Holders by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here's Makiflex Auto #1 with PJ1/325 Adapter with spring-loaded ground-glass screen, 6.5x9cm, for universal darkslide 6.5x9cm with Normal Double Groove Has four heavy clamps that keep the film holders tight in the back. As you can see the Back came with Single Shot and Double Shot 6.5x9cm Double Rail Holders. In a bundle I am hoping it works together since it came to me as a bundle. And also you can see I have a lot of 6.5x9cm sheet film in many flavours ready to load into these holders.

 

[Nokton48]

Scan-150209-0001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makiflex Automatic, 180mm Schneider Xenar Plaubel Automatic lens, 1/60 at F9.5, EFKE PL100 9x12cm sheet film. Developed in ADOX Borax MQ developer. Scanned on Epson 4490 Scanner. Handheld

Columbus Camera Group "The White Church" Columbus Ohio. I worked there for a time while in college, selling Large Format and the Leicas

 

[Nokton48]

D300_06872Rot_1280Px by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

002 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makiflex camera, 180mm Schneider Symmar Lens, Fuji FA-145 Instant Film Back. Fuji 3000 B&W Instant Film. Exposure 1/125 @ F13.5. My first test of new Makiflex Standard

 

[Nokton48]

70mm PL100 MicX Makiflex 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Testing 70mm Beatty Coleman Transet Back on Plaubel Makiflex. Auto Iris 210mm Makiflex Xenar Unperforated 70mm Efke PL100 Legacy Mic-X Arista 8x10 RC #2 Multigrade dev

 

[Nokton48]

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.

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Initial test of Makiflex Digital Back! Auto Makiflex #1 150mm f5.6 chrome Schneider Symmar Auto Iris Plaubel Makiflex lens mount. Key Day F11 Easily hand holdable, great way to test all my lenses. Much fun ahead. If I want I can switch to film in 30 seconds, although the camera needs totally reset in that case. But so versatile.

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is the handheld camera I used to photograph the digital tree photo just posted here. Great for testing and checking lenses, Makiflex Automatic #1 has the Makiflex Auto Iris 150mm Schneider Symmar. I have only seen this lens offered in Europe after decades of looking around. Anyways cock the aperture and it stops down just before the focal plane shutter goes off. Hence "Automatic". Loving the digital back, cost no money and works a treat. Fits interchangeably with my mini-me Peco Junior view cameras. "Poor Man's Medium Format Digital with Moves".

 

[Nokton48]

Makiflex Std 250 Imagon Foma 200 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex Std, 250mm Rodenstock Imagon, H5.8 Imagon Disk with Imagon ND Filter, Foma 200 roll film, Legacy Pro Mic-X, Replenished.

 

[Nokton48]

250 Imagon Makiflex Foma by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex Std, 250mm Rodenstock Imagon, H5.8 Imagon Disk with Imagon ND Filter, Foma 200 roll film, Legacy Pro Mic-X, Replenished.

 

[Nokton48]

Interesting Light Makiflex Auto 180 F3.2 GX680 HP5 Acufine by Nokton48, on Flickr

"Interesting Light"
Makiflex Auto Fuji GX680 F3.2 HP5 Acufine Promaster VC RC split print Multigrade dev