Plaubel Makiflex Standard.

[E. von Hoegh]

I understand why the back of the Makiflex body has to be 9x9, whatever 9 means, also why back of the Mamiya RB/RZ also has to be 9x9 or so, whatever 9 means.

What I don't understand is why lenses made for the Makiflex or RB/RZ have to cover 9x9, whatever 9 means. This because the Makiflex gate is 6x9, whatever 6x9 means, and the RB/RZ gate is 56 x 68.4 mm. Surely lenses for these cameras can be counted on to cover the camera's (or is it roll holders'?) gates, but I don't see why one can count on greater coverage. The claim that RB/RZ lenses in fact cover 9x9, whatever 9 means, was recently made in a for sale listing on this site (or was it on the LF forum?).

Will wiser more experienced folks please clear this up for me?

Nevermind, thought I had an answer...

 

[Nokton48]

250mm Rodenstock Imagon on Plaubel Makiflex Automatic.

Rodenstock 250mm H5.8 Imagon on Plaubel Makiflex Automatic.

I bought this unusual Plaubel Peco Profia Extension Lensboard (Tubus) from Ebay Germany. I have never seen one before; It was made specifically for the the 250mm Rodenstock Imagon on the Plaubel Peco Jr. View Camera.

Yesterday I removed my 250mm Imagon in compound shutter from it's Sinar Norma lensboard, found an extra mounting flange the correct size in my studio, fired up my miniature drill press, and put this together.

Here it is focused at infinity. Love it. Now I have 120mm, 150mm, and 250mm Imagons for my three Makiflexes.

 

[Nokton48]

I don't see why one can count on greater coverage.

Although the Makiflex takes 6x6cm and 6x9cm Plaubel Makina Roll Film Backs, and Plaubel Makina 6x9cm Sheet Film single-sheet Plate Holders, it also had available two larger sheet film backs (I have both). The first will expose a 9x9cm image (full Makiflex gate) onto a sheet of 9x12cm Sheet Film. Alternatively I can expose a 9x9cm image using Graflex/Graphic 4x5" Film Holders in the other back. The Makiflex gate image is kind of cool, because it has rounded corners.

I need lenses that can cover sharply, the entire 9x9cm Makiflex gate, to take advantage of the 9x9cm images that result. 9x9cm is a treat, significantly more real estate than my 6x6cm Hasselblads.

 

[Nokton48]

6x6cm and 6x9cm Plaubel Makina Roll Film Backs.

One can never have too many 120 rollfilm backs. The Makiflexes take Plaubel Makina 120 6x6cm and 6x9cm Rollfilm Backs. This is also interchangeable with the 6x9cm Makina Groundglass Attachment, which allows direct (through the camera) viewing onto the rear groundglass.

These four just arrived from Germany. One 6x6cm, and three 6x9cm.

So now, I have six 6x9cm Makina Rollfilm Backs, and two 6x6cm Makina Rollfim Backs. The 6x6cm ones are harder to find, and tend to be more expensive, for some reason. These are all in good condition, just need some cleaning, and maybe new light-trapping material on the inside. But then, these will be good to go.

 

[Nokton48]

Durst Enlarging Cone fits Makiflex 210mm Symmar Lens
I just received this Durst Enlarging Cone. My plan is to attach it to a Plaubel Peco Jr flat black lensboard. This will be a fun metalworking project when it warms up.

 

[Nokton48]

Things are finally starting to warm up around here.

The 210mm chrome barrel-mounted Schneider Symmar (on the left) is completely done and ready to use.

The 180mm chrome barrel-mounted Schneider Symmar (on the right) is in final assembly and using a Durst IXTUB enlarging cone, which extends this lens through it's full useful focus range on the Makiflex. Should finish the metalcutting on this one tommorrow if everything goes right. Looking around for a suitably long cone.

Waiting in the wings are a chrome barrel-mounted 135mm Schneider Symmar, which I am mounting into a custom-made recessed board using another IXTUB, and the 240mm chrome barrel-mounted Symmar, which is going to need a pretty long extension cone. Not sure about what to use for that one, yet.

The only hole in the system is a chrome barrel-mounted 150mm Schneider Symmar. I think then I will be done buying lenses for a while.

 

[Nokton48]

I enjoy designing and fabricating lens setups for my three Plaubel Makiflexes, that would be correct to use on the cameras. Here is one that arrived today from the UK; the Schneider chrome 135mm F5.6 Symmar in barrel-mount. I cut out a Plaubel Peco Jr lensboard, with an appropriate sized hole, to fit a Durst IXOTUB recessed lensboard. I then cut out the center of the IXOTUB, to accomodate the 135mm Symmar lens.

It works well, lenses shorter than 150m were generally thought of as being too short to use on the Makiflexes. I can just barely get my fingers inside the IXOTUB, to change the f/stops.

Just got back from Columbus Camera Group. Eric Mehl helped me find a 40.5mm UV and rubber lenshood for this little Bad Boy, so now it's completely done and ready to use. Will be a nice compliment to my 135mm Schneider Xenar, which I have set up identically.

 

[Nokton48]

210 f6.6 Kern Arau Apo-Repro lens on Makiflex Standard.

Here's an interesting one. Years ago I bought this Kern-Arau 210mm f6.6 Apo-Repro lens, and mounted it to a Sinar Norma board, as it was a lens originally offered in the Norma catalog. Now, I have decided to re-mount it to a Plaubel Peco Jr board, as I think it will get more use on my Makiflexes. Quite a bit of metal cutting was required to build this unit. The 210mm f6.6 Kern-Arau is quite rare, and I'm really glad that I have it. Here it is, with the Makiflex focused at infinity.

 

[Nokton48]

120mm F6.8 Schneider Barrel Mount Angulon.

As wide as you can go, with the SLR Makiflex, due to the mirror striking the rear cell of the lens. Another new lens arrived from Germany. The 120mm f6.8 Schneider Angulon (in barrel mount) and it's now mounted on another IXOTUB recessed Durst enlarger board, and quite usuable on my Makiflex. This lens will be great for 6x9cm or 9x12cm/4x5" photography.
According to the original Plaubel literature, this camera will work with lenses as wide as 125mm. This is pushing it.

A great Dagor-formula lens, I also have one in Compur shutter, that I use on my Sinar Normas.

Glad I have both of these. They perform different uses.

 

[Nokton48]

Makiflex Standard 150mm Lens Shoot-Out.

Early Sunny Sunday Morning, out testing the Makiflex Standard, with three 150mm lenses (Xenar, Apo-Ronar, and Imagon). Shot two rolls of 120 Efke 100, and two rolls of Agfa APX100. Hope to process the film this weekend, if I have time. My friend tagged along with me, and took these digital shots, of me working with the Makiflex. It was a fun time and looking forward to seeing the results.

 

[Nokton48]

The Plaubel Makina "Miniature Film Back".

For my three Plaubel makiflexes. One body has the groundglass already marked for the 35mm format. So I can shoot Eastman Double-X film in them.

The Plaubel Makina "Miniature Film Back". 24x36mm. Interestingly, this one is marked "Made in Switzerland".

Quite clever engineering and mechanism. Built with typical Plaubel precision.

 

[Trask]

This thread is fun -- it started four years ago, and every once in a while another post is added as the OP finds another piece of the puzzle. Every time I see the thread pop up, I say to myself, "I wonder what's new in the world of Makiflex?" Keep it up!

 

[Nokton48]

This thread is fun --Keep it up!

Thanks Trask!

Things show up periodically. Newest arrivals; 250mm H5.8 Rodenstock Imagon in Barrel Mount. Mounted onto a Plaubel Peco Jr. Tubus.
The barrel-mount Imagons do not show up often. I use the shuttered-versions on my Sinar Normas. Shown with extra Imagon "soft focus" Disc; I have plenty of these in my collection. I just won a 200mm H5.8 Imagon in barrel-mount, but I don't have it yet.

Also, an original Plaubel 6x9cm Pack Film Back in perfect condition. So beautifully made, I could not pass it up. 6x9cm Pack film in good condition is hard to find.

 

[jvo]

you guys are having way to much fun!!!!

bring in the antacids!

jvo

 

[Nokton48]

200mm H5.8 Rodenstock Imagon (in barrel-mount) on a Modern Peco Jr Board.

My new 200mm H5.8 Rodenstock Imagon (in barrel mount) is here. It came mounted on a Zorkendorfer Adapter to go onto a 180mm Mamiya RB-67 lens. I unscrewed the expensive adapter, and the lens is like new. Went back into the basement of Midwest Photo Exchange, and found an old lens flange that fits it. Turns out, it is the same flange that fits the Copal and Compur #3, which is good to know.

I wasted no time, and cut out a modern (black) Plaubel Peco Jr lensboard, to fit the flange from Midwest. A quick trip to the local Lowes Hardware, and I had a set of five brass mounting screws. I think it looks close to original from the Plaubel factory. Here is one, that I think, is original, from the Plaubel factory. Can anybody here tell me if the lens in this link is original Plaubel, I would like to know?? The barrel-mounted 200mm Imagon is in the Plaubel Makiflex original literature, I can confirm that.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rodenstock-...62947221?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item416ab25895

Anyway, eventually, I may re-mount this lens onto an extension tube-type board, so it will focus a bit closer. Right now, fifteen feet is about it for close-focus, on a flat board, which is rather limiting. Maybe, at the factory, it was moonted on an extension board??

Below is the lens ready-to-go, shown with the original Imagon Grey Neutral-Density Filter, and Imagon Lenshood. It looks kinda cool in black.

 

[Nokton48]

Fuji FA-145 Instant Film Back on Plaubel Makiflex.

Just arrived today, a package from Japan. Inside was a Fuji FA-145 Instant Back, which I have adapted to fit my three Plaubel Makiflex bodies (see my avatar or Flikr).

It works! 3000 EI Instant Fuji film in the Makiflexes is cool and FUN!

About time I got one of these.

 

[Nokton48]

Found a couple more 6x9 Plaubel Backs for a good price.

These are black ones, one even has a Plaubel Badge on it.

I have a question, that might be answered by a Plaubel Makina collector.
Does anybody know the approximate vintage of these black film backs?
I think they are late vintage Interesting that they were offered in black (I have eight chrome ones in 6x9cm and 6x6cm).
One can never have too many.

The wind knob looks more modern, like it was redesigned. Does anybody Know?

 

[AgX]

Plaubel went under in 1964 I believe.

Plaubel is still in existance. They even still offer a view camera.

The only change was that the enterprise no longer was family-owned though without change of director.


I got no idea where you got that date.

 

[Nokton48]

This "tube system" arrived today, from China. I wasted no time in attaching it to a Plaubel Peco Jr flat lens board. Originally designed for Linhof/Wista cameras, it was pretty easy to adapt. The beauty of it, is that the tubes and front plates are interchangable. So I can add lens extension, or try different lenses easily. More tubes and flat boards for this system are on their way.

Here it is, with the 200mm Imagon, focused at infinity. Almost a perfect tube length for this lens. I am quite pleased.

 

[Nokton48]

The rest of the "tube system" arrived today. I ordered two extra 20mm tubes, and two extra 30mm tubes.
I also ordered four extra "flat plates", which screw into the from of the tubes. I ordered two with #2 hole, and two with #0 hole.

The first shipment consisted of the mounting plate, a 50mm tube, and a flat plate with #3 hole (which fit my 200mm Imagon).

On the left, are the parts that just arrived. On the right, I put together a 20mm tube, #2 flat plate, and it is perfect for my 240mm
Tele-Arton. That lens has a rear cell that protrudes deeply into the camera body (when mounted on a flat board) so I think this combo is about
as good as it will get with this lens. I tend to use it for close-up shooting, since it won't work for distant shots with the Makiflex.

 

[Nokton48]

Here's a lens that I have had for a while, and now, I am finally able to utilize it, thanks to the new "Tube System".
It is a Schneider 240mm F5.6 Symmar in barrel mount. By combining one 30mm, and two 20mm tubes, I get a
package that focuses from infinity to super close-up. Shown is one of my Makiflex Automatics with the
6x9cm back and groundglass.

I really like this new "Tube System", in fact I have ordered alot of extra parts for my uses in the future.
Waiting for all of it to arrive. One lens I would like to "put together" is the Schneider 240mm Xenar in
barrel mount.

Also I have a 300mm Rodenstock Imagon in barrel mount coming from Germany.
Should be here any day.

 

[Nokton48]

Here is another Makiflex lens I just completed. After many, many hours of metal cutting, and hand filing, here is my 240mm F4.5 Schneider Xenar, in barrel mount. Had to cut and file a very heavy brass flange, essentially turning it into a retaining ring. This -just- fit into a (completely cut-out) circular flat plate from China. Combining three of the 30mm "tubes" results in infinity focus, to extreme close-up, on the Makiflexes.

Really alot of work, but worth it, in my opinion. The 240mm Xenar is a rather big, heavy lens, but works well on the Makiflex, and the groundglass image looks great, even wide-open. Looking forward to shooting with this setup.

Also shown in the photo is a short Cable Release, which screws into my Makiflexes. This also came from China. It also fits my Sinar Norma Mechanical Shutters. How many brand new items can you buy for these really old things?

Next project will be a 300mm Rodenstock Imagon in barrel. Takes the same flange as the 240mm Xenar, so it will just fit inside the "tube system".

 

[Nokton48]

Here is my new 300mm Rodenstock Imagon in barrel, and some of the new "tube system" parts.
So this is a work in progress.

 

[Nokton48]

Here is my 300mm Rodenstock Imagon (barrel-mount) setup and ready-to-use.
Three of the 50mm tubes plus a 30mm allows for perfect infinity focus with this
very long Imagon.

Shown focused at infinity. Can't wait to get out and use this lens.
Sure it's big, but it's relatively lightweight and well-balanced on the Makiflex.

 

[AgX]

Can the standard hold such set-up?