Plaubel Makiflex Standard.

[Nokton48]

Makiflex 150mm F9 Apo Ronar 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex 150mm F9 Apo Ronar 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I built this custom Makiflex board a while ago, adding a recessed Durst enlarger plate, to slightly recess my 150mm F9 Apo Ronar. This is an absolutely teeny gem of a lens!

I decided to move my lens to a Sinar Norma board, so I have it handy to use on my Sinar Norma copy stand.

A couple of years ago another 150mm F9 Apo Ronar came along, for like $30 but with no retaining ring. I searched high and low but no luck, this is a very tiny rather rare ring.

So last week I mixed up some JB Weld metal epoxy, and neatly glued the Apo Ronar to the Durst recessed part of the board. Finished with flat black paint and it is ready to use on my Makiflexes. Looks pretty good, eh?

 

[norphot]

Found this in a small Plaubel history book i recently acquired - seems the Makiflex was intended to be a 6x6, but competition in that field was too much ... so it ended up 6x9! Too bad - the prototype looks interesting, and not like simple Hasselblad clone...

 

[Nokton48]

Thanks for that ^^^ Dag.bb

15cm Voigtlander Heliar Makiflex Standard by Nokton48, on Flickr

This 15cm Voigtlander Heliar vintage 1945 arrived yesterday from Germany. Lovely to look through and fits perfectly on this grey Peco Jr recessed board that once held my 150mm F2.8 Xenotar.

Shown focused at infinity. So now I have the 21cm and 15cm Heliars.

 

[lobitar]

Makiflex 150mm F9 Apo Ronar 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex 150mm F9 Apo Ronar 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I built this custom Makiflex board a while ago, adding a recessed Durst enlarger plate, to slightly recess my 150mm F9 Apo Ronar. This is an absolutely teeny gem of a lens!

I decided to move my lens to a Sinar Norma board, so I have it handy to use on my Sinar Norma copy stand.

A couple of years ago another 150mm F9 Apo Ronar came along, for like $30 but with no retaining ring. I searched high and low but no luck, this is a very tiny rather rare ring.

So last week I mixed up some JB Weld metal epoxy, and neatly glued the Apo Ronar to the Durst recessed part of the board. Finished with flat black paint and it is ready to use on my Makiflexes. Looks pretty good, eh?

Agree, the ring for the barrel version of the 150 Apo Ronar is both tiny and rare. I had two of these lenses, and sold the one without a ring, as it seemed impossible to find.

 

[Dan Fromm]

The catalog says that the 150/9 Apo Ronar is threaded M26.5x0.5. I have two Rodenstock Klimsch Apo-Ronars that may not conform, one has a flange. They exist but you're right, it sure isn't a standard size.

 

[Nokton48]

Maki Std Copy Test Shades 180mm F3.2 GX680 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I have attached the Makiflex Standard camera. to my Sinar Norma Copy Stand/Clamp/Head Mechanism. Attached the 180mm F3.2 Fuji GX680. Shooting my "shades" as a 3D test, using a Plaubel Makina 6x6 120 back, loaded with FOMA 200 rated at 100. Polarized lighting both sides, 200WS each, and the 103mm Sinar Norma Polarizing Filter Holder fits tightly on the front lenshood on the 180 GX680 lens. Just like it was made for it! WOW this lens has some resolution, now.... Quite acute in a good way. Shutter set to strobe setting, around 1/15th

I have wanted to try this setup for a while. As I think I have mentioned before, the Makiflex family has a Plaubel patented shutter braking mechanism, absolutely granite boulder solid and vibration free. Plaubel made a big deal about this when the introduced the camera. Unlike some other big SLR's, no vibes at all, so perfect, although somewhat moot as I am using strobe.

This is tight 6x6 crop of the clip-on sunglasses. Will try to develop ASAP. Also I can use all kinds of sheet film in this.

Foma 200 bracked at f16, f11, f8 and f5.6 as a start. Development will prolly be in Pyro PMK+

 

[Nokton48]

159mm F2 B&L Super Cinephor Test by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makiflex Standard, Bausch & Lomb 159mm F2 Theatrical Cinema Projection Lens, Ilford Commercial Ortho 4x5, Graphmatic 4x5 sheet back. Mic-X developer. 8x10 Arista #2 RC paper, Multigrade dev Omega Dii 180mm black Rodenstock Rodagon, Omegalite circuline head

I focused on the front of the petal in the bottom center; depth of field is as thin as a sheet of paper.

 

[Nokton48]

159mm F2 B&L Super Cinephor Focus Test by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex Standard, 159mm F2 Super Cinephor Theatrical Projection Lens, Graphmatic 4x5 film back, Ilford Ortho+ Commercial ASA 50. Mic-X developer processed by inspection in trays under deep red safelight. Aristo #2 8x10 psper dev in Multigrade dev.

This time the lens is SHARP right where it should be. So I will continue to use the Graphmatic backs, have four will maybe get a few more. They are super duper fast to use with my cameras.

 

[Nokton48]

HRU Pulso Test 210 Componon f22 12 pops MicX by Nokton48, on Flickr

• Testing my new Broncolor Pulso C171 375 WS Monolight with restored 80x80cm Pulso Softbox about three feet right. Silver Gold reflector on left. Fuji HRU XRay film 4x5 Sinar Norma 180mm chrome Componon Norma Shutter Mic-X replenished straight developr in a flat bottomed Cesco tray. Lisco 4x5 film holder
  
  F22 I popped the strobe twelve times to build up the density
  The Grey canvas background I painted myself; Just recently put it back up

 

[Nokton48]

HRU Maki

flex Std Mic-X 240 f4.5 Tele-Arton by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makiflex Standard camera 240mm F5.5 chrome barrel mount Schneider Tele-Arton at F22. One pop of Broncolor Pulso C171 monolight strobe with Broncolor Pulso Beauty Dish. No fill.

8x10 Fuji HR-U XRay film cut into 4x5s straight Microdol-X replenished in a tray development by inspection under custom red light. 4x5 Lisco Regal holder.

8x10 RC Aristo #2 Multigrade dev Omega DII with diffusion Omegalite head.

 

[Nokton48]

HRU Dry Step Dental Clips 3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makiflex Fuji HR-U XRay negatives! Only about ten cents each Very delicate but can be beautiful

Great for alternative processes

 

[Nokton48]

Auto Maki no 2 150 2.8 Xenotar HRU 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 150mm F2.8 Xenotar wide-open 1/15 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 35 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

 

[Nokton48]

Auto Maki no 2 180 2.8 Xenotar HRU 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 150mm F2.8 Xenotar wide-open 1/15 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 35 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

Auto Maki no 2 180 2.8 Xenotar HRU 3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 150mm F2.8 Xenotar wide-open 1/15 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 35 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

 

[Nokton48]

Auto Maki no 2 270 4.8 Tele Arton HRU 4 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 270mm F4.8 Tele-Arton Makiflex Auto Iris 1/30 F11 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 35 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

Auto Maki no 2 150 2.8 Xenotar HRU 5 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 150mm F2.8 Xenotar wide-open 1/15 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 50 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

 

[Nokton48]

Shades 45 degree High Contrast Pol Test 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr


This is a quick test of my new Sinar Norma Copy Stand. Plaubel Makiflex Automatic 9x9cm SLR with hacked Fuji GX680 180mm F3.2. 6x6cm Plaubel Makina film 120 back #4. High contrast polarized lighting. Two Broncolor Impact 21 200 watt second strobes, with polarizing gels adjusted fully. 103mm Sinar Norma glass polarizing disc under the lens, also fully adjusted. Strobes balanced with Broncolor FM2 Strobe Meter, balanced to F/32 1/2 both sides illuminating. The GX680 lens is one of my sharpest for sure. Foba 200 B&W 120 film exposed at EI 100. Developed in ADOX BORAX MQ straight replenished D76 type. This exposure was one pop at F8. Also made exposures at F11 and F5.6, but this is the ONE. 8x8 inch print on 8x10 Aristo #2 RC developed in Multigrade developer.

This setup is good for photographing anything where you want this type of contrasty polarized lighting with 45 degree shadows.
Like photographs or flat art.

Maki Std Copy Test Shades 180mm F3.2 GX680 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Auto Makiflex 150 Xenar ERA 100 EI 50 ADOX BORAX MQ by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Automatic Makiflex 150mm f4.5 Plaubel Makiflex Auto Xenar 1/30 F11 StarD tripod 4x5 ERA100 film ADOX BORAX MQ Arista RC #2 Multigrade developer

The Xenar has a pleasing look and I am stoked to have it. I have not used it much at all.

 

[Nokton48]

Auto Makiflex 21cm f4.5 Heliar 120 6x9 Maki Back 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Auto Makiflex 21cm f4.5 Heliar 120 6x9 Maki Back 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Auto Makiflex #3 with 21cm f4.5 Auto iris Makiflex Heliar. 1/60 F11 Ilford FP4+ 6x9cm Makina Back ADOX BORAX MQ Developer 8x10 Arista #2 RC print Multigrade developer. Full sun Key Day. Waiting for the Lily in my front garden to fully open up. I am enjoying looking through the 21cm Heliar. I bought this camera and lens on Ebay this year, it came from Prague. I watched it for about five years or so and finally pulled the trigger. Glad to bring it into the shooting pool.

 

[Nokton48]

Auto Makiflex 150 Xenar ERA 100 EI 50 ADOX BORAX MQ by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Automatic Makiflex 150mm f4.5 Plaubel Makiflex Auto Xenar 1/30 F11 StarD tripod 4x5 ERA100 film ADOX BORAX MQ Arista RC #2 Multigrade developer

The Xenar has a pleasing look and I am stoked to have it. I have not used it much at all.

Here I have printed the full 4x5" negative all the way out nearly to the edges. Even showing edge effects from the Omega DII negative carriers. Which I kind of like. And my Speed Easels produce a nice border if I want to write notes on them.

 

[Nokton48]

159mm F2 B&L Super Cinephor Test by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makiflex Standard, Bausch & Lomb 159mm F2 Theatrical Cinema Projection Lens, Ilford Commercial Ortho 4x5, Graphmatic 4x5 sheet back. Mic-X developer. 8x10 Arista #2 RC paper, Multigrade dev Omega Dii 180mm black Rodenstock Rodagon, Omegalite circuline head

I focused on the front of the petal in the bottom center; depth of field is as thin as a sheet of paper.

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

Removed from a movie theatre projector (in it's former life) the Bausch & Lomb 159.2mm F2.0 Super Cinephor. Carrying this around will give you a cardio workout. Will focus out to twenty feet (but not further) due to the SLR mirror in the Makiflex Standard.

The rear cell of this beast completely fills the Makiflex Standard Mirror Box when full in. Anything out to twenty feet or so is fine. This is a tricky one to focus.

I shot this digiphoto on my new Sinar Norma Copy Stand, which works great with the Makis as well. The Makis are well proven for photocopy work, the Maki shutter has the patented Plaubel mirror braking system. As smooth no vibs at all as smooth as smooth can be. Big advantage is a lot of instances. Background is a digital file printed at Costco, it's one that Tim Layton shot and included in his large format flower course. I have about a dozen or so backgrounds and they work great on the stand, basically an overhead shooting stage. Lighting from a single Broncolor C171 Pulso Monolight with a Broncolor Beauty Light Head. Silver fill panel on the other side.

 

[Nokton48]

Std Maki 120-125mm lens group by Nokton48, on Flickr

Back to the main topic the Plaubel Makiflex Standard. According to Plaubel the widest that would go on her was 125mm. On the right is my 120mm f6.8 Barrel chrome Schneider Angulon, in a Durst recessed enlarging lens cup. At infinity it strikes the mirror, but hyperfocal focus allows the shutter to fire. Classic Dagor rendering in a LF Reflex format.

On the far left is the modern Fuji GX680 125mm F3.2 hacked into a Peco Profia Jr recessed board. By shaving down the rear mount rim, removing a decent amount of material, she focused beautifully right out to infinity and the shutter neatly fires without issues. This is HOT! glass and is part of the GX680 F3.2 triad of high performance lenses.

On the Maki Std body is the 125mm f5.6 Fuji GX680 which is also on a Peco Jr recessed board. I also had to remove a couple mm's of the lens rear outer barrel (I use my bench grinder with care and a lot of blue tape). This lens is an excellent performer and can be found for not much money.

On both of these GX680 lenses I kept the original electronic shutter and simply very carefully removing the shutter blades, leaving the original mechanical iris mechanisms alone. I marked the f/stops using a fine point sharpie and a metal Sinar ruler marked in mm's.

I'm looking forward to using these in the upcoming shooting season. Pretty wide for a 9x9cm LF reflex camera!

 

[Nokton48]

Abandoned Orchard Apple Tree HRU Maki 210 Heliar by Nokton48, on Flickr

In my neighborhood there are remnants of the apple orchard that stretched for a good distance many decades ago. At the back of my property is one of the original trees, now gone wild.

Plaubel Makiflex Standard, 210mm Makiflex Auto Iris Heliar, Fuji XRAY HRU 4x5" cut from 8x10. Grafmatic Film Back, Sinar 103mm Glass Disc Yellow Green. 1/15 at F5.6 Legacy Mic-X 18 minutes at 60C. Aristo #2 8x10 Omega DII Omegalite Diffusion Head Multigrade dev

 

[Nokton48]

J Lane Dry Plate Maki Brass Petzval 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

9x12cm J Lane Dry Plate Test exposed EI 1 dev straight Legacy Mic-X 18 minutes at 60F. Plaubel Makiflex 6 inch Brass Projection Petzval about F4. Arista 8x10 RC Matte #2 dev Multigrade. Omega DII with Omegalite Diffusion Head. RADA 9x12cm Normalfaltz Plate Holder with Makiflex Attachment

 

[Nokton48]

Plaubel Single Lens Reflex Cameras EPOI by Nokton48, on Flickr

Thought that you Makiflex readers might enjoy this

 

[Nokton48]

9x12cm J Lane Dry Plate Makiflex 210 Auto Heliar by Nokton48, on Flickr

The view off my front porch in subzero weather

Plaubel Automatic Makiflex 9x9cm SLR, 9x12cm J Lane Dry Plate developed 18 mins 20c in straight replenished gallon Acufine. Plaubel Makiflex Auto Iris 21cm Heliar. RADA Normalfaltz plate holder in Plaubel Makiflex Adapter. 8x10 Aristo RC #2 Omega DII black 180 Rodagon laser aligned. Iflord Multigrade dev

 

[Nokton48]

6x9 Rollex Restored Compendium Russian Filter 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

6x9 Rollex Restored Compendium Russian Filter 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I want to highly recommend the original Linhof Rollex 6x9 Back on the Makiflex. The knobs and the tactile "feeling" of using the equipment combined create a smooth and closely matching sense. And a total "brick house" approach which fits well on the Makiflexes. So I picked up three backs, some extra parts as well. I would like to pick up some 6x6 same Rollex backs but so far none have appeared. Several of the backs needed some work but now all is well.

Here is the completed Pecoflex Adapter Back for the Makiflexes. I custom made the bag bellows using one from the Peco Jr View Camera, a lot of brass modeling screws and nuts, Pliobond Cement, and a lot of time spent figuring exactly how best to do it.

Essentially this a Peco Jr Front with bag bellows on an Automatic Makiflex. Extreme movements beyond what is necessary in a lightweight package (could be handheld!) are possible. But I use a tripod with this Beast.

Going through my box of Plaubel Odds and Ends, I found this Peco Jr Filter Holder, which fits the Compendium Hood/Connecting Rod. I have only one Yellow Green Filter which Is from Russia, I have used teflon tape to attach it to the Filter Holder. So something new and useful for the upcoming SPRING shooting sessions around here