carbo73
Well-known
Hi, I've just bought a beautiful Plaubel Makina II (or maybe IIS, both rangefinder holes are square but it looks like the lens is divided by the shutter). It appears to work properly, except for the rangefinder. It is not centered both horizontally & vertically. Does anybody know the basics of this, or some website? Other cameras like the Speed Graphic, Leica, Zorki, etc have plenty of information with images & videos but I've find none for the Makina II (a much more scarce camera, of course).
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Nokton48
Mentor
Don't do it myself.
This is an old Russian Gentlemen in New York City, with lots of experience with old Plaubels Makinas, and he has many many new original parts!
He has overhauled two of my Makinas and his work is excellent. Both cameras are now like new. Highly highly recommended.
And I know of several other Makina fanatics with likewise great experiences with this Guy.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/REPAIR-SERVICE-FOR-PLAUBEL-MAKINA-67-670-W67/202429434539?_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170221122447%26meid%3D44ee3bd14bb9481fb3a5a720500514ef%26pid%3D100752%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D202429434539%26itm%3D202429434539&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982
This is an old Russian Gentlemen in New York City, with lots of experience with old Plaubels Makinas, and he has many many new original parts!
He has overhauled two of my Makinas and his work is excellent. Both cameras are now like new. Highly highly recommended.
And I know of several other Makina fanatics with likewise great experiences with this Guy.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/REPAIR-SERVICE-FOR-PLAUBEL-MAKINA-67-670-W67/202429434539?_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170221122447%26meid%3D44ee3bd14bb9481fb3a5a720500514ef%26pid%3D100752%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D202429434539%26itm%3D202429434539&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982
carbo73
Well-known
Many thanks for the tip, but considering all the costs it's maybe more than I paid for the camera itself! And then the damned Spanish tolls would want to make me pay importation taxes to my OWN camera on the way back. And tell them that it's mine, they only would know it comes from the US!
He talks mostly of the more modern Makina 67 and similars, and my Makina II is surely a pre WW2 camera, quite different.
Anyway, thanks again for the swift answer
Nokton48
Mentor
You might try posting your question at www.largeformatphotography.info or www.apug.org
Good Luck to you! Makinas are beautiful cameras. Could you use it with the ground glass for focusing? I do that some times.
Good Luck to you! Makinas are beautiful cameras. Could you use it with the ground glass for focusing? I do that some times.
carbo73
Well-known
Sadly, my Makina came without ground glass and with a 120 roll film back attached. But I have a folding Welta for 6,5x9 plates which has its ground glass and seems to fit. It just makes all even more complicated. As if properly holding this camera with your hands trying to focus and then work with the shutter wasn't enough
Nokton48
Mentor
I agree, but it becomes less cumbersome as you become used to it. Or scale focus it. Makina gg backs and metal depth of field tables are available on eBay
The depth of field tables are quite accurate and require scale focusing anyway.
The depth of field tables are quite accurate and require scale focusing anyway.
Nokton48
Mentor
He has repaired a friend's black Makina II and it is truly a thing of beauty.
Yes he works on the new ones. He's a repairman. But he is an expert with the old Makinas as well, he CLA'ed my III and IIIR. He has the knowledge with the older ones, and he is probably the only one in the world with a stockpile of old old Makina parts.
Expensive but worth it to me.
I would love to have a nice black Makina II
carbo73
Well-known
Well, at last I tried a careful approach and it seems it worked. I had the benefit of founding on the web a picture of the Plaubel Makina II rangefinder withouth it's cover, so I knew what to expect inside. I've not adjusted any rangefinder before, but had seen several videos and knew the general working of the system.
So first I unscrewed the two small screws on the top of the rangefinder housing, and it came out neatly and without anything (like a spring) flying away, which was my main concern.
I've attached a couple of pictures I took of the mechanism. Looking from behind the camera, the semi-transparent mirror to the right is the one which moves with the focusing arm. But it does this like folding it so was not clear at all how to do the adjust here. On the other hand, the left side mirror has several screws pointing to it's back. Gently moving them clockwise or counterclockwise (just a quarter or even less of a turn) allowed me to correct the vertical and horizontal disalignment.
Now at least it seems to be correctly aligned at infinity, and "more or less" at nearer distances. Still work to do, but the general movements of the rangefinder are these.
Any ideas?
Some pictures of it here under:
So first I unscrewed the two small screws on the top of the rangefinder housing, and it came out neatly and without anything (like a spring) flying away, which was my main concern.
I've attached a couple of pictures I took of the mechanism. Looking from behind the camera, the semi-transparent mirror to the right is the one which moves with the focusing arm. But it does this like folding it so was not clear at all how to do the adjust here. On the other hand, the left side mirror has several screws pointing to it's back. Gently moving them clockwise or counterclockwise (just a quarter or even less of a turn) allowed me to correct the vertical and horizontal disalignment.
Now at least it seems to be correctly aligned at infinity, and "more or less" at nearer distances. Still work to do, but the general movements of the rangefinder are these.
Any ideas?
Some pictures of it here under:
Attachments
Nokton48
Mentor
Well Done!
Shoot some closeups and infinity too, with lens wide open. Confirm with groundglass?
Adjust as necessary? Use magnifier to examine neg focus, no need to print.
You are off to a great start.
You know, in their advertising literature, Plaubel called the Makina II "the Rolls Royce of Photography".
The camera is quirky, but so are Rolls Royce motor cars
Vintage Plaubel Makina by Nokton48, on Flickr
Shoot some closeups and infinity too, with lens wide open. Confirm with groundglass?
Adjust as necessary? Use magnifier to examine neg focus, no need to print.
You are off to a great start.
You know, in their advertising literature, Plaubel called the Makina II "the Rolls Royce of Photography".
The camera is quirky, but so are Rolls Royce motor cars
Vintage Plaubel Makina by Nokton48, on Flickr
carbo73
Well-known
Here's a view of my Makina II. First roll is on the 120 back for trials, specially of focusing.
Nokton48
Mentor
That's a lovely Makina II. Looks almost like new. You might want to get the instruction book, it shows all the accessories
http://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/makina.pdf
Looks like a modern flash sync plug has been very neatly added. A bonus for you!
http://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/makina.pdf
Looks like a modern flash sync plug has been very neatly added. A bonus for you!