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Author Topic: Plaubel Makina  (Read 9053 times)

fredjeang

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Plaubel Makina
« on: February 23, 2010, 04:51:24 pm »

Hi,
Does anyone has worked with the Plaubel Makina W67?
Got an eye on one in Madrid, very good conditions with Nikkor 4.5- 55.

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks.

Fred.
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Thomas Krüger

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Plaubel Makina
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2010, 05:16:04 pm »

The Makina is a fine camera. Here are some hints: http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00NbHY
Check also with http://www.plaubel.com for a service check.
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narikin

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Plaubel Makina
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2010, 05:28:40 pm »

very good camera, if you still use film.
I used them for years, so much in fact that I got given a gold watch by Plaubel for services to their sales! no kidding.

the unique thing about them is how compact they fold up to - a folding 6x7 rangefinder with Nikkor lenses.
You can have one on you most of the time, folded up under your jacket or whatever.
the wide is good. and the 'standard' too. though look for the 670 on that rather than the earlier 67 version

things to watch for:
- lazy tongs bellows system gets loose when its supposed to be locked out. check it for 'wobble' at the lock point.
- meter cable breaks doe to years of repeated folding/unfolding.
- rangefinder drifts out of alignment, though fixing that yourself is not that bad (adjustment screws are under the hot shoe)
- its not quiet.

I switched to Mamiya 7 eventually - better + interchangeable lenses and quieter in use, though its nowhere near as small.

good luck

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fredjeang

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Plaubel Makina
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2010, 05:45:28 pm »

Quote from: narikin
I used them for years, so much in fact that I got given a gold watch by Plaubel for services to their sales! no kidding.
That is customer service!!

Yes, I think I gonna do it, I was watching this strange and desireable camera for quite some time and seems that nobody wants it.
So I'll give it a second life  

Fred.
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pshambroom

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Plaubel Makina
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2010, 09:50:05 am »

I used a W67 for many years on several projects and loved it (past tense). They are notoriously unreliable, especially the film transport which can suffer from stripped gears. There are very few places that can repair them and parts seem mostly unavailable. I used to travel with two cameras for that reason. The lens is very sharp, BUT suffers from extreme vignetting. I did a side-by-side comparison with a 55mm on my Pentax 67 and that did it for me. The Plaubel looks like about a two stop difference center to edge, the Pentax 1/2 stop or so. I will keep my Plaubel as a souvenir of past adventures, but will probably never shoot with it again.
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fredjeang

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Plaubel Makina
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2010, 02:03:31 pm »

Quote from: pshambroom
I used a W67 for many years on several projects and loved it (past tense). They are notoriously unreliable, especially the film transport which can suffer from stripped gears. There are very few places that can repair them and parts seem mostly unavailable. I used to travel with two cameras for that reason. The lens is very sharp, BUT suffers from extreme vignetting. I did a side-by-side comparison with a 55mm on my Pentax 67 and that did it for me. The Plaubel looks like about a two stop difference center to edge, the Pentax 1/2 stop or so. I will keep my Plaubel as a souvenir of past adventures, but will probably never shoot with it again.
Paul,
As you point this lack of reliability and that you had one Makina for backup, I will use an old buddhism wisdom: free your bag!
If one day you decide to have a complete clear-out what you do not use, you can send it to me in Madrid !!   (just kiding)
so I'll have a second camera as spare parts...  

Fred.
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asf

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Plaubel Makina
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2010, 02:41:04 pm »

I always kept a minimum of 3 working 67/670's and 2 w67's when I was shooting them through the 90's. Those were by far my favorite cameras. But when parts finally dried up (esp original bellows) I had to finally switch to mamiya 7's.

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