Braun Paxina

A Paxina (tube collapsed); 120 film; 75mm/f3.5 Kreuznach Pointar lens, Vario shutter

A battered Braun Paxina (round tube); 120 film; 70mm/f3.5 Pointar lens, extended; Vario shutter 1/25, 1/75, 1/200 +B

Paxina - square lens tube pulled out, Paxanar Achromat lens

Paxina was a line of medium format (120 & 127 film) viewfinder cameras made by the Braun company in Nuremberg, Germany in the middle part of the 20th century. Some featured collapsible lens tubes; later, more sophisticated models had a rigid lens and (on electromatic models) an exposure meter.

One simpler variant (above right photo) for 120 film has a square pull-out bakelite lens tube with a big lens board that reminds one of box cameras since it has a selector for three different aperture masks (f7.7, f11 and f22). Another selector on the lens board allows choice between shutter speeds 1/100 sec, 1/30 sec and B. The shutter release for the simple self-cocking shutter is hidden behind the lens board. The lens or its front element is turnable for focusing from 1 metre to infinity. Other elements are the big film advance and film-roll release knobs on top and the optical viewfinder of reverse Galilean type in the top. Other examples have been observed with a faster, f2.9 75mm Praxanar lens in a Pronto shutter.

Links

• Photo of later 127 model on

Andrys Stienstra's collection site.

• Braun Paxina I at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr
• Braun Paxina II at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr