Plaubel Makina

The Makina was a long-lived strut folding camera made by the German company Plaubel from around 1911 to around 1960. For the more modern model made in the 1970s and 1980s by the same company after it became Japanese, see Makina 67.

The 4.5x6 viewfinder model

The original Makina (sometimes called Baby Makina by today's collectors) was launched in 1911 or 1912, and was a strut folding camera taking 4.5x6cm film plates. It had a central Compur dial-set shutter. The lens was a Plaubel Anticomar 7.5cm f/4.2, f/3 or f/2.8. The diaphragm selector was on the side of the front plate. The focusing was made by a small wheel on the other side of the front plate, like all later Makinas.

Small variations are reported to exist in the viewfinder type:

• folding, simple one-lens, on the back
• folding, special two-lens, on the back
• folding, off-centered, one lens on the front plate and the eyesight on the rear + folding frame finder (like later Makinas)

The camera was quite similar to other strut folding baby cameras of the time, like the Goerz Tenax or the Gaumont Block-Notes, but it would have a much greater descendance.

The 6.5x9 viewfinder models

Dial set

The Makina I was launched in 1920, and was a strut folding film plate camera with a Compur dial-set leaf shutter to 1/200, very similar to the Baby Makina except for its size.

The very first model had a simple folding finder on the rear, and a fixed Plaubel Anticomar 10cm f/4.2 or f/3.2 lens.

Then it gained an off-centered folding finder, with one lens on the front plate and the eyesight on the rear, with the addition of a folding frame finder. Later the eyesight became larger, with a blue toned glass.

The lens was an interchangeable Plaubel Anticomar 10cm f/3.2 or f/2.9 (see the section Makina lenses).

Rim set

The next step was the introduction of the Compur rim-set shutter to 1/200 on the Makina I. At about this time, the Anticomar lens switched from 3 to 4 elements.

The viewfinder Makina I was stopped around 1935. All the viewfinder Makinas were in black finish.

The 6.5x9 rangefinder models

Between-the-lens shutter

The Makina II, launched in 1933, was like the rim-set Makina I with the addition of a coupled rangefinder, separate from the viewfinder. Plaubel would mount the same rangefinder unit on their folding Roll-Op II camera. A manual parallax correction of the eyesight was available as an option. This camera could take all the lenses available for the Makina I.

At some point, the diaphragm selector was moved from the side of the front plate to a more usual location around the lens.

Later the finish of the Makina II switched from black to chrome.

Behind-the-lens shutter

In 1936, the Makina IIS replaced the Makina II, with a behind-the-lens Compur shutter to 1/200. With it came a new range of lenses. The previous lenses had to be interchanged in two parts, one in front of the shutter and the other at the rear. That was quite inconvenient, and the new model had interchangeable lenses that were in only one part. One can tell a Makina IIS from a Makina II by the bulkier lens, and the two square rangefinder windows whereas the II had one square and one round window.

After World War II, production of the Makina IIS was resumed, with flash synchro for a magnesic Plaubel flash unit, and coated lenses.

In 1949, the Makina III replaced the Makina IIS, with the full flash synchro (electronic and magnesic), a shutter locking button and two holding plates attached to the front plate.

In 1953 was launched the last version Makina IIIR, with a synchro contact on the bottom right corner of the front plate, and a Compur-Rapid shutter to 1/400.

Fixed lens

There were two uncommon variants with a rangefinder and a fixed lens, both made just after the war.

The Makina IIa (or Makina 2a as written on the facade) had a between-the-lens Compur-Rapid shutter to 1/400 and a fixed Plaubel Anticomar 10cm f/4.2 or Schneider Xenar 10cm f/4.5, and a black finish.

The Makina IIb (or Makina 2b) is apparently a simpler version. Its front plate was black with an octogonal chrome motif around the Plaubel Anticomar 10cm f/4.2 lens, a shutter to 1/200 or maybe 1/400 and no self-timer.

The stereo models

Two stereo models of the Makina existed. Both are very rare.

The Stereo Makina 45x107 was launched in 1911 or 1912, at the same time as the original Baby Makina. It took exposures on 45x107mm format plates. It had a shutter to 1/150, and two Plaubel Orthar 6cm f/6 or Anticomar 7.5cm f/4.2 or f/3.9. The finder was first on the rear part, then the front lens was moved to the front plate while the eyesight was on the rear.

The Stereo Makina 6x13 was launched in 1926. It took exposures on 6x13cm format plates. From the outcome it had the more modern type of viewfinder, with a variation in the eyesight, first simple, then in a square plate. The shutter was a Compur stereo dial-set to 1/100. The lenses were Plaubel Orthar 9cm f/6 or Anticomar 9cm f/2.9.

Makina lenses

Between-the-lens shutter

These lenses could be mounted on the Makina I except the first fixed lens ones, and on the Makina II. All were made by Plaubel. Here is a list (lenses with a ? are unconfirmed):

• 7.3cm f/6.8 Rapid Weitwinkel Orthar (marked Rap. Weitw. Orthar)
• 10cm f/4.2 Anticomar (from about 1936)
• 10cm f/3.9 Supracomar ?
• 10cm f/3.2 Anticomar (rare, with the first Makina I)
• 10cm f/2.9 Anticomar three element (until about 1932)
• 10cm f/2.9 Anticomar four element (from about 1932)
• 19cm f/6.8 Tele Makinar
• 19cm f/6.3 Tele Makinar
• 19cm f/4.8 Tele Makinar
• 21cm f/6.8 Tele Makinar
• 21cm f/6.3 Tele Makinar
• 21cm f/5.4 Tele Makinar
• Tele Peconar 3 variable focal length

Behind-the-lens shutter

These lenses could be mounted on the Makina IIS, III and IIIR. All were made by Plaubel. Here is a list:

• 7.3cm f/6.8 Rapid Weitwinkel Orthar (marked Rap. Weitw. Orthar)
• 9cm f/6.3 Anticomar ?
• 10cm f/4.2 Anticomar (said to be better than the f/2.9 lens)
• 10cm f/2.9 Anticomar
• 19cm f/6.3 Tele Makinar
• 19cm f/4.8 Tele Makinar

After the war, these lenses were coated, and that was indicated by a colored circle in the lens markings.

Links

• The Makina at cosmonet