My Braun Super Paxette project

[ped]

Who's it written by? I have a book on order which sounds similar.

EDIT: Min'es by W.D. Emanuel, Peter Wallage - I have yet to pick it up from the shop where it was ordered.

[ped]

Or perhaps it's the same as the one I already have shown earlier in the thread in the DVD case?

[Luddite Frank]

Originally Posted by ped

Well, here's an update...



Super Paxette II

Super Paxette IIB

Super Paxette IIBL

Cheap tripod

Steinheil Munchen viewfinder 35,38,85,90,135

Braun zoom finder 35,38,45,50,85,90,135

Metraphot 3 meter

Cable release

Braun 38mm finder

Strap pin

Enna-Werk Munchen Tele-Ennalyt 1:3.5 f=135mm

Roeschlein-Kreuznach Telenar 1:5.6/135mm

Steinheil Munchen Quinar 1:3.5/85mm

Staeble-Telexon 1:5.6/85mm

Staeble-Telon 1:5.6/85mm

Steinheil-Munchen Quinon 1:2/50mm

Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 1:2.8/50mm

Pointikar 1:2.8/45mm

Staeble-Kata 1:2.8/45

Staeble-Choro 1:3.5/38

Staeble-Lineogon 1:3.5/35

In the lid of the case there are manuals for all the cameras (original, in german), manual for the Metraphot meter and the Braun zoom finder, pamphlets and reviews from 50's magazines, some filters (orange, green, yellow), silica gel.

I still need to get proper aluminium lens rear caps and some chrome hoods for those missing, but I'll get there.

Ped - that's really nice collection of Paxette gear, and a very nice job of fitting it to a foam-lined case !

Out of the list of lenses, are all of them RF coupled ? If not, would you mind listing which ones are and are not ?

How are the optics in your Steinheil turret finder ? I found a Braun-marked turret finder, but it's very hazy...

Thanks for sharing your kit and photos !

[ped]

Originally Posted by Luddite Frank

Ped - that's really nice collection of Paxette gear, and a very nice job of fitting it to a foam-lined case !

Out of the list of lenses, are all of them RF coupled ? If not, would you mind listing which ones are and are not ?

How are the optics in your Steinheil turret finder ? I found a Braun-marked turret finder, but it's very hazy...

Thanks for sharing your kit and photos !

Thanks for the comments. All are FR coupled apart from the Telon 85mm which I was sent as part of a package; I'll replace it with a coupled one soon. My viewfinder is great, very clear (well, compared to finders of the time) You can see through it in this little clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsjK5b5QHq8

Here are some pictures of the cameras and the AMAZING 2/50 Quinon lens which I really lucked out on!


Meter still works perfectly!!



Very clean top


IIB with 135



Here's the lens:

[ped]

Originally Posted by PAN F

Yes there are 35mm/85mm.
See:-
https://www.leicashop.com/vintage/sc...et-p-1755.html

Those are for the Super Paette III, the model after my IIBL. They have a bayonet mount (I forget the name)

[ped]

Here's a shot of the bodies as I'm currently using them:

[ped]

Full kit - now (dare I say it) COMPLETE!!!

[stratcat]

Absolutely gorgeous setup, congratulations. I've also seen the pics you've made with it, which are even more lovely.

My grandfather also liked photograpy a lot, sadly he died before I was born. I can't help but wonder how does your grandfather, who gave you the camera initially, feel about the way you've cared for it and used it.

Congratulations again on your setup and your photography!!

[ped]

Originally Posted by stratcat

Absolutely gorgeous setup, congratulations. I've also seen the pics you've made with it, which are even more lovely.

My grandfather also liked photograpy a lot, sadly he died before I was born. I can't help but wonder how does your grandfather, who gave you the camera initially, feel about the way you've cared for it and used it.

Congratulations again on your setup and your photography!!

Thanks for the kind comment - I think my granddad is quietly chuffed I have taken to the camera so much. He said it has never had it so good, in it's cozy case with all it's friends. I can see myself handing it down one day myself. Maybe they won't make 35mm film any more. I better stock up!

[Timestep]

Congratulations. My first real camera was a Braun Paxette (fixed lens) in 1953. I used it for years with a Voigtlander Kontur viewfinder. I could tell some horror stories of my first roll of film; trying to figure out the visual extinction meter which was the right window ( no rangefinder ) Very shortly got a small metrophot meter. I used this camera for 35mm. until I replaced it with a Nikon S2.

[ped]

I have a Metraphot for the first body, it works really well. The other two have built in meters. I'm lucky that they all still work and are very accurate! It's a nice little camera and very well made for the low pricepoint they were manufactured to, due to post war import regs.

ped

[FPjohn]

Beautiful!

yours
FPJ

[print44]

why did I have to go and look at this thread? GAS aaaaagh!

[ped]

Ahem

Did I say the kit was complete? Well I think that was a typo.

Who can tell what I've added? There's one more thing to come, too.


What's new? by chiscocks, on Flickr

[Stefan Wood]

There's a fourth camera in there.

[ped]

Indeed - the only other screw mount rangefinder Braun made, the 35 super. The way y wind the film/cock the shutter is by using a little trigger that flips down below the lens very cool!

There's also a whole set of Kodak filters in there including a diffusion disc.

[ped]

Yeah I'm tempted to make another set with the bayonet lenses that they use on the SLR and later rangefinders. Could be quite costly though.

[ped]

I've worked out how to do the flash now. Here it is in all it's glory. Works like a charm though might be expensive to use as I'll get through bulbs quickly!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lbMB-BiqLw

[ped]

OK I found another Super 35 to replace the one that went into a kit I made for a friend. Had to buy from the Leica shop in Vienna in the end but it's in great nick.

Just thought you might like to see the shutter cocking mechanism; it's a trigger under the lens which you crank with your left index finger. really fast and natural. I wonder why it didn't make it onto many other cameras?



And one of the top with the lightmeter cell and RF window



And I PROMISE to post some pics from the cameras soon. Each body has a half finished roll in at the moment so I'll finish them off and post some results!!

ped

[ped]

I made a lightbox the other day. It's not finished yet so I mucked about with it today using some A4 paper as the backing (not big enough). I forgot that my DSLR was set at ISO1600 so the pics are noisy, too. I'll take some better ones soon when I get some decent backing material...

Just ran a roll of Kodak Supercolour 400 through the camera so will develop it this weekend.



Super Paxette 35 by chiscocks, on Flickr


Super Paxette 35 2 by chiscocks, on Flickr

[Luddite Frank]

Originally Posted by ped

I've worked out how to do the flash now. Here it is in all it's glory. Works like a charm though might be expensive to use as I'll get through bulbs quickly!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lbMB-BiqLw

If you find yourself an early Braun eletronic flash (black battery pack on a shoulder strap with a black flash handle and round reflector, uses a bracket that attaches to the tripod screw.), you won't have to buy flash-bulbs... although the size of the rig kind of negates the small size of the Paxette camera....

[ped]

Yeah, though to be honest I don't use flash much. Suppose it woudl be good to complete the kit though!!

[Luddite Frank]

I think the Braun flash people were a different company, actually... they are the same as the brAun appliance folk... can't remember the city, but I don't think it is Nurnberg...

One thing I found when shooting with flash bulbs the other year with a 1933 Leica III and early blitzlichthalter (big clamp-on gun) with a bayonet-to-M3 adapter, is that it's MUCH easier to over-expose with flash bulbs, due to their longer burn time than the flash from a strobe tube...

Don't waste your money on the grey rechargeable brAun flashes from the '60's - '70s... if the batteries are shot ( and they usually are), there are no replacements, even from battery specialists...

I have an early Honeywell "potato-masher" flash that uses three C-cell rechargeables when I feel the need to do flash pictures with a vintage feel...

You can't beat the little AG-1 bulb flashes for compact-ness...

[ped]

I'm actually going to Nuremburg at the end of August. Maybe I'll try and visit the old factory!