Braun Paxina 29 any good?

[std]

A guy is selling this camera here - not expensive.

The camera looks so so not so elegant as the Zeiss Ikon folders.
But the lens looks interesting i guess f 2.9 is a fast one for those 6x6 old cams


1:2.9/ 75 V STEINER- BAYREUTH STEINAR

Has any one heard of it ?
What is it ? 3 ot 4 elements?

[std]

Anyone?

Seems this collapsible lens design is not so popular.
But for 15 Eur i think i will get it

[Minolfan]

Agfa Isola was a 6x6 camera with retractable lens too, and it appears to have been rather populair. But that one had a cheap lens (Agnar 8.0 or 5.6) and a simple shutter.

[Sevo]

That is a glorified box-type - about the equivalent of a disposable by fifties' standards. Unless you are into experiments with very low end gear, it is more of a collectors than a users item.

[estudleon]

Sure Servo is right, bit I couldn't try that lens. At wide open, soft pics should be nice. And at F/11 the pics will be sharp, sure. And at that price. Hmmm it sounds tempty to me.

[std]

I had quite nice b/w negatives from a 6x6 and 6x9 nettar folders.
Even that their lenses are slow triplets if you put them on tripod they produce quite sharp images.

This f 2.9 is almost a portrait lens for me

.. not zeiss unfortunately but i'll give it a try

[estudleon]

In medium or large formats, the triplets have something magic that lost (in my taste) at FF or smaller ones.

The bad of all 120 cam with a triple at F/16 produce a very nice pic, if you want a sharp and contrast image. And at F/ 2,8 or 4 the magical softness at the corners with estudiate subject in near focused images, should be very good too.

Share your pics. Rino.

[dof]

I had a Paxina briefly but never used it. It seemed similar to the Agfa Clack
and many other similar low cost German 120 cameras of the era such as the
Vredeborch Felica and many others.

It probably takes decent photos if in good condition. One common problem
with these pop-out lens cameras is they often develop a light leak at the
base of the lens and it's not always easy to fix.

[std]

Thanks for the comments to everyone
I've got it today


It is almost mint with matching leather ever ready case.

Pronto shutter up to 1/200s , fast coated lens with lots of blades, self timer, red window with dark slide, no light leaks. What else should i need.

And everything working as it should. Doesn't feel as solid as the folders but still it looks pretty good.

I'm happy

[Farside]

The pull-out tube design was an attempt to get away from bellows, but it never really caught on. I suspect it may have been cheaper to produce, also.
You can get decent enough results from them, provided the seal around the tube doesn't, in it's turn, leak any light.
I have a Paxina with the 3.5 lens and it's capable of a decent snaphot - I've thought about putting a different lens on it, but the overall body quality doesn't really justify it.

[estudleon]

I insist. With a good slide film (Kodak E 100, fuji velvia) and the aperture in F/ 11 and 16, You will have some beauty slides, sure.

[std]

I kind of don't like the slides so much. Have tried several brands but seems that always cannot make the right exposure. They are so easy to overexpose... and so hard to scan - my Epson v500 is almost useless.

I find that a good Fuji C41 negative film (like Fuji Pro 160S) is cheaper to process, forgiving to exposure errors and have very good colours too.

I have 2 rolls of Velvia 100 left and will try them - one on this cam and one on one very old 6x9 Nettar.

[estudleon]

I shall comment my experience with slide film.

Like you know, expose the slide for the high lights. If you use handheld meter, put it looking to the part more luminous of the subject. After that, use 1/2 aperture widest than the indicated by the meter. (indicated: F/4, used: F/3,4). And don't let be into the pic any light more intense (clear subject, light, etc) than 1 aperture of the metered one. (In the case, not any light with meter F/ 5,6). In other way, the last subject can be overexposed.

This is a general concept.

What should you do if the range is extense? In slides, ypou have three ways:
1- Expose for the high lights and let the medium tones fall where they do.

2- Expose for the dark subject (if it's the main subject) and let the high lights overexposed.

3- Average times or aperture setting, so the dark not so dark and the high lights not so high. It's a compromise expose. It's a tried question in each case.

But for differences near the 3 apertures between both readings, begin with the middle way.

Good luck. Rino

[philslizzy]

I've got one of these and the lens is great. The camera is lighter than many 35mm cameras and as small due to the collapsible lens tube. I also have a Paxina 35 - with f3.5 lens not 35mm. A nice easy camera.

In addition I thought the f2.9 lenses were 4 elements and the 3.5 were triplets

[uddhava]

Congratulations on your purchase. Hope it gives you some decent results. I was looking to buy a tube camera,
but I lost out on the opportunity and have not seen one since.

[philslizzy]

I've a small collection of tube cameras. You can get them easy enough - if you know what you're looking for. I spotted one last week in a second hand shop in Manchester. Marked 'Not working - for display' I showed the owner how to take out the lens and he was so pleased. I would have bought it but he wanted way more than it was worth.

Googling tube type cameras is useless as it brings up vidicon and cctv. Here is what I have, you can look them up:

Vredeborch Nordina
Agfa Isola 1
Braun Paxina 29
Braun Paxina 35
Goldammer Goldeck II
Goldammer Goldixette
MIOM Boyer Photax II

The list is not exhaustive and I'm sure I have a couple more. The MIOM isn't technically a tube camera but the lens must be screwed right out in the same manner in order for it to work.

[Minolfan]

To be added: the nice and sturdy Bilora Bella 66
See https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5868613/il_570xN.314759771.jpg and https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5868613/il_570xN.314886718.jpg
One more: Rodehüser Panta IIb

[philslizzy]

I'll check them out Minolfan. Thanks

[Xpres]

May be of interest....



I had two and still have one that's in the hospital box waiting for a clean. I've heard good things about the lens so may be it's time to give it a run out.