Braun Paxette original 1951 model

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

I went to an antique store and most of the cameras I saw were way overpriced ($59 for an Argus C3 anyone?), as I was leaving I spotted a very dirty Paxette for $19. It was still functioning, and you don't see these everyday over here so I grabbed it.
It has a Kataplast 2.8/45mm lens - has anybody used this lens before? A google search only turned up photos that must have been taken with a very dirty lens. The advance knob is also rather stiff, is this normal?

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I too have a very early Paxette, still not cleaned up and fixed.

That "Kataplast" is a Staeble lens I think.
Front cell focus on that lens ? Its probably a triplet.

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

The whole lens turns as a unit. Probably a triplet anyway. Does yours have a stiffish film advance?

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Everything is stiffish, sad to say.
It needs a big overhaul.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Mines a Steinheil Cassar 4.5cm/2.9

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, Kataplast is by Staele. I used to be interested in buying a Super Paxette as I like German rf cams. I decided not to because the image samples from the Staeble and Enna lenses for it was pretty crap. Same with the Lordomat, I dropped my interest in that because of the poor quality lenses.

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

I have a weakness for Paxettes, probably because my first 35mm camera was a Paxette Im with a Pointar lens. For old times' sake, I bought another one last year.

Wind-on is certainly stiff-ish on my present one, as it was on the original in 1956! The Im had (still has!) a "one-and-half"stroke lever wind, maybe to make the job easier. The earlier cameras had a knob-wind that also felt stiff. The knob itself is a bit awkward to manipulate easily. I'm pretty sure that all the mid-1950s generation of Paxettes had helical focusing mounts, like the Voigtlander Vito B family.

As for Ian's comments on lenses . . . well, the Pointar is more or less like every other 3-element f2.8 budget priced lens from the 1950s; not bad when used with contemporary films and universal developers Very Happy

. But the Super Paxettes also came with Xenars and Tessars which ought to do well. And the Lordomat also came with better standard lenses as a higher-cost option, so it's perhaps unwise to consign the entirety of both families to the rubbish bin. "Seeing one swallow doesn't mean it's summer"

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

I have a Super Paxette with a Staeble Kata 45/2.8, but have never used it as the wind-on lever decided to bust its spring after jamming for a while. So it sits unused in its case, waiting for the day when it might be fixed. I think the wind-on lever spring breaking isn't uncommon, actually. It's a really fiddly job to replace, so I might send it off to someone to have a go at it, but since there's no great value in the camera, is it worthwhile? I don't know.

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

Last time I enquired locally about getting something similar done, I was told it would cost me £35 for someone even to look at the job. At that rate, I guess the answer's easy to figure out Crying or Very sad

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Unfortunately this one has internal haze in the lens, and I do not have a small enough screw driver to loosen the set screws so that I may take it off the camera for cleaning. Checked with a ground glass and the image is hazy, so I won't bother shooting a test roll until I can clean it.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07