Braun Super Paxette progress

[leica dream]

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Going on from my original post on March 16 about what to do with my 65 year old camera, and subsequent posts about negative scanning, I have taken on board all the wondferful advice and options which the forum provided and now put a second film through the camera.

First, I removed the lens and gave everything a thorough clean - the attached images show how successful that has been, the optics were filthy.  Meanwhile I experimented with my flatbed scanner and have found the there is measurable better sharpness by removing the shims completely from the negative mount.

I then shot a wide range of circumstances. The following image examples are "straight out of camera" (just resized to reduce space) and look reasonable. Film was FP4. My two critical observations are firstly that the images are more "grey and misty" white rather than "black and white". That could be exposure driven (generally 1/125 at f8), or maybe soft treatment of an FP4 film.  Secondly, close shots have worked encouragingly well whereas distance shots lose sharpness despite careful use of the rangefinder - an example below demonstrates.

I fear, however, that the camera fate is sealed because the film transport mechanism failed by tearing sprocket holes and not advancing further than shot 25, even though subsequent shots had the shutter cocked as normal with no indication of film problem. Being so far along the film it is unlikely that the leader became released from the take up spool because of the tightness of the exposed film so far. Repair is probably not available and even if available it would probably be uneconomically expensive.

What this project has shown me is my fascination and keenness for returning to the film medium with the accompanying set-up of the shots - probably above the more automatic digital. I must now consider options for replacing the Paxette, but with something more "pocketable" so I can carry along with my Leica C type 112.

 

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[leica dream]

This is the distance shot mentioned above

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[Pyrogallol]

See page 9 on this user manual https://www.cameramanuals.org/pdf_files/paxette_super_ii.pdf

Had the frame counter reached 0 and refused to wind on anymore? I have had a couple of old cameras that counted down from 36 and you had to reset the counter to the number of frames expected from the film when you loaded it. If you are just playing with the camera without a film in and it stops winding on you probably have to reset the counter to continue playing with the shutter.

The landscape picture may be softer in contrast due to flare from the sky, which the other pictures do not have.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Pyrogallol

[david strachan]

A little LR processing would make these pictures "pop"...but I appreciate you are trying to show unadulterated pics. I had a Braun in my past collecting and sorry to sell it...don't remember the model.

All best...

[250swb]

The contrast is typical of FP4 and an old lens, it just needs adjusting in post processing. I think post #3 may be a clue for the frame counter, but if linking that with tearing sprocket holes at frame 25 be sure you didn't do what I did after 45 years of getting the basic's right and loaded a 24 exposure film by mistake. Cursing the camera for jamming soon turned into banging my head on the table.

[leica dream]

Thanks, Pyrogallol, the counter on this camera is not connected directly to the film transport itself but just reduces by one for every shutter cock. That is to say that even when the dial reduces past "1" it just keeps going as more film is used. It is up to the user to set nominal number of shots on the film to 24/36 for information when loading as per page 9 of the instructions.

I am not sure about the idea of sky glare on the distance shot because I always use the appropriate extra lens hood. I'll play with software to inprove the image.

250SWB, I have found only 36 exp film availability these days. I have tested the mechanism after dismounting the cassette and found that the take-up spool wind mechanism is what has failed, hence the sprocket winder kept trying (but failed) to advance the film for subsequent shots with nowhere for the film to go, hence torn holes at that point. I am sure it was just coincidence that the failure went at 25.

Everything mechanical wears with age so I guess that even 1950's high quality engineering will fail at some point. Time for me to move on and decide whether I want to persue film further and if so with what budget. As for this camera, it is on its way already to the Camera Museum in London to join their display amongst several other early 1900 cameras from my accumulated collection.

Back to my Leica C type 112 for the time being. Thanks everyone.