The Plaubel & Co., Frankfurt/Main -Germany, founded in 1902 by Hugo Schrader, son-in-law from Dr. Kruegener, (camera producer who merged in the same year with Carl Zeiss) produced the Plaubel Makina II starting in 1933 up to 1939 with coupled range-finder and a Anticomar 2,9 / 100 mm High Speed lens.

The Makina I was the predecessor with no rangefinder. Type 1 was produced in the early twenties with the Anticomar 4,2/100 mm. The Galilee finder was placed in the middle of the camera . Dial in stead of Rim. On type 2 the Galilee finder moved to the edge of the camera . Other improvements: A supply to let the air out of the bellow while closing it, a blue eyepiece mounted in a square level, from 1927 on, a strap.

Producing strut folding camera’s came to an end at that time, but Plaubel continued the production and improved the Makina up to the sixties of the last century. The Makina II strut folding camera was very popular with the press-man in those years. The solid camera-body not only receives 6x9 cm sheet-film holders, but also the special Plaubel 6x9 roll-film holder. The adjustment to the camera housing of these devices is extremely reliable.

As you can see on the picture, the Makina II has a rim with aperture and shutter time adjustment, a solid range-finder on top, a Galilee finder, a high speed lens, a compact design for that time and a reliable construction. But apart from this, the most attractiveness is its design! It reminds me of the roaring twenties. Whether the front plate is black or chrome, its a beauty !

The successor Makina II S and the Makina III became interchangeable lenses with all elements in front of the shutter. There was also a focal plane shutter available to mount on the back of the camera. (100-200-300-600-1000 sec). The Makina S came with a chrome front plate.

The Makina II is fitted with a Compur shutter with shutter times from 1/1 to 1/200 , "T" and "B" and a non changeable Plaubel Aniticomar 2,8. F=10 cm. lens. 

"V" (Vorlauf) = self-timer. To use this, press the "V" button and cock the "S" (Spannen) shutter-level at the same time. You'll find the diaphragm aperture control on the right side of the camera front, marked "R"

Both, shutter speed and aperture control  are placed around the lens.

The beautifully designed Plaubel Makina II Press Camera

The camera has a very solid strut folding construction, easy to handle and if collapsed, it will easily finds a place in the pocket of a raincoat.

To open the camera, just lift the focusing knob upwards and the front of the camera comes out of the housing. The strut folder mechanism locks automatically if it arrives in position. To close the camera squeeze both knobs on top and on the bottom of the front plate to unlock the strut folding mechanism and press the front gently back into the housing. 

The Plaubel Makina II has an optical finder, a sports finder with a hinged open frame-finder and a focusing ground-glass with hood. If you focus by using the range-finder, you can check the adjustment by reading the figures on the front (in meters) underneath the pop-up Galilee finder.

To hold the camera in the right position to shoot, you have to practice. Forget the strap! You’ll better take fast the camera on the back with your left hand, holding your fingers in the inside of the camera-back, and the front with your right hand, so that your finger can touch the shutter release knob "A"=Auslöser). Then move with your left hand to the distance adjusting knob to focus. In the mean time you have to hold the camera with your right hand on the front plate, having almost no grip. I think they never heard of ergonomic at that time. The successor, Makina III, came with a handle on the front, which was just a poor improvement.

The flash synch on the Makina II is for bulbs only, since it makes contact milliseconds before the shutter opens, to wait for the peak of the flash. So it makes no sense to connect a electronic flash. The photo will be dark, because the flash will go off before the shutter has been totally opened.

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