Braun Paxette SuperIII Automatic and King Regula IIId

Hello, Folks,

I posted this on the rangefinder forum but gathered no reply so far. Hopefully

there are more knowledgeable people here. Has anybody had experience with Braun

Paxette SuperIII Automatic and King Regula IIId cameras? Both are

interchangeable lens rangefinders with a bayonet mount. I think I have read

they are similar. I wonder if they are interchangeable, sort of like the

Bessamatic and Retina Reflex kind of way. Braun was really into something,

churning out three different mounts for their rangefinders -- the screw mount

for the original Paxette, this bayonet mount, and then a variation of the

Retina mount for the Colorette (and Paxette Reflex). Only Mamiya could offer

more varieties in lens mounts:-) Also noticed that both cameras used a Prontor

SVS shutter. I wonder if this was actually Prontor's attempt to compete against

Compur's interchangeable lens mount used on Retina, Bessamatic etc. The lenses

all seem to be marked with "SLK".

Cheers,

Yefei

http://www.urmonas.net/manuals/index.html

here are some manuals including similar cameras free

Yes, both cameras are very similar in design and layout, and they use the same lens mount system which was some kind of competition to the Compur mount system used by the Kodak Retina SLRs etc. BUT - the aperture lever on the Regula lenses is in a different position than on the Braun lenses, and you cannot mount a Braun lens on a Regula and vice-versa.

SLK is the designator of the shutter. S stands for "S-elf timer", LK means "Lichtwert-Kopplung" (EV-coupling) - the shutter is rather set to EV (exposure values) and these values are transferred mechanically to the lightmeter (on the Braun Super Paxette III and Regula IIId Automatik, there is also a IIId with uncoupled light meter).

Winfried, Thank you for the information. Bummer, I was rather looking forward to acquiring both cameras and freely mix-matching their lenses. Perhaps there is a way to modify the lenses to make them interchangeable just like the Retina and Bessamatic lenses. I guess the best way to find out is to get them and compare them side by side.

Walter, that's a good list of manuals. Thanks. Unfortunately it doesn't have the manuals for the aforementioned cameras. The operation will probably be similar, but it would have been nice to have the exact manuals. Hopefully when I acquire the cameras, they will come with the original manuals.

Yefei

Hi Yefei, I can't tell you anything about lens interchangeability, but I can say that the Braun Paxette is a really nice performer. Some people find its ergonomics off-putting (for instance the shutter release beside the lens, and the film wind-on mechanism, which needs 1 and a half turns) but I've found its build quality and general usage really satisfying. Mine has a Pointikar lens, and it produces good sharp images (though best stopped to f8 or higher).

(caveat - mine is a Paxette II, I think. The details may be different for the III)

The Paxette II looks to be a very cute camera. I have never heard of a Pointikar lens. Do you know who made it? Maybe Roeschlein Kreuznach or Staeble? I know the it's not a name used by the usual suspects like Enna, Steinheil, Isco, or Schneider. The camera is definitely different from the Paxette III, though.

Yefei

If you are still interested in Paxette gear, try this excellent little page to help sort out the nomenclature:

http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/braun1.htm

I have just started using a Super Paxette II B L, which is not the prettiest Paxette, but possibly the most usable of the 39xM1 thread Paxettes.

Paxettes have a reputation for fragility and awkwardness. They are reputably difficult to repair, so don't touch one that isn't clicking properly!

The lenses are not awesomely sharp, but not as bad as some people make out (ain't that always the case).

Having said all that, I can't work out why FSU cameras with a dodgy build reputation gather more interest in the old camera world than these cute wee German interchangeable lens rangefinders. Is it the ability to fit Leitz lenses that most of us will never be able to afford?

The Braun Paxette ain't pretending to be anything it's not. It walked its own technically interesting walk when it came to camera design and if you find a working one you'll have fun using it. I have a hunch that the Paxette screw mount lenses will be more readily available than the III series bayonet lenses (especially judging by all the people on the forums asking if they'll fit their LTM bodies!)Down here in New Zealand Super Paxette II regularly turn up on internet auctions.