My Leica’s Best Friend: Plaubel Makina W67 Review

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The Rotary Processor that I use: www.axle.photography/
Cameras Featured: Plaubel Makina W67, Leica M9
Film Stocks Used: Ilford Delta 400, Kodak Gold 200, Ektar 100
Video Camera: Canon EOS R
Video Lens: Canon 35mm F1.4L v1
Microphone: Stam Audio SA-47
Preamp: SSL Big Six
Main Comp: Audioscape LA-2A
#filmphotography #mediumformat #120film #makinaw67 #pentax67 #mamiya7 #plaubelmakina
Hello friends, in this video I'll be reviewing a camera no one seems to be talking about, and one of my favourite 67 cameras, the Paubel Makina W67. Featuring an amazing 55mm f4.5 Nikkor lens, this is probably the best 55m medium format lenses around... I'll be going over what makes is so special and unique, along with its weaknesses.
If you're a film photographer looking for an amazing medium format camera that uses 120 film, then this video is for you.
If you're interested in other 67 cameras, like the Plaubel Makina 67, Makina 670, Pentax 67, 67ii, Mamiya 7, Mamiya 7ii, or even the Mamiya RB67 or Mamiya RZ67, then you might find this video interesting as well.
All the black and white pictures in this video were made with Ilford HP5, Delta 400 and Delta 100, developed on Ilfotec HC on the AXLE CR1 Rotary Processor. The other 120 black and white film stocks I use are Delta 3200 and FP4+.
The colour pictures were Kodak Gold 200 in 120, Kodak Portra 160 and Kodak Ektar 100. I use other film stock as well, including Fujifilm PRO160NS and PRO400H.
If you enjoyed this Plaubel Makina W67 review, and you love film photography and shooting color film too, join me on this analog journey here on RU-vid. Thanks for watching!
Peace,
Jeremy T aka JeremyT aka JeremyTphotography

Опубликовано:

14 фев 2024

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Комментарии : 43

@mdjsalter Месяц назад

Anyone looking for a Plaubel technician in the UK then speak to Patrick MacLean at Cameratiks in Edinburgh. He just replaced my bellows and a broken shutter cable. Each repair in less than a week. The secret to a long life of a Plaubel has got to be - don't use the winder like you are shooting sports !! It is the weakest part of the camera - something which was recognised when the 670 came along with a double winder. One other thing to bear in mind is that Kodak has put a plastic coating on its film backs ( numbers were coming through the paper onto the film in some instances so they moved to this extra layer) and this makes the film slightly thicker and fatter. Some cameras this is not an issue but I have noticed that the W67 feels like it does strain a little when pulling this extra thickness through the camera. I understand this is not an issue with Ilford black and white so I am going to do a test. Thanks Jeremy for doing a video on this wonderful camera. I searched for Makina W67 and found your video.

@ezcire1 4 месяца назад

Great video! I'm glad you're able to verbally describe how wonderful this camera is in this video. I found one for a really cheap price and found a Makina 67 camera specialist in Florida. He was able to CLA, fix my light meter along with replacing the bellows with new set of aftermarket bellows and they seem to be holding up just nice. It's like a brand new camera now and I absolutely love using. I highly recommend that guy if you or anyone else needs to fix this camera.

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Wow! Could I get his contact? Id love to check him out!

@Fjalll 3 месяца назад

The W67 has always been somewhat of a far fetched idea with all its drawbacks you mention in the video. The other day however, I picked one up for the price of a battered Pentax 6x7 body. Came back to this video again to fuel my optimism. This particular camera belonged to Lars Tunbjörk, Swedish street photographer. Funny thing is I had purchased his book prior to owning the camera

@jeremy-t 3 месяца назад

Wow... What were the chances! That's cool! Yeah W67s come up here and there at amazing prices.. Because they're a little unknown, deals can be found! Hopefully... It stays that way :D

@mdjsalter Месяц назад

If you have one of Lars Tunbjork's original cameras it is definitely a piece of history. I imagine the Lars Tunbjork Foundation might buy it back off you one day if you ever wanted to sell it. The man is a legend. Reply

@GastonShutters 4 месяца назад

Always loving your content Jeremy. Keep it up

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Thank you! :)

@manuelaguilar2175 4 месяца назад

Thanks, I always enjoy your videos :-) I also have a Plaubel Makina 67, which I LOVE, and 95% of your comments in this video apply to that model (and the Nikkor 80mm 2.8 as well, save for the beautiful bokeh that that lens produces). Having said that, my question is: if you had to keep one, would you keep the 67 or the W67?

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Glad you like them! Tough call…. But.. For the practicality that F2.8 brings… I’d go with the 80.. That said, if more high ISO colour and black and white film begins to hit the market, my decision would probably change 😬

@MarcS4R 4 месяца назад

great channel , nice review

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Thanks for visiting!

@cents2mp 20 дней назад

what app did you use for the trending stuff in the beginning ?

@gabgallant 4 месяца назад

Hahah the search results for the W67. I've been looking to get one since forever, but I ended up with the Fujifilm GF67W since I got a great deal on it (it was cheaper than a Makina W67).

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Awesome.. Those Fujis are hard to come by..

@rubercoober 4 месяца назад

Man, I just had my hands on one of these for a month on approval from B&H and I really, really loved it. I've been eyeing getting a MF camera with a standard focal length as a sort of "dedicated portrait camera for travel" to replace my 50mm Summilux that I never use, and landed on the Makina 67, but couldn't get my hands on one locally to try out. The W67 popped up and I figured I'd give it a shot for the sake of seeing if I like the form factor and using it. I have to mention that the overall experience was really cool, but I did struggle with feeling like I had to be overly careful with it. Maybe that is because I knew I wasn't going to keep it? Regardless, things like holding it while shooting and feeling like my fingers were too close to the bellows and could mess them up (this included handing it to a friend who almost immediately put their fingers in the bellows), along with accidentally letting go of the advance lever and it snapping back forcefully, and pressing the lens release button while holding it in a horizontal position and having the lens collapse/extend really fast...all of this sort of freaked me out. The reputation for serviceability really stains this camera's legacy - there are like 2 guys in the US (I think) and seemingly all of these *will* have issues with the internal shutter cable and meter due to the collapsing bellows design, so it's scary to invest a couple grand in something that will for sure need some servicing in the future. I have a friend with a standard 67 who has had to have it fixed several times and has retired it for the moment, which isn't super reassuring. But...the lens is so good. The collapsibility is amazing, it's the perfect form factor for a medium format camera. It's fun to use and the meter is honestly spot on (ba dum tiss, love me a spot meter). Other than the constant fear of breaking it, my biggest gripe with it was that I hated the strap and strap mounts that came with it lmao. Otherwise, it was incredible. Just processed some rolls from a shoot a couple weeks ago and love the results I got with it and some Portra 400. Even thought I am a 28mm shooter, I felt it was too wide to be my only medium format camera and as a result didn't feel comfortable keeping it, for as much as I loved it. If not for my financial situation at the moment, I would have just kept it - it was that good and that fun to use. I'll get my hands on another one day!

@jeremy-t 3 месяца назад

Hahaha! The meter is definitely "spot on".. Totally understand what you mean in terms of usability and fragility.. To me, it always felt hefty, metal and solid.. After getting used to the handling (where to place my hands so I don't poke the bellows), film advance etc.. That took a few weeks and maybe 20-30 rolls? After which it just felt awesome! Dense and rigid. As to its reputation, (this is just me), but I've persoanlly had more issues with Mamiya 7/6s than Makinas. At different points of time, I've personally owned 1x Mamiya 7, 1x Mamiya 7ii and 1x Mamiya 6. All of them had an issue one time or another. The film transport would suddenly die. I've had one just suddenly snap while advancing a frame of film and the film advance lever would spin freely.. I've had the meter / shutter / film advance just lock up requiring a dark bag film extrication mid roll.... Both my Mamiya 7ii and Mamiya 6 had an electromagnet issue that caused the shutter to delay.. My Mamiya 6 would just konk out if it wasnt used for a month, and it confused many camera workshops... The list is endless.. In my humble opinion, based on my personal experience, every camera system would encounter issues (even Leicas... Oh man.. I wouldn't go into those stories!), so I don't think the Makina horror stories are any more justified than other vintage cameras (:

@aarons6532 4 месяца назад

Absolutely loved having both a Makina and W67 for a while but they just felt so fragile. They winder went completely on my W67 meaning I had to send it from London to a guy in Miami... The stress was almost worth it for the amazing sharp/smooth rendering of the Nikkor lenses though!

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Ahh.. Yes… The pain and frustration of a camera suddenly dying is real..

@mdjsalter Месяц назад

@@jeremy-t I totally get that. My shutter cable snapped two weeks ago. Got it repaired in the UK though. There is still one technician here who will mend these cameras if he can. Parts as you say will have to be engineered ( a guy in Poland was doing this) or harvested from another camera - although this is a very expensive route to go down. The other reality is with film prices as they are that you only need to shoot 100 rolls of Portra 160 or 400 + Processing + scanning and you have just paid for a Makina W67. Maybe we should just enjoy these cameras while they still last as Kodak is about to price me and many others out of the game. Unless we process at home like I see you are doing. Or shoot black and white more.

@jimhofman3179 4 месяца назад

I operate on a "catch-and-release" strategy and I'm about to release my Makina 67. I had the bellows replaced after I bought it and it takes great photos, but I just don't feel the love for it. It's been replaced by a Mamiya 7 in my collection and now I'll trade the Makina for something else at the camera mall in Shanghai.

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

I see! The mamiya 7 is a nice one too..

@lighturpl3 4 месяца назад

Honestly, I don't know how anyone uses anything BUT a spot meter in film photography. In any scene I feel like choosing the right spot to meter on is absolutely critical; only sometimes is it middle gray depending on the contrast of the situation. But along the lines of medium format rangefinders, I've just picked up a GW670ii with a fixed 90mm lens for a really good price. It has very little moving parts, light seals, and electronics. Time will tell if the lens has good rendering. But massively enjoying its form factor over my troublesome RB67. My RB has produced some of my favorite images, but it gives me as much trouble as pleasure. As always, Jeremy, your videos are always so thorough and thought-provoking. Truly a hidden gem in the film photo YT world.

@mortimersnerd8044 4 месяца назад

An incident meter is much faster to use in all circumstances, and is especially well suited to shooting transparencies.

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Thanks you for the kind words! Yes a built in spot meter is tremendously helpful.. Placing highlights and shadows. I haven’t tried the GW670ii before, how has the shooting experience been?

@lighturpl3 4 месяца назад

@@jeremy-t It is way more portable and convenient. It's also easier to get some shots, like I was able to climb a ladder and take a shot of my friend's car-it would've been unsafe to go up there with the RB. The camera is fine technically speaking, nice to maintain the leaf shutter and the lens is quality. It does not give that feeling of a technical excellence as you describe with your Plaubel, but it does feel like it will run forever. For me, maybe the convenience isn't an advantage for medium format. Convenience makes my workflow look more like 35mm, but the reason I like my RB photos is because it's so methodical, resulting in an interesting photo I want to look at forever. Simply getting my RB into location is a method, whereas I can slip my leica into my pocket. Just my first impressions, though. And more time will tell.

@chen-pangchang5154 Месяц назад

@@lighturpl3 I'm a Leica owner and I'm thinking about also stepping into the world of medium format in the near future. Initially I was looking for something similar to Leica so rangefinder, portability and build quality, mechanical shutter button are my top priority. But your comment actually makes sense and makes me think again. Convenience is important of course but to some extent it also kind of goes against medium format's spirit. I've passed up many chances of owning RB67 at a good price because I was worried about its weight and me not able to use it extensively due to that. Plus, I feel like with medium format, it's better if I can also make the print on my own which I haven't learnt at the moment (only self developing and scanning). I'm still looking for the right medium format camera for me... and Plaubel Makina 67 might be too close to Leica 35mm and I'm now afraid I won't use it that much.

@lighturpl3 Месяц назад

@@chen-pangchang5154 100% agree with those considerations. The medium format space is fraught with trade-offs. And none of the cameras will feel as perfect as the Leica feels. All things considered, the RB is a good place to start because it has all the features (rotating back, bellows focusing, interchangeable lenses) and are affordable. That way you can decide which feature sets may suit you better while you test the format-making beautiful images along the way. Just a thought! Let me know what you end up with.

@Monologjournals 4 месяца назад

Hi Jeremy, thanks for the vid, also have my eyes on the w67, but was told that it is not user friendly for shooters with glasses (mainly the 67 & 670). How was your experience?

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Hello! I haven’t had any issues with glasses! :)

@Monologjournals 4 месяца назад

@@jeremy-t great! On my way to get one!

@carpfisher3157 4 месяца назад

Great video! Been enjoying your personal, more story telling wise, approach on how to cover gear etc. What 35mm would you recommend as a first Leica M lens? Will be using it on my M2. I saw your videos on the summilux v2, the steel rim reissue and the FLE. I'm kinda torn, or should I look at a third party as a first?

@jeremy-t 4 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed it! Wow that’s a tricky one. If you like the “vintage Leica lens look”, definitely check out the LLL 35mm 8 ele clone.. If I didn’t own any Leica lenses, that would be my pick. V2 summilux is great if you can get a good deal! I’ve only really liked the FLE for colour, not black and white. Other options - Zeiss ZM Biogon or the Voigtlander 35mm Nokton (if you don’t mind distortion)

@carpfisher3157 4 месяца назад

@@jeremy-t thanks for the quick response! 😊 Indeed I am looking for the more "vintage" look. The LLL has been on my radar for a while but the ordering from overseas and possible calibration issues (I've read some cases online) scared me off a bit. V2 prices in the EU are in the 2.7-3.9k range depending on condition so hence why I mentioned the SR reissue since your comparison really gave good insights, next to that the price difference between a nice v2 and the SR reissue would be worth it in my eyes (for the warranty etc ) and I would be shooting both b&w and color so the added contrast of the reissue is not a bad thing. Of course as you said the "fragility" that the v2 can show is ironed out.

@tomislavmiletic_ 3 месяца назад

Decades ago I had a short opportunity to shoot with this exact camera. And let me tell you, that experience was AMAZING. However, these days, that camera would cost me an arm and a leg. Plus a kidney maybe...

@bernardkealey6449 4 месяца назад

Another great video, but I think if any Camera Genies have seen this they’ll never come within 2000km of you!! Yay fully mechanical, but serviceability is terrible for any camera down here in Australia. Even for my Mamiya TLR it’s almost impossible… The cost is pretty outrageous, but yes that 55mm is lovely

@jeremy-t 3 месяца назад

Haha! Ahh... Yes sevicability is a concern, hopefully there will be more around the world! I managed to find one in Singapore (Prime Camera), and Wizcam in USA is great too!