Hello from Maryland

[jwcorey]

I recently renewed my interest in film photography and have begun playing with vintage cameras - to repair and use.  My current project involves the Paxette line of 35 mm rangefinder cameras.  I don't mind admitting that I was pretty intimidated once I managed to remove the lens and get a look at the shutter and timer mechanisms on the Paxette I.  Got my feet wet by immediately by busting a few parts but with $30 initial investment I wasn't overly concerned.  Given that initial endeavor I decided to pick up a couple of spare camera bodies and lenses and start looking around for good technical resources - this board being one of them!.  

Regards

[Stephen]

Welcome to the Forum......
With Paxette Cameras the best way is the course you have followed, they are quite cheap,(at least in the UK), for non-working ones, and a lot of early Paxettes are non-working on at least slow speeds, but usually there is little wrong, the shutter mechanism does not need much disassembly, but a good clean with lighter fluid, or petrol. Removing the front is not too bad, apply the cleaner with a fine artist's brush, and then mop away with a tissue pad, which should carry away the dirt.

At least the shutters are quite standard designs and types, it should free up, and with a tiny amount of oil, burst back to life. Later Paxette with the interchangeable lens are more reliable, but are prone to sticking slow speeds, and all models are plagued with bad sticky self timers, mainly because of little use over the years.

On most leaf shutters it is a good rule not to take them apart, a clean out is the usual fix. I find the best oil is the new Nano oils on the net, the fine grades are perfect for clockwork of any type. Never oil the iris or shutter blades, they will become sticky. Some shutters like Robot or Focal plane types must be lubricated on the various shafts and gears, especially Exakta.

If you have not found out already, the later two stroke wind on type Paxette has a very awkward to re-assemble ratchet and pawl inside the knob, once done the right way, it will be easy the second time!!

If a lever wind busts completely then simply remove all the internal stuff and file off the wind on lever, and add a small machine screw through from the top of the knob to engage with the lower part, this often is seen on secondhand models that once had the lever wind, but now operate as knob wind. I often think the reason this was done was loss of parts during taking apart.!!!

Stephen. (Seven Paxettes at current count).

[jwcorey]

Thanks for the detailed background Stephen -

At the present time I have two Paxettes, both are pre-wind lever (no idea what model number), one utilizes a Pronto-S shutter (B,1,2,5,10,25,50,100,300, along with a self timer) and the other sports a Vario shutter (B,25,50,200). Spent a couple of hours playing with both shutters side-by-side to understand the interrelationship of all the parts. Elegantly Simple!!! Disassembled and re-assembled each shutter release assembly once I got over my fear of ever getting all those small screws and springs back where they belonged. I played with the shutter speed assembly but did not take that apart.

Cameras also came with lenses, Pointikar 2.8/45 and Steinheil Munchen Cassar 2.8/45. Everything I have read so far on the early Paxette cameras is that they utilize M39 threaded lenses - the lenses that came with my cameras are 22mm (not sure of thread size).

Jim (Two Paxettes on hand; one more Paxette, one Braun Paxette Super II BL, and one Braun Paxette II headed my way via snail mail)

[Peltigera]

I like Paxettes. I have two and intend getting others when finances and opportunity agree - they are nicely designed and made cameras even if not up to Zeiss Ikon or Voigtlander standards. I don't take mine apart, mind. That is the quickest way to destroy anything as far as I am concerned.

And welcome to Camera Collector.

[jwcorey]

I should have mentioned it in my initial post that both cameras were purchased as non-functioning only good for parts. I got them for the express purpose of tearing them down to see how they worked. I have managed to get one working camera by swapping parts between the two. Ran a roll of film through it to test for light leaks, verify shutter speeds and aperture settings. Got the film back today - good exposures so the shutter speeds and aperture seem to be "close." The images were mildly to very much out of focus so I think the lens may have "issues." Once my spanners arrive I'll attack the lens!

Cheers

[truls]

Welcome to the forum, this must be the most friendly forum on the entire net. Also several of the members holds a great amount of both camera- and repair knowledge. Also, most members shoot film now and then, keeping the medium still alive.

[Stephen]

With Paxettes there were no model numbers or serial numbers! or at least it seems like that, as Braun were always fiddling with the design and features. You can assign model types to each basic body, and later they added serial numbers.

All the Braun cameras with the interchangeable lenses should be M39x1mm type, Paxette film to flange distance of 44mm, in other words a Leica thread, but further out to allow the use of the leaf shutters. Early types have no rangefinder cam, later ones do.

You mention 22mm thread and I suspect this is the internal thread on the early non interchangeable lens type, and the focus issue is the disassembly of the helicoid focus screw, which may be a multi start thread, and it has been re-engaged on the wrong thread.

I have not had the problem on a Paxette as such, but it is a common problem with all compacts. Usually the problem shows up as the focusing scales no longer line up, but even this indicator can sometimes not work, as the final scales attach separately on some designs.

It can need a bit of patience to try to find the right Thread start, check with ground glass with lens set to B, you may be lucky and find it right first time.

Golden rule for Camera repairs, never waste any film, till checks are made with a ground glass to check focus and whether the lens is complete!! I watched a novice repairman, who would not be helped, struggling with a Xenar lens Retina to get it to focus, I gave him the clue in the end to count the glass elements, it was missing the back one!!

These days with Digital cameras, use them to take lots of photos of the disassembly, it really helps with leaf shutters and irises, where there are hundreds of parts!

Even the basic Pointikar (Pointkar on some), lens works well at medium settings and Paxettes were made with Xenars, or better as well. The Cassars are a bit softer compared to a Tessar or the Xenar. Most Enna lenses are OK, to very good. Paxettes are good cameras, given the right lens, or keeping within the limits of the more basic lenses.

Stephen.