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Overview

A small medium format 6x7cm system developed by Konishiroku (Japan) for Doi Camera (Japan), a well-established retailer that acquired the rights to the Plaubel brand in 1970. Doi set out to use the best Japanese technology to create a new version of the classic German press camera. The result was three rangefinder cameras with fixed lenses of different focal lengths and remarkable performance:

• Makina 67 (1978) - a classic compact lazy-tongs design with the superb Nikon NIKKOR 80/2.8;
• Makina W67 (1981) - as the 67, but with the Nikon WIDE NIKKOR 55/4.5 and small cosmetic changes;
• Makina 670 (1984) - as the 67, but with support for 220 roll film (20 exposures), gallium-arsenic photocell instead of silicon one, and the same cosmetics as the W67.

The Copal #0 shutter is located in the lens and offers shutter speeds from 1 to 1/500th of a second + B. It lets you shoot with electronic flash at all speeds. The top hot shoe permits usage of any type of strobe. All models are equipped with exposure meter located inside viewfinder. Light is measured at the center of the viewfinder. A 3-point LED manual exposure control system simplifies high-speed shooting. The viewfinder also contains bright line frame and parallax correction marks. The cameras are powered by two 1.5 volt silver oxide batteries.

While the Makina's design had a strong German influence, its engineering and production were handled in Japan by Copal, with the exception of the bellows, which were ordered from Germany. However, quality control issues hampered production so much that it had to be stopped and then transferred to Mamiya in 1981, at whose facilities the cameras were manufactured until 1986. Approximately 15.000 Makina 67 bodies were produced by Copal, another 2.000 by Mamiya, totalling 17.000 bodies. Approximately 3.500 Makina W67 and 4.000 Makina 670 bodies were made by Mamiya.