Camerz 70mm ZIIE Long Roll lens mount?

Kino · Jun 7, 2008

Hi,

Just obtained a mint 70mm Long-roll Camerz ZIIE camera and, while it's nice and all, I don't see myself busting off 100' of 70mm film within extension cord distance of a mains socket.

Looking at the 70 to 150 zoom on the camera makes me wonder about fabricating a lens adapter for my Kiev. Since this is a mirror TTL focusing camera, I would think the back focus should be similar or longer.

I can't tell how to dismount the lens; any idea of what type of mount it uses and how to release the lens?

Kino · Jun 7, 2008

Nope; won't work. The Kiev 88 has a flange focus of 82.10 mm and the Camerz lens has a flange focus of 78mm. It would, however, work with the Kiev 60 or Pentacon 6, which has a flange focus of 74.10 mm.

Looks like its time to make a Frankenstein camera...

Greg_E · Jun 8, 2008

Couldn't you just make an adapter to put the Kiev 88 lens farther away so that it meets the 82.10mm distance?

Kino · Jun 8, 2008

Yes if i wanted to put the Kiev lens on the CamerZ body, but I want to do the opposite.

Backfocus would be 4.10 mm too short if I mounted the CamerZ zoom on the Kiev.

Greg_E · Jun 8, 2008

Sorry, I missed that part.

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 8, 2008

What does the actual mount for the Camerz lens look like? 75-150mm sounds like a Schneider zoom that was fitted to a variety of medium format systems, so it could be that the mount has some offset built in for the Camerz, and maybe if you remove the whole mount, you could make a mount for it for the Kiev.

Kino · Jun 9, 2008

David,

I don't know just yet, but I will try removing it tomorrow.

What I can see is that it is attached to the camera body via a flange and the aperture ring appears to set right down on the flange, so I doubt it will allow shortening, but I won't know for sure until I take it apart.

The lens does not want to unscrew and I can't find a release, so I don't want to break it.

I cannot see if the flange is threaded or a bayonet of some kind.

The lens says its made in Japan and feels very solid.

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 9, 2008

Have you contacted Photo-Control? They probably have some information about it and could tell you if there were an easy way to remove the lens. They're very helpful for Norman stuff, which they also distribute. They used to be at www.photo-control.com, but that doesn't seem to work right now. I was able to find the website at http://www.normanlights.com/

mtjade2007 · Jun 14, 2008

I have a Z-iie too. You can unmount the 75-150mm zoom by unscrewing the 4 screws on the lens flange. The lens can be lifted off from the camera. You are right the flange can not be shortened. I have thought of fabricating a Pentax 67 mount on this lens to use it on my 67-ii but found it a no go. This lens needs to be mounted around 78mm from the film plane. Pentax 67's 84mm away from the film plane so it's not feasible. The lens does not have a built-in shutter so it can only be used on a SLR with a focal plane shutter. The coverage of this lens is really for 645 format. Most 645 SLRs have fairly small lens mount. The Camerz zoom seems way too big to mount on any of them. So I have not found an application for this lens. Maybe it should be left alone with the Camerz body to do what it is made for.

BTW, is Camerz Z-ii (or similar) still widely used for school portrait photography? I have one and I have not been able to figure out other applications. The camera has a fix shutter speed at about 1/30th or 1/60th. It has to be mounted on a big tripod (very heavy). It will shake violently (quite visible in front of you) when the shutter is fired. It has to depend on a flash to freeze the image. With natural lighting the shutter induced vibration may blur badly every image it takes. It's an interesting camera though. Built like a tank. It's fairly loud, it vibrates, but it takes portraits. But with flash lighting it should do its job as it is supposed to.

Kino · Jun 14, 2008

Mtjade2007,

Thanks for the info; had not quite got around to trying to remove it -- too many house projects in the way.

I don't think they are used much anymore; but there may be a few studios using them for portrait or school photo use. You can buy them all day long on Ebay for $50 or less for mint examples in nice shipping cases.

I bought mine to get the tripod upon which it sat; thrown in as part of the deal, but the camera intrigued me.

I suspect it will eventually wind up in the metal scrap pile; too bad. A good example of a highly specialized camera that has lost its market.

Much like my 8000 fps Fastax 16mm HS Camera; can't give the damned thing away...

Thanks again.

Frank

mtjade2007 · Jun 17, 2008

The camerz can be used exclusively for studio portraiture photography in 645 format, besides the school photography applications. I think it will not be too hard to mount a MF roll film back and make it a 645. I will not suggest to take the lens out and scrap the rest. I have seen photos taken with one Camerz. In terms of quality it is no doubt first class. If I own a studio I will definitely use it as a 645 format portrait camera, instead of using other expensive MF gears. If you plan to set up a studio but have limited budget you sure can use a Camerz and get very high quality images. I am looking at the possibility of building a Pentax 67 mount on it so that I can use my Pentax 67 lenses on it. The primary reason for this work is to mount my Pentax 67 120mm soft focus lens for portraiture. I have looked at a cheap Kenko 2x teleconverter for Pentax 67. The mount on it can be removed and used for this project. This Pentax lens can produce very interesting portrait images.

Don't scrap your Camerz ZII. It's a good piece of equipment.

Kino · Jun 17, 2008

Understood. It appears to be a fine, specific function camera.

You should check out Midwest Photo on Ebay; they have 23 Full Kits, camera, lens, back, cords and case for $15 each.

Amazing value if you can use it ...

mtjade2007 · Jun 17, 2008

Wow, that's indeed amazing value for a very good quality portrait camera although limited to a narrow specialty use only. Mine is a split 70mm version. I found it not too hard to convert the magazine to accept 120 or 220 roll films. Or use a MF roll film back such as Mamiya film backs.

I plan to set it up loaded with a 220 roll in my living room with strobes. I will take portraits for every friend who comes to visit. It will be fun. The Camerz certainly is capable of very high quality portraiture. The image quality will be better than most if not all digital cameras with small sensors. I think we will be the last generation in using films. It's our opportunity to produce legendary images for the future generations to admire. Definitely should get one of these monsters and use it...

Kino · Jun 17, 2008

Doh, Sorry, I should have said Columbus Camera Group -- I tend to get the names mixed up, even though I used to live in Columbus; go figure...

Now they have them up to $20 a kit, better hurry!

mtjade2007 · Jun 19, 2008

Don't worry about that. Just search Camerz and it's there. It will be much cheaper if you are in the mid-west states for shipping. Again Camerz will be absolutely a fine studio portrait camera. I have seen images from such cameras. Plenty of sharpness. It should be fairly easy to convert its split 70mm film magazine to shoot with 120 or 220 roll films. 70mm long roll films are exactly 10 mm wider than 120/220 films. You can actually start to shoot with 120/220 films without modification but if you can keep the 120/220 films off from the center of the 70mm track on the magazine you will get perfect 645 images on the 120/220 films. I wond a long strip of 10mm wide tape to the bottom of my 70mm spool in the magazine. Hope that will keep the 120/220 film off the center of the spool thus allowing the full 6x4.5 image to be captured with proper orientation on the 120/220 film. I prefer 220 rolls as they give me 32 frames in one roll.

Camerz 70mm ZIIE Long Roll lens mount?

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