Canham DLC 45 and 65 mm lens

I have a Canham DLC 4x5 camera. My widest lens is a 90 mm. I am considering something wider.

Is 65 mm too wide for the camera with the regular bellows? Must I get a bag bellows for $345 to use the lens? Is 75 mm too close to 90 mm? Any comments appreciated.

jeroldharter said:

I have a Canham DLC 4x5 camera. My widest lens is a 90 mm. I am considering something wider.

Is 65 mm too wide for the camera with the regular bellows? Must I get a bag bellows for $345 to use the lens? Is 75 mm too close to 90 mm? Any comments appreciated.

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Jerold,

I do not know from experience but, since you have the camera, why not push the two standards as close together as you reasonably can and measure the distance from the front of the lens board to the film plan? Compare this number to the flange focal length of the desired lens....Seems like you could get a ball park idea.

BradS said:

Jerold,

I do not know from experience but, since you have the camera, why not push the two standards as close together as you reasonably can and measure the distance from the front of the lens board to the film plan? Compare this number to the flange focal length of the desired lens....Seems like you could get a ball park idea.

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According to the product information the minimum bellows length is something like 58 mm suggesting that a 65 mm lens is doable. I worry that it might be technically possible but practically a pain in the rear ... so I wonder if anyone is using this combo and what they think about it.

According to Rodenstock literature, the flange focal distance for the 65mm F/4.5 Grandagon-N in Copal #0 is 70.1mm...so, you've got maybe, 20mm of breathing room. You could mount the lens in a Toyo recessed lensboard and get a bit more. The lens doesn't really have enough coverage to allow gigantic movements so, it's pretty much a straight on thing anyway. Seems very doable...just looking at the numbers.

Re: Canham DLC 45 and 65mm lens

I use the DLC 45 and regularily use a Schneider 58/5.6 XL on a flat Canham lens board. I have had no problems with the bellows. Admittedly there is no movements of the front standard available, but that is something I do not make use of anyhow. I also have a center filter for the lens and often have not yet decided if it was worth the purchase. (I guess if I have to ask was it worth it, then it probably was not.) I use the lens primarily for landscapes, but have done some architectural stuff as well.

Sorry for late reply, but just back from vacation (where I used my Canham DLC45 and Schneider 80 SS/XL extensively). My experience is that while you can use the camera with the 80mm reasonably well with the normal bellows, any movements are already "fighting" with the bellows - I could get some front rise or fall, but you are kind of pushing things into place, and I always had to double check that the pressure wasn't forcing the rear standard out of line (tighten down really hard!) The issue isn't the excellent design of the camera, which lets the standards come really close together, but the flexibility of the bellows for movements. If you don't need any movements, you will be fine, but if you are doing architectural stuff, with front rise and/or swing, I would personally recommend a bag bellows for the really short lenses.

I'll address the 75mm issue-

75 is already substantially wider than 90. If it is at all possible for you, I'd suggest renting one to see if it gives you what you're looking for.