Drop bed with 90mm on Anny Speed?

C A Sugg · Oct 25, 2009

Hoping I don't need to. Due to the location of the tripod socket, I can't drop the bed on either of my heavy tripods.

Sjixxxy · Oct 25, 2009

Is room in the budget for an alternate tri-pod head? I can drop the bed on my Anny when I have it mounted on a Manfrotto 808RC4.

C A Sugg · Oct 25, 2009

Sjixxxy said:
Is room in the budget for an alternate tri-pod head? I can drop the bed on my Anny when I have it mounted on a Manfrotto 808RC4.

Not at the moment. It will work with the Bogen 3025, and -- seems -- solid enough. Right now I use that with a wooden DDR-made tripod. If that combination doesn't prove strong enough I could switch to the Gitzo G410.

Thanks,
Charles

photobum · Nov 2, 2009

I have a Wollensak Optar 90 with my CG and do not have to drop the bed. If I did have too I would run out of coverage. In any case if you have to drop the bed for say, a shot of the Grand Canyon here's what to do. Get a 1/4 inch piece of aluminum stock, around 2x4 inches. Drill one end with a 1/4 hole and drill and tap the other side to 1/4 x20. Use this spacer plate to shift the camera forward on the tripod head and drop away. Use a 1/4 X 20 X 1/2 inch bolt to mount the camera.

This is very easy to do and if you have no tools any seventh grade shop class could do it for you. If you find you use it often make it out of iron stock.

Ian Grant · Nov 2, 2009

Even a 75mm Super Angulon doesn't need the bed to be dropped, I assume your worried about getting the front in shot.

I can drop the bed with my tripods and if you compensate with rise and a bit of back tilt there's no coverage issues. A 90mm need very little tilt anyway compared to a 135mm or 150mm lens.

Ian

BetterSense · Nov 5, 2009

Even a 75mm Super Angulon doesn't need the bed to be dropped,

But my 90mm Angulon needs the bed dropped?

Ian Grant · Nov 5, 2009

For most uses I don't drop the bed with my 90mm Angulon, I use my Crown Graphic hand-held, but there are odd occasions where it's useful. I don't have an issue with any of my main tripods. Another option is to switch the front standard around to allow front tilt, but the camera may not close as the rangefinder runner fouls the standard on closing.

Ian

Venchka · Nov 5, 2009

BetterSense said:
But my 90mm Angulon needs the bed dropped?

I can't speak for the bed dropping. I can speak for my Pacemaker Speed Graphic and tripods. With a cable release and those tiny leaf shutters, unless you're in a howling hurricane, you don't need a lot of tripod or head. I have a Bogen 3021s (s for short) that holds up my Speed Graphic just fine. As a matter of fact, I regret not buying the 3021 regular size when they were being made. The 3021 is a much better tripod than those that replaced it. A New Jersey made Tiltall will do just fine for a Speed Graphic too.

Here's a thought: mount the lens, don't drop the bed, focus at infinity, take a picture. Find out for yourself what works & what doesn't work. Report back.

K.I.S.S. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I'm about 100 miles east of you in Wood County on some weekends when I'm not in Houston. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle. Swap yarns. Tell war stories. Grab a burger. Take a picture.

BetterSense · Nov 5, 2009

Here's a thought: mount the lens, don't drop the bed, focus at infinity, take a picture. Find out for yourself what works & what doesn't work.

No; it's that I have to drop the bed, or the end of the bed will be in the photo. I have several negatives featuring my speed graphic's bed at the bottom. I absolutely have to drop the bed with my 90mm angulon or it will be in the picture (when focused on infinity).

I recently shot a picture of a building with my speed graphic handheld at 1/100 with a leaf shutter, and made an extreme 10x enlargement. It was just as sharp as the picture taken with solid support. I think the mass of these cameras helps a lot with steadiness.

Venchka · Nov 5, 2009

Well, now we know. Drop the bed. Tilt to vertical. Rise to center. Bob's your uncle!

Ian Grant · Nov 5, 2009

Very strange, I shoot with my 90mm and no problems at all, in fact I was using my Graphic with my 90mm Angulon again last week.

This is one I took this spring at Nyssa of the Roman Stadiun, with the Angulon, the print is the whole negative with no cropping:

Since then I've also used my 75mm SA again with no drop bed, and again no problems. Has your lens board been drilled off centre ? The board that came with my first Graphic had a Tessar fitted lower than normal on the board, which is great with a 135mm/150mm but might cause a problem with a 90mm.

It could also be be that you have the standard positioned too far back on the trackbed so have to rack out for Infinity focus.

Ian

BetterSense · Nov 5, 2009

It could be that I had the rack out. I should be more careful about that. With my angulon there's no need to drop the bed otherwise, since the front standard finishes on the inner rails at infinity. Perhaps my lens is shorter than advertised? I don't have any scans. Oh well.

Ian Grant · Nov 5, 2009

All the 90mm Angulons will be quite similar, I don't have Infinity stops on my Crown Graphic and just line the standard up against the rear bit between the 2 rails for the 90mm Angulon and that works fine.

Ideally I should fit Infinity stops I have a pair witha Speed Graphic in the UK, I had thought of using just one for the 90mm & the other a 135mm or 150mm. I can't decide whether to use a modern 2000+ f5.6 Xenar, an f4.5 T-coated 50's CZJ Tessar or a MC Symmar S (Caltar) 135mm. I think it'll be the Tessar as it matches the Rangefinder and it's bitingly sharp at f16 onwards.

Ian

Drop bed with 90mm on Anny Speed?

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