Grafic View lensboard

Valentin Trandafir · Sep 25, 2021

Hello everyone !
I am considering to buy my first Large format camera, a Grafic View.
I know the lensboard is 4×4 inch.
I am intending to use it with a lens in Copal 3 shutter.
The lens and shutter together are 0,750 grames and some accesories ..... let say max 1 kg all together.

Is it possible this combination ? Can a Copal 3 lens be mounted on the 4×4 inch lensboard ? Is this not too heavy - about 1 kg ?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

shutterfinger · Sep 25, 2021

A copal #3 requires a 65mm mount hole.
Graphic View lens board 101.6mm x 101.6mm.
Factory original lens boards are aluminum, 1/8inch/3.2mm thick if I remember correctly.
Wood lens board should hold the lens/shutter weight also.
The front standard is robust enough to hold any lens/shutter you can mount on the lens board.
https://www.graflex.org/articles/graphic-view/
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GVII-Instruct2.pdf
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphicView2Service.pdf

Valentin Trandafir · Sep 25, 2021

shutterfinger said:
A copal #3 requires a 65mm mount hole.
Graphic View lens board 101.6mm x 101.6mm.
Factory original lens boards are aluminum, 1/8inch/3.2mm thick if I remember correctly.
Wood lens board should hold the lens/shutter weight also.
The front standard is robust enough to hold any lens/shutter you can mount on the lens board.
https://www.graflex.org/articles/graphic-view/
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GVII-Instruct2.pdf
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphicView2Service.pdf

Thank you ! Now, I know what to do...

Donald Qualls · Sep 27, 2021

I've got a few lens boards I made by gluing (with aliphatic resin woodworking glue) two layers of Masonite/fiberboard, textured sides together, one reduced size to fit inside the standard opening and with an enlarged hole to clear the mounting nut. They could use a little felt added to tighten up the thickness fit on both my Anniversary Speed and my Graphic View, but they work fine.

The biggest lens I have on such a board is my 150 mm Componon in either Compur Rapid or Synchro Compur (don't recall which, and I'm not at home). This board, I'm pretty confident, would easily support much larger/heavier lens. As noted above, the original stamped aluminum boards will support pretty much anything you can mount on the board -- I've seen photos of them with huge 19th century barrel lenses.

Valentin Trandafir · Sep 27, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
I've got a few lens boards I made by gluing (with aliphatic resin woodworking glue) two layers of Masonite/fiberboard, textured sides together, one reduced size to fit inside the standard opening and with an enlarged hole to clear the mounting nut. They could use a little felt added to tighten up the thickness fit on both my Anniversary Speed and my Graphic View, but they work fine.

The biggest lens I have on such a board is my 150 mm Componon in either Compur Rapid or Synchro Compur (don't recall which, and I'm not at home). This board, I'm pretty confident, would easily support much larger/heavier lens. As noted above, the original stamped aluminum boards will support pretty much anything you can mount on the board -- I've seen photos of them with huge 19th century barrel lenses.

Thank you, Donald ! Good to know all this about boards...

shutterfinger · Sep 27, 2021

I use 1/4 inch Baltic Birch Plywood for lens boards. Its strong and dimensionally stable.

Valentin Trandafir · Sep 27, 2021

shutterfinger said:
I use 1/4 inch Baltic Birch Plywood for lens boards. Its strong and dimensionally stable.

Thank you !

hsandler · Oct 3, 2021

Here’s my Sironar 240mm f5.6 in a Copal 3 on an even smaller aluminum Pacemaker lens board. It’s mounted to the Graphic View II via a Pacemaker-to-Graphic View adaptor, a handy accessory if you ever consider adding a Pacemaker Crown or Speed Graphic. This lens weighs about 1 kg. You will be fine; just hold on to the front standard when loosening the front tilt knobs, as the weight may be forward, and it may want to flop forward.

I love using the Graphic View II.

Graflex Graphic View II by Howard Sandler, on Flickr

Valentin Trandafir · Oct 4, 2021

hsandler said:
Here’s my Sironar 240mm f5.6 in a Copal 3 on an even smaller aluminum Pacemaker lens board. It’s mounted to the Graphic View II via a Pacemaker-to-Graphic View adaptor, a handy accessory if you ever consider adding a Pacemaker Crown or Speed Graphic. This lens weighs about 1 kg. You will be fine; just hold on to the front standard when loosening the front tilt knobs, as the weight may be forward, and it may want to flop forward.

I love using the Graphic View II.

Graflex Graphic View II by Howard Sandler, on Flickr

Thank you, Howard ! Very usefull, indeed.
I didn't get my camera yet - maybe next week.
From what I know, it is a stable camera and has all the movements that one will need for most of the situations.
And mine will come with a vulcanite box and few lensboards.
Everything is in a good shape and clean.
All this for £160 - shipping included.

Dennis-B · Oct 4, 2021

Valentin Trandafir said:
Thank you, Howard ! Very usefull, indeed.
I didn't get my camera yet - maybe next week.
From what I know, it is a stable camera and has all the movements that one will need for most of the situations.
And mine will come with a vulcanite box and few lensboards.
Everything is in a good shape and clean.
All this for £160 - shipping included.

Stable as one can get. Wouldn't want to tote it very far, but is has most everything you need for LF. I used one for years until I traded it in for a Cambo SC.

Valentin Trandafir · Oct 4, 2021

Dennis-B said:
Stable as one can get. Wouldn't want to tote it very far, but is has most everything you need for LF. I used one for years until I traded it in for a Cambo SC.

Thank you, Dennis !

Grafic View lensboard

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