Medium format technical / view camera

abruzzi · Dec 17, 2024

pkr1979 said:
Thanks. What do you mean about the horseman specific cable release attachement? I cant use a regular release cabel?

Horseman lens boards need a release with a cylindrical tip. You can get releases with the tip built in, or you can get an adapter that attached to a regular release, so you can use that.

Here is an image that shows a release that already has the correct tip:

pkr1979 · Dec 17, 2024

abruzzi said:
Horseman lens boards need a release with a cylindrical tip. You can get releases with the tip built in, or you can get an adapter that attached to a regular release, so you can use that.

Here is an image that shows a release that already has the correct tip:

View attachment 385681

Is this gonna be an issue?

Chuck1 · Dec 17, 2024

It could be just scrutinize the photos:
The pw(2x3 only) 65mm has a thing that accepts standard cables.most super 65mms need the adapter or special release
There are more modern lensboards that also will take a standard cable.

Paul Howell · Dec 17, 2024

My 105 came with the Horseman lens board, I just put the lens back on and wrapped the end of standard release cable with aluminum foil then tighten the screw to hold the release in place, it works, just not very sturdy.

abruzzi · Dec 17, 2024

The item I linked above has another benefit. In addition to having the correct end for the Horseman lens boards (prior to the ER lenses which have an electric solenoid), that cable release has a rectangular slot at the plunger end that allows you to mount it to the camera and press with your thumb while handholding:

The sellers on eBay are overpricing it ($100 +$30 shipping) but if you can find one for a reasonable price--I paid $60 all in--its not bad

abruzzi · Dec 17, 2024

ags2mikon said:
@abruzzi, Are you referring to the rubber eye cup tube for the viewfinder? If so there is a seller on ebay that is making 3d printed ones. I bought one, in fact he had the ones for the 970, 980, 985 and vh-r. I gave him the dimensions for some of the cameras. It is good quality and does help with light shielding. The only problem is on the vh-r you have to remove it to rotate the back.

Interesting--I didn't see those--do you have a link? I carefully made sure that when I bought my VH-R it had both tubes, but it would be good to know that you can still get them.

Ben Hutcherson · Dec 17, 2024

FWIW, I have and use some a 2x3 Century.

It came from a friend of mine who bought it new back in the 60s and "tricked it out" a bit with a 105mm f/3.5 Schneider Xenar in a Linhof shutter(which IIRC is a rebranded Synchro-Compur). Of course lenses are readily swapped, but that's a wonderful standard lens to have on it. Movements are somewhat limited compared to a proper technical camera, but you do get front rise/fall, some front tilt, and front shift. The only major movement missing(unless there's a trick to getting it I'm not aware of, but I don't recall having this one on any of the various Graphic cameras I've had) is front swing.

My friend had the factory side grip for it with an integrated pistol grip, an arrangement that makes it quite handholdable, and of course using the 105mm with the rangefinder properly calibrated it's relatively fast handling. Using the ground glass is a bit of a pain with a rollfilm back, but for anything that uses a Graflok type system that's going to be the case. You can use either Graflex or Mamiya RB67 film backs with it, and have your choice of anything from 645 to 6x9 with those(although my Graflex "23" backs give just a shade over 80mm on the long dimension).

Years ago, I think on the LFF forum or maybe Graflex.org, @Dan Fromm even suggested to me(in a discussion about Hasselblad wide angles) that a 38mm Biogon on a Century paired with a 6x6 back could be a viable alternative. I forget if he said it would cover larger than 6x6, although I'm pretty sure he said not 6x9-maybe he'll weigh in given that he's in this thread. Now that I have a camera, I have been watching for one on and off. It's certainly an attracive alternative to me compared to the Hasselblad SWC...

Besk · Dec 17, 2024

A 47mm Super Angulon with a 6x9 back will give an even wider field of view than the Hassy with the 38mm Biogon.
The 38mm Biogon covers 6x6 but not much else.

ags2mikon · Dec 17, 2024

Here is the auction number for the VH-R eye cup. 235565901501

ags2mikon · Dec 17, 2024

I bought a 970 camera because it came with 3 cable releases and the electric grip and 3 cams and a bunch of other accessories for less than they wanted for 2 cable releases. The fit and finish on the 970 is nicer than my vh-r's or my 985's. It just doesn't have as many front movements.

Dan Fromm · Dec 17, 2024

Ben Hutcherson said:
Years ago, I think on the LFF forum or maybe Graflex.org, @Dan Fromm even suggested to me(in a discussion about Hasselblad wide angles) that a 38mm Biogon on a Century paired with a 6x6 back could be a viable alternative. I forget if he said it would cover larger than 6x6, although I'm pretty sure he said not 6x9-maybe he'll weigh in given that he's in this thread. Now that I have a camera, I have been watching for one on and off. It's certainly an attractive alternative to me compared to the Hasselblad SWC...

Ben, my 38/4.5 Biogon covers 84 mm with good illumination and sharpness, goes totally black at 86 mm. Not what you want on 6x7, let alone on 2x3. But it is good for panoramas. 24x80, sometimes a little longer depending on the roll holder, on 2x3 with a small dark triangle in each corner. Who needs an XPan? A Century will do more for considerably less money.

Good luck finding an ex-aerial camera 38 Biogon. They still turn up but not very often.

Ben Hutcherson · Dec 17, 2024

Dan Fromm said:
Ben, my 38/4.5 Biogon covers 84 mm with good illumination and sharpness, goes totally black at 86 mm. Not what you want on 6x7, let alone on 2x3. But it is good for panoramas. 24x80, sometimes a little longer depending on the roll holder, on 2x3 with a small dark triangle in each corner. Who needs an XPan? A Century will do more for considerably less money.

Good luck finding an ex-aerial camera 38 Biogon. They still turn up but not very often.

Thanks Dan for the information on that. I'll keep my eyes open as a "one of these days" option.

I've really come to appreciate just how great of a platform the Century is. I still have a Pacemaker Crown in 2x3, and in the past had a 4x5 Pacemaker Speed. Along with that I have an older 2x3 Speed. The Century I feel like gets snubbed for being "plastic" and all of that, but it really is the easiest to use movement wise of all the various Graphics I've had, and despite being "plastic" feels every bit as solid if not more so than the Pacemaker generation cameras but is lighter.

I really would like to get an ultrawide of some sort for this camera, and may look for some other options aside from the Biogon. Something that would cover 6x7 would be perfect(and I have a 45mm for my Pentax 67 so would prefer something a bit wider). I know there are options, but there's still some cachet around the Biogon for me at least.

At least too on a Century too as compared to an SWC, you can get actual TTL viewing/focusing with the standard back and don't have to hunt down the impossible to find Hasselblad ground glass back...

Chuck1 · Dec 17, 2024

The mamiya 50mm 6.3 is a biogon...

ags2mikon · Dec 18, 2024

And the 50mm f6.3 Mamiya is a very fine lens. I'm impressed with mine.

ic-racer · Dec 18, 2024

ic-racer · Dec 18, 2024

Thanks for the heads up and link to the reproduction eye cups. I just ordered both of them. I think they will come in handy with the rollfilm back, as it sticks out so far.

ags2mikon · Dec 18, 2024

It looks like all of the Horseman users in the world on Photrio!

pkr1979 · Dec 18, 2024

What exactly is it that requires the Horseman cable release? I mean, if the lens is on a Copal #0 shutter, wouldnt that shutter accept a regular cable release like all other shutters? If I get Horseman VH lensboards (without shutters/lenses) and use a regular Copal #0 shutter with a large format lens - wouldnt this work?

ic-racer · Dec 18, 2024

pkr1979 said:
What exactly is it that requires the Horseman cable release? I mean, if the lens is on a Copal #0 shutter, wouldnt that shutter accept a regular cable release like all other shutters? If I get Horseman VH lensboards (without shutters/lenses) and use a regular Copal #0 shutter with a large format lens - wouldnt this work?

There is only a lever on the shutter. There is no socket on the shutter itself for the cable release. The cable fits on the lensboard. The lensboard accepts the special cable release but also you can use the little adapter from post #90.

Essentially the adapter in post #90 turns any cable release in to a "Horseman" cable release.

The shutters don't have a PC outlet either. PC outlet is hard-wired into the lensboard.

ic-racer · Dec 18, 2024

Personally I thought the cable release caused blurry pictures so I use the solenoid and smooth and soft electric switch.

The circular button is ON/OFF and the rectangular button is the shutter release.

pkr1979 · Dec 18, 2024

Where can the adapters be purchased? I didnt se any on the bay. I did however see Horseman cables for about a 100US.

Chuck1 · Dec 18, 2024

I found mine by looking at photos of lenses. One had it in there and it was reasonably priced...
They can be hard to find

ags2mikon · Dec 18, 2024

But you don't need it. The socket is threaded in the bottom. It is nice to have though because it is faster to change lenses. I have attached pictures of 2 of my lenses, one is from the 900 series and the other is from the ER series. Both have a thread for standard cable releases, that is what is in the pictures.

pkr1979 · Dec 19, 2024

ags2mikon said:
But you don't need it. The socket is threaded in the bottom. It is nice to have though because it is faster to change lenses. I have attached pictures of 2 of my lenses, one is from the 900 series and the other is from the ER series. Both have a thread for standard cable releases, that is what is in the pictures.

Thanks!

pkr1979 · Dec 19, 2024

Ive been reading abit more on using wide angle lenses with this camera. If using a 65mm is then a recessed lensboard necessary due to the bed? If a recessed lensboard is necessary will that cause any other limitations?

Medium format technical / view camera

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