Tilt/Shift adapter with 4x5 lens for Bronica SQ-A

[alex.g]

Hello
guys, what do you think about building a tilt/shift adapter out of fuji gx680 bellow assembly and 4x5 lens for Bronica SQ-a (or any other camera)?
I already bought junk gx680 body and disassembled it completely to have only empty box and bellows.
Empty cast frame will be cut to have a thicker plate/holder for my Bronica.

Take a look




What do you think?
Some initial story - http://www.flickr.com/groups/bronica/discuss/72157632748291258/

Next major step, choose a Lens. What would you recommend, some angulon 90/6.3?

 

[alex.g]

need to make custom bellows, what material should i choose, please?

 

[Dan Fromm]

Oh, the corrupting power of found money.

Toss the junk GX, get a cheap 4x5 view camera -- you should be able to get a Cambo SC-2 for under $150 -- and attach the SQ-a to it. You'll have to sacrifice a lens board to make an adapter to hole the Bronica. The lowest cost source for 4x5 Cambo boards is KEH.

 

[alex.g]

i'm more to feasibility of the idea not about how i spent my money.
Cambo is nice, too. But i choose gx.

 

[wildbill]

sounds like a pain in the ass. put the gx back together and get it fixed those have great view camera capabilities if you don't mind carrying it around.
if you must continue with this goofy project buy the bellows off ebay for $20-25. get a lens that fits the gx mount.

 

[alex.g]

it cant be fixed, it was a junk and this is about dyi
I know it looks strange for some, but i need advice on how would you finish it, not about how to throw it away and buy Cambo or anything.

if you have nothing to say, better ignore this thread.
thank you

 

[wildbill]

what exactly is junk about it? is the front standard of the gx broken?
if you could remove the camera/box/mirror portion and replace that with the bronica body then that'd be a start. I recommended using the gx front standard because lens boards/lenses are already available and the bellows size (square) is commonly available on ebay. attach a generic bellows to a bronica lens mount/board. that's nothing to say.

 

[cjbecker]

Alex.g I'm fully behind you, I hope you can get it all working.

 

[cjbecker]

Can you make an adaptor to mount the rails to the tripod mount on the SQ

 

[himself]

I'd go with an adaptor and attach to the tripod mount as the easiest way.

or if you're not to attached to it, you could cut the fuji back down so that all that's left is where the rails fit, then stick a plate on the top of it (thickness depending on how high you need the lens to be) so you can screw to the bottom of the bronica.

you'll then need to make a plate (2mm card or mdf should be ok) that can attach the bellows to the bronica body... drill out an old body cap and attach it that way?

you'll only need a small bellows I guess, so you can make one out of card or paper, but I've found an old dark bag will give you all the material you'll need to make one. It's best to use the dark bag on the inside, the stiffeners on top of that and then another thinner material on top of that again. I've never had any light leaks.

I'd only worry about the lens once you've built everything, just to make sure you have one long enough to focus at infinity.

how does that sound?

 

[lxdude]

if you must continue with this goofy project buy the bellows off ebay for $20-25. get a lens that fits the gx mount.

Operating GX lenses is problematic with the dead body. Mounting a view camera lens to the front standard would work well. I really like the idea of using the double cable release- it makes it easy to view up to the moment of exposure. If the GX is really dead (probably electronics) then this is just a fun DYI project which salvages what is otherwise only good for parts.

 

[alex.g]

Wildbill,
If i can remove front part... please look at second photo, it is removed and the body is 'cleaned' from misc parts.
I have bought a cheap junk non functional camera just to start this project. Front part is fully functional, i mean mechanical.

CJBecker
Thank you for support, this is what i need.
Yes, i can mount the body with rail in tripod. I will take another photo.

Himself
yes, exactly, this is my plan. I want to cut the alloy body so i can put SQ body on it and center of the bayonet of the sq will be centered to front frame of the gx. Maybe i will integrate my quick release plate.
Great idea about darkbag cloth, thank you. Len me check some info about ho can i make small bellow. If you have some, please share.
And yes, main concern is lens... i think it should be 127mm at least. Is it like a distance from the lens to the film, isnt it?

Lxdude
Not quite a problem, it is an electronic triggered seiko shutter, just to find out the right contacts. And i think GX lenses has image circle wide enought to have tilt/shift for 6x8 area (my SQ is 6x6 'only')

 

[lxdude]

Maybe you're right. But remember, the SQ lens is triggered mechanically and then held open electronically, before closing mechanically when the power to it is cut. At 1/500 it is opened and closed mechanically, without the body timing it at all. So if all it takes to open a GX lens is to send power to a contact, and to close it, for power to that same contact to be cut, it should work fine off the SQ body, up to a 250th.

The GX lens would of course cover 6x6 easily, as it is meant for 6x8.

 

[alex.g]

just got a manual
as far as i understand, fully electronic


and they recommend 180mm

 

[lxdude]

So if it's a simple power on/power off design, you should be able to use it to 1/250th with a GX lens, if the voltage (6V) from the SQ body is sufficient. I think the GX runs at something like 7.2 volts, an am assuming that is what goes to the lens.
FYI, 180mm is about equivalent to a 100mm in 135 format.

 

[himself]

there are a couple pages on the web that detail how to make a simple bellows, i'll dig out a link for you later.

yes, you should measure from the film plane to the closest the bellows will close. that will give you the minimum focal length.

regarding syncinhg the shutter, I wouln't bother, just get a lens in a leaf shutter and when your ready to shoot just lock up the mirror and set the body to 'double exposure' mode.

most of the old 6x9 folder lenses will just about cover what you need with modest movements. I imagine any of the 135mm lenses on a 9x12 camera will be more than enough.

 

[himself]

http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/homemade4x5/bellows1.html


here's the link. this is blueprint I used to make my first, it's simple but works. there is also a bellows design calculator that someone here made, but youl'll need to search the site for that

 

[alex.g]

Thank you guys
So =>135mm from olde folder would be enough to start?

 

[himself]

I wouldn'd like to say for sure, but if it's off an old 9x12, most of which had at least rise and shift, it should cover 6x6 with movements... just don't expect extreme movements