Using a Mamiya Sekor 100mm f2.8 (for Universal & press 23) on a 4x5?

[joemarsh]

Gentlemen, if you would be so kind, might anyone be able to advise me of the possibilities of using a Mamiya Sekor 100mm f2.8 --of the kind used on a Mamiya Universal or press 23-- in a 4x5 camera, such as the Grown Graphic or Graphic View studio / view camera, or even in an 8x10 camera? I know very little about matters such as coverage; I do know that I would need to make a lens board (of course)... but has anyone some advice on this? Does anyone know of a website that addresses the issue of how to adapt lenses to cameras for which the lenses were not explicitly designed, that is to say, when the body and the lens were not specifically designed to be married?

Thanks ever so much,

Joe

 

[xya]

no way to do so. it just covers 6x9. even on polaroid pack 100 film it shows some vignetting. so no way that it covers 4x5. but it's a very nice lens for 6x9.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Um, Joe, few if any press or view cameras use lenses in proprietary mounts. Most have flat lensboards that can be drilled to accept any lens in shutter. Relatively few lenses in barrel are used on view cameras because of the difficulty of timing short exposures with the mythical universal shutter, spelled H*A*T.

I'm sure a wiseguy, possibly several, will pop up here to tell you that barrel lenses can be used on press cameras that have focal plane shutters, e.g., the Speed Graphic. This is true, but, y'know, I shoot a 2x3 Graphic that has a focal plane shutter and I think that advice, although true, is dead wrong. This because 1947 and later Speed Graphics' slowest time shutter speed is 1/30. With one of them, when a slower shutter speed is needed its back to the H*A*T. Not a good idea with reversal film.

Wander over to http://www.largeformatphotography.info/ and read the FAQs. Also buy a book. Steve Simmons' book Using the View Camera and Leslie Stroebel's View Camera Technique are often recommended to beginners. Ansel Adam's Camera and Lens might help you too.

 

[joemarsh]

Thank you very much for your replies, Dan Fromm and xya, I very much appreciate your having taken the time to answer a question of what I know is such an elementary matter. I have Steve Simmons's book and have bookmarked the largeformat site will get cracking with both right away. THANKS!