Wanting to use a 90mm on a Prinzdorff

mark · Mar 8, 2019

Yes, I have one of those cameras. I like it and it has served quite well but I have always been frustrated by the inability to focus a 90mm lens. Just before focus the front standard bumps into a bracket on the rear standard. I considered a recessed lens board but with the lensboards being roughly 4 inches there is just no room for one and the shutter still be accessible.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Here is the camera with the offending brackets.

Doremus Scudder · Mar 8, 2019

Some thoughts:

I use 90mm and 75mm lenses on my Wista DX all the time on recessed Technika boards. If your lensboard is wood and 4x4 inches (or anything larger and thicker than a Technika-style board), you can easily make an improvised adapter out of mat board or, what I uses, Masonite.

Technika boards are almost 4 inches tall and a little less wide; you only need to make a shim/light-blocking baffle out of something. I have a couple cameras that take 4x4-inch boards (Zone VI and Graphic View II), and I made adapters by peeling a layer of of a pre-cut 4x4 piece of Masonite. I then glued small strips of Masonite (or mat board) onto the edges. This gets sandwiched together with the Technika board when mounting; works great.

When using the 90mm and 75mm on the recessed boards, I have to set the aperture with the end of the cable release or a pencil or something thin. The aperture ring and cocking lever I can access with my fingers.

Maybe my solution will work on your Prinzdorf (looks like a re-badged Tachi to me).

Best,

Doremus

voceumana · Mar 8, 2019

On a Calumet 4x5 I had at one time, I used a recessed lensboard. I found it necessary to attach a 6 inch cable release to the lens before mounting it, and just left it on there all the time. The lens was an Angulon (not Super-Angulon) 90mm, so the shutter release was the only control where access was difficult when mounted on the recessed board.

You might consider acquiring a 90 mm Angulon for just that reason--it's a nice performing little lens.

Rick A · Mar 8, 2019

I have a Raja/Deardorff, Rajah body, Dorff backs, 85mm fully compressed as shown. I can just focus a 90mm at infinity without a recessed lensboard.

Ian Grant · Mar 8, 2019

Doremus, I use 65mm, 75mm, and 90mm lenses on my Wista 45 DX all on flat lens boards, It's easybwith the 75mm f5,6 Super Angulon and 90mm Grandagon biut with e 65mm f8 Super Angulon I have to use rear tilt (backwards) similar front tilts (backwards) so the two planes parallel. It's easy once you know how

I suspect the OP needs to do something similar.

Ian

Doremus Scudder · Mar 9, 2019

Ian,
I'm aware that you can use shorter lenses on the DX without recessed boards. I prefer them, however, especially for the 90mm when I need a lot of movements. It really keeps the bellows from crimping so badly (a problem with DXs). With my 90mm f/8 Nikkor SW and the Wista SW (with bag bellows attached) I have more movement than the lens can cover; really helpful for cityscapes when I need a lot of rise. My 75mm doesn't cover much more than 4x5 anyway.

In any case, the OP was looking for a solution to his problem, which a recessed board would solve. Being able to mount recessed Technika boards on my larger Zone VI camera helps a lot in this respect. I'm still looking for a bag bellows for it, however.

Maybe your tilt technique would work for him too, but I can't really figure out what you are doing... Could you describe it a bit more clearly?

@OP: FWIW, all my lenses in recessed boards have cable releases permanently attached. Some are attached to the lens before mounting the lens in the recessed board. For others I use the cable release socket on the lens board that's attached to the shutter release of the lens by a bent wire extension. These work well once you get them working right.

Best,

Doremus

mark · Mar 9, 2019

Rick A said:
I have a Raja/Deardorff, Rajah body, Dorff backs, 85mm fully compressed as shown. I can just focus a 90mm at infinity without a recessed lensboard.
View attachment 218961

Obviously I never thought of doing that. What a good Idea.

removed account4 · Mar 9, 2019

Hi Mark
I've had a really deep recessed lensboard before, and used a "right angle cable release" adapter. It attaches right to the end of your cable release and works GREAT!
I think it is what Doremus might have been talking about. Kaiser makes one and they are on the amazon thing for about $30..

jim10219 · Mar 9, 2019

jnantz said:
Hi Mark
I've had a really deep recessed lensboard before, and used a "right angle cable release" adapter. It attaches right to the end of your cable release and works GREAT!
I think it is what Doremus might have been talking about. Kaiser makes one and they are on the amazon thing for about $30..

That's what I was going to suggest.

Ian Grant · Mar 10, 2019

Doremus Scudder said:
In any case, the OP was looking for a solution to his problem, which a recessed board would solve. Being able to mount recessed Technika boards on my larger Zone VI camera helps a lot in this respect. I'm still looking for a bag bellows for it, however.

Maybe your tilt technique would work for him too, but I can't really figure out what you are doing... Could you describe it a bit more clearly?

Doremus

I'll set the Wista up later today with the 65mm SA and take some photos, it's very simple and intuitive once you realise what you're doing, I suggested it because it may work for the OP's camera. It's the only way I can use a 65mm with the Wista without including the focus bed in the image

Just maximum back tilt, after loosening the rise/fall and tilt of the front standard, then centre the lens and bring the front standard parallel ot leave any necessary front tilt. It's very quick and easy.

Part of the issue is recessed lens boars are best made from metal, I have an issue with the Kodak Specialist 2 Half Plate (7x5) camera I bought recently the lens boards are slightly larger than Linhof/Wista but it takes a wooden recessed lens board for it 4¼" (110mm) Dallmeyer WA this is to overcome bellows compression. However the Dallmeyer is a tiny shutter-less lens. The issue is space fitting a modern 90mm WA like an f8 or f5.6 Super Angulon in a recessed wooden board. I'm sure it can be done but the extra wall thickness using wood doesn't help. I've already made an adapter board to use regular Linhof/Wista boards with the camera, I don't have a recess Linhof/Wista board to try but it should work. This would be another option in the OP's case.

Ian

Doremus Scudder · Mar 10, 2019

Ian,

Thanks for the clarification. Yep, it's just the good old "point-down-and-tilt-parallel" trick. I don't know if that will help the OP though. I'm not sure his standards can get that close to each other.

Also glad to see that your DX is almost as well-used as mine!

Best,

Doremus

Ian Grant · Mar 10, 2019

Doremus Scudder said:
Also glad to see that your DX is almost as well-used as mine!
Doremus

Well used is an under statement, it fell to bits last year on a shoot or rather the metal base plate almost completely separated from the camera, all but two of the screws had shaken loose and been lost. 30+ years of hard use and it was second hand when I bought it, I'd buy another

Ian

Arklatexian · Mar 10, 2019

voceumana said:
On a Calumet 4x5 I had at one time, I used a recessed lensboard. I found it necessary to attach a 6 inch cable release to the lens before mounting it, and just left it on there all the time. The lens was an Angulon (not Super-Angulon) 90mm, so the shutter release was the only control where access was difficult when mounted on the recessed board.

You might consider acquiring a 90 mm Angulon for just that reason--it's a nice performing little lens.

The Graflex View II camera had a similar recessed lens board (I don't have one) which I imagine you had to make a similar arrangement with a short cable release though someone made an angled cable release extender that might work. I have considered the 90mm Angulon (not Super Angulon). Is the only difference the coverage?.........Regards!

Wanting to use a 90mm on a Prinzdorff

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