What Have I Bought?

dazedgonebye · Dec 19, 2007

paul ewins said:
Hmm, strange, I can't see the first post I made or the OP's reply to it. Anyway It looks exactly like mine which is 4x5.

Have a look at this thread on the LFphoto forum for another one:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=22081

Cool! It has brothers!
It looks like that might be a 75mm lens in the last picture you linked to?
Wait...ok, once I read the whole thing I see it is a 75mm lens.

So, does this look like I'll be able to mount a lens and focusing unit?

Dan Fromm · Dec 19, 2007

Thanks very much for the link, Paul. The thing is vaguely reminiscent of a Sirchie Labs ID camera I bought earlier this year "for the shutter." It had a sort of 2x3 Graflok and a dividing back. Took two shots/6x7 frame, both a bit smaller than half frame. The lens was a 105/4.5 Comparon in Synchro Compur with no provision for focusing or even collimation.

Bandicoot · Dec 20, 2007

dazedgonebye said:
Now that I think of it, just the fact that there is a bayonet mount would seem to point to medium format...wouldn't it?

There have been a few bayonet mounts used in LF. Mostly for the sort of wideangle cameras that use helical focusing rather than bellows.

Someone - can't remember who - at one time made an after-market bayonet system as a way of saving on carrying lensboards and/or to make swapping between different types of boards easier. I really like that idea, but it never really took off, probably because it was expensive to make.

That said, I still think the back looks like Horseman 6x9: I don't think it is a Horseman because the clamp bars are different, but the seat for the back and the way the light trap works really look like that.

Peter

dazedgonebye · Dec 21, 2007

Ok, I got it today.

First, it's definitely 4x5.
The bad news is that the flange distance is about 108 mm. That's too long for my hoped for use as a wide hand held.
Without the mount, the flange distance is down to about 85mm, so there might be some hope that I can modify the thing...perhaps using a recessed lens board...and get wider. Not going to be as simple as I'd hoped though.

From the fact that the flange distance is so long, and the example linked to a few posts ago showed a 75mm lens, would it make sense to assume it was designed for fixed focal length macro work?

Dan Fromm · Dec 21, 2007

Not necessarily. Remember that lenses for SLRs are often retrofocus so the rear element will clear the mirror.

What is the mount?

dazedgonebye · Dec 21, 2007

No idea on the mount.

So I'd be looking for a 75mm retrofocus lens that covers 4x5? I'm fairly ignorant regarding large format. Does such a thing exist?

paul ewins · Dec 21, 2007

The extension tube that came with my version of the camera was marked "x1.0" so I had always assumed that it was a macro camera.

dazedgonebye · Dec 21, 2007

I think I'll take more pictures and measurements and start another thread, "Now how do I make this thing a camera."

I'm open for suggestions at any time.

What Have I Bought?

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