I'm thinking about buying a Fujinon 125mm W f/5.6 lens to use with my Crown Graphic. I read one review that said this lens works well with the camera, is sharp, and once mounted can be closed within the camera. Is this right? Where would I get a lens board on which I could mount this lens in the CG? Thanks in advance (and sorry if this has been addressed in a posting that I missed).

I can speak to it's physical ability to fit, but lensboards are available on ebay and I' pretty sure new boards are available from Midwest Photo exchange. (www.mpex.com)

Having never owned the lens, I may be speaking out of turn, but the fact that this is a wide lens (Fujinon W) I suspect you are buying more lens than you can use on a Crown. This probably covers 5x7 with some movement. Not that it hurts the camera or your images, just your pocket book. Now if you're planning on getting or have a view camera then it makes sense.

Thanks, Les. This is just the sort of information I was looking for, but I do want to follow up just to be sure. I had thought 125mm was normal (not wide angle or not much) for the Crown Graphic. Is this not right? Also, in the link below, the author suggests that Fujinon 125mm worked well with the CG. Of course, my post was designed to see if anyone disagreed, and I take it that you do, so now I'm just asking whether do in fact disagree, now that I've provided a link to the article, which I should have done in the first place:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/cameras/pacemaker/

PMFJI.

150 mm is normal for 4x5, 125 (or 127, as commonly supplied with 4x5 Graphics) is somewhat wide for the format. That said, if what a 125 does pleases you, you should use it.

Well right here on this site , in the lens specifications, we have 125mm f5.6 is a 6 elements in 6 groups, with an image circle of 198mm and 4x5 format is 162mm and 5x7 is 218mm. And in the Vade it lists 105-360 5.6/6.3 as Standard lens of Plasmat design with 64-80 degrees of coverage. If it is in good shape it should be a good preformer and you will not be able to exceed the lens limits with the Crown.

Les, our lens specs list a f8 version that covers almost 8x10.

Thanks for the responses. I think that I will buy the lens, but have a question about getting it on a lens board. I found a listing for a new Graphics lens board for Copal #0, which seems a match. How hard is it to mount the lens and shutter into the board? Looks simple, but what do I know. What about adjusting the infinity stops on the Crown Graphic. Is this necessary? (I'll always be focusing using the glass, not relying on any particular extension of the bellows.) How is it done? Thanks again.

Charles, if 4x5 means 101 mm x 127 mm then yes, its normal focal length is 162 mm. But 4x5 means 95 mm x 120 mm, and that's why I say that the normal focal length for 4x5 is 150 mm (actually 153). There's a similar confusion about what 6x9 means.

Cheers,

Dan

Dan,
I was refering to the outside deminsions of the piece of film with reguard to image circle diamater for coverage concern not what is considered normal for the format. If I were looking a a lens who's image circle at f22 was 153mm I would be very hesitant to use it as everything would have to be dead on and it would be good for only at f22 or smaller but if a lens has an image circle of 162mm at f22 then there would be a little wiggle room or it might be ok around f11 on and I would be more likely to use it than the 153 image circle at f22.