Hi All,

I am trying to mount a 15" Wallensack on my Speed Graphic. I can focus to infinity but I am trying to get to 10 feet or so. Any ideas on how to squeak out a couple more inches??

Thanks,

David

Which 15" Wolly lens? Tele-Raptar/Tele-Optar or plain, non-tele? Is it in shutter or in barrel? Is the rear cell threaded as for a filter?

I've used extension tubes with barrel lenses on 2x3 Graphics. Since I don't know y'r lens' dimensions I'm not sure what's relatively easily/inexpensively possible.

Re my last question, I've had skgrimes.com make flanged adapters for me that screwed into a lens' rear and clamped the board between the adapter and lens. With a long heavy lens a crutch to support the lens is necessary.

Thanks for the response!

It's an in-barrel Tele-Optar. Sadly no threads at the back end. Yes, a crutch will be part of the equation and will be a bit tricky as the lens will extend beyond the rail and rail board.

But maybe I am looking at this the wrong way. Is there a way to put the focal plane shutter on the back of my Sinar Alpina? Then I would have all the bellows extension I could want. Just trying to think outside the box.

David

What is the closest distance you can focus on in your current configuration?
Edit:
According to http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensak_5.html your lens should focus infinity 9 5/16 inches from the film plane.
According to http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/pacemaker-speed-graphic.html the Pacemaker Speed has 12 3/4 inch of bellows draw.

With the front standard at the front edge of the rails you should have to run the rails out an inch or so to achieve infinity focus. From there you should have 3 to 3 7/16 inches of bellows draw left which should be enough to focus fairly close.

I discuss some of the tricks here: http://www.galerie-photo.com/telechargement/dan-fromm-6x9-lenses-v2-2011-03-29.pdf

If I had the lens and wanted to use it on a 4x5 Speed I'd ask skgrimes to make a sleeve whose front can accept the rear of the lens and whose rear was stepped and threaded externally so that a retaining ring would hold it to a 4x5 Pacemaker board.

I wouldn't carve up a Pacemaker Graphic to make a shutter for another 4x5 camera, but its been done. Attaching a 4x5 Speed body, not completely carved up, to a 4x5 Sinar is possible. If I did it I'd remove the Graphic's front door, focusing rails and bellows. then have a bracket made to hold the body to a Sinar board. I assume, possibly incorrectly, that Sinar function carriers will accept a board on both sides. If you do it this way, making the adaptation light tight will take a little effort but not a lot.

Getting a 10" Wolly tele might be a less expensive way to get the results you want.

Charles' (45PSS) response prompted a thought. Have you put the front standard at the very front of the outer bed rails? If you're going to shoot at close distances there's no reason to leave it butted up against the bed stops.

Thank you all!

Dan, that looks like quite a document. I can't wait to dig in.

The challenge is that the rails will actually give me the distance I need, the bellows however, gets very stiff as I stretch it to the last bit of rail. I have an older Speed Graphic with flat 4x4 lens boards. If SKGrimes or someone can build me a lens board and a retaining ring (tried a hose clamp with limited success), then maybe the trick is to add an inch or two more bellows length without trying to build an extension into the lens board or rails - hmm.

David

The bellows will survive being extended as far as it will go. Since that gives you the extension you need, stretch the bellows out and be happy.

Hey Dan, can I be happy without stretching out my bellows? Please advise

Quote:

I have an older Speed Graphic with flat 4x4 lens boards.

That style is easier to make a lens board for and they have a larger bellows throat opening. Making an increased thickness board or modifying one with an extension will be easier than on a Pacemaker Speed.

Henry wrote:

Hey Dan, can I be happy without stretching out my bellows? Please advise

As long as you don't try to use your 203/7.5 Raptar.

I wouldn't dare!

I've used the plastic bit that Ilford paper rolls rotate on in their boxes in the past to make top-hat lens boards. I've two spare for possible future use.

My 17" f5.6 Telephoto (Air Ministry & coated) is fine on a Pacemaker Speed Graphic although I need to make an adapter to fit it to a lens board, It won't focus on my pre-Anniversary WA special (it's close). A top hat board would work well on this camera.

Ian

The 15" Optar is kind of a huge chunk of glass...if you find a way to hang it out a couple inches past the front standard, it's going to put some torque on it. I had one I used on a Pacemaker Speed, and I know what you mean about the bellows extension...that thing will eat every inch you can give it. The 10" is a *lot* more manageable, and can be had for under a hundred bucks if you're patient (I think I only paid about $60 for mine in EX condition). You can always crop the final result to get something very similar to the 15"... Just a thought...

My Pacemaker with 15 and 10:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/10154379_452337738245087_7451266060307265538_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/10154224_452337944911733_7645372309723779409_n.jpg