Graflex.org

bcorbin@bigsky.net · Joined: 11 Feb 2002 Posts: 2 Location: Montana

Does anyone know if Graflex made an extension box or bellow system for the Crown Graphic 4x5. I have recently obtained a 210/370 convertible lens and want to use it at its max focal lenght but do not have enough bellows. If there is no extender system, how have other members solved this problem.

Also, does any member have a Copal 1 Shutter specifically aperature scaled for a 270mm lens and with both X&M Synch that they would like to sell?? I will swap a later Copal 1 with X Synch only for it or buy outright.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me concerning these requests.

Roy

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2146 Location: New Jersey

Nick · Joined: 16 Oct 2002 Posts: 494

Dan are you saying an adapter to screw a Nikkor process lens into a shutter?

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2146 Location: New Jersey

45PSS · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:56 pm Post subject:

Roy,
A post on photo.net a while back described this procedure for MAKING an aperture scale:
Set camera with lens/shutter on a tripod 15 feet or so from a light colored wall. Light the wall well. Set lens to infinity focus. Open shutter for focusing. Mount a Gossen Luna Pro to read the ground glass at lens center. Block out all extraneous light to the camea back. Open the aperture control to maximum movement. Zero the meter. Adjust aperture lever until meter just moves then back off so that it returns, mark scale where lever is just before causing any meter movement. This is minimun aperture.If aperture is a whole stop such as f4, fine but if a fractional stop such as f4.5 then determine the fraction of stop. Move lens aperture lever until 1 whole stop is indicated or the complimnetry fraction is indicated on the meter and mark scale. This is the next whole stop. Rezero the meter as needed as it will only read 3 stops change and continue until you have reached the lens limits. One could mark 1/3 or 1/2 stops along the way if wanted using this method.
Any meter that has full/fractional f stop readouts can be used.
Chalres

_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

Dave · Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 78 Location: Canada

I suppose a good cabinetmaker could make an extension box, with a couple of hours' work, some thin plywood, and a salvaged Graflok back. It would be so cumbersome in use that you'd be better off with a view camera.

Just brainstorming-- an even more clumsy solution (two tripods) would be to simply make a lensboard-to-Graflok adapter, and join two Graphics together as a tandem camera setup. I've never heard of anyone doing this with two Graphics, but there's no reason it shouldn't work. I've done this with a 35mm on my Century, but has anyone heard of it with two Graphics in series?

I think box-like extensions were made for the Graflex XLs, but if I remember correctly, those ones don't have the right fittings to mate with any Graphic (even a 23).

disemjg · Joined: 10 Jan 2002 Posts: 474 Location: Washington, DC

Here is a solution to allow you to use the lens converted, but not unconverted. You want to push the lens further from the film plane but have insufficient bellows draw. Then what you do is push the lens mounting point away from the lensboard. Hopefully you have a junker Pacemaker board available for this exercise, one with a big hole. Then you need to fabricate a spacer to attach to the lensboard, with the plan being that a secondary lensboard (just a flat surface) will be attached to the far end of the spacer. The first thing I would try for this spacer would be a section of PVC pipe, mabye three or four inches long. Try to get thin wall pipe if you can to keep the weight down, although it may not be that big an issue. A heavyweight cardboard tube of the right size could also work wonders here. Whatever the tube is made of, it should be farily large in diameter, about two thirds to three quarters of the available face of the lensboard. Cut the ends as square as you can, and epoxy one end to the old Pacemaker board. Go to the hobby shop and get a thin piece of model aircraft plywood; cut an appropriate hole in the plywood for your shutter, center it on the businss end of the tube, and epoxy the plywood to the tube. Leave some overhang all around. When dry, trim off the excess and sand it flush. Mount the lens, and check out the way the lens focuses to see if things worked out right. Hopefully the spacer will allow you to go to infinity using only mabye a third or less of the bellows draw, to allow closer focus and reduce strain on the bellows. If all is well, take the lens off, dress up any last assembly warts, and paint the inside and out flat black. Re-attach the lens and you are in business. You may want to use a cable release to avoid the long reach to the front of the lens. Rube Goldberg would be proud.

Obviously this is a kludgy solution that while allowing you to play with the converted lens is totally unsat insofar as being able to convert the lens whenever you want to. I do not think there is a practical way for you to really use a convertable lens, at least of that focal length, on this camera. It is asking too much.

While you did not specify what lens you actually have, I am presuming that is is a convertable Symmar. If the shutter does not have a secondary scale in GREEN then it is a replacement; the original shutters for these lenses had dual scales to take care of the base and converted focal lengths.

DenisP · Joined: 14 Oct 2002 Posts: 43 Location: Croatia, Europe