Voigtlander Heliar 30cm f/4.5 lens board

[sleeklines]

Hi all,

I got my hands on a Voigtlander Heliar 30cm f/4.5 lens but it doesn't have the lens board so I'm trying to find out the best way to acquire or make a lens board (something I've never tried to do before). So, can someone provide or point me to some details of the specs of the lens or lens board or anything useful in procuring one.

Many thanks!

[Steven Tribe]

Need to know the camera you want it to fit. There are a few common standard sizes and lots of non-standard sizes - especialy with wooden lens boards.

[Len Middleton]

Do you have a retaining ring for the lens? That would be a key component that could determine some of your options.

Some have screwed lenses directly into a tight hole in a wood board using the threads on the lens to form threads on the lensboard. Not adviseable with a metal lensboard I would think. Nor something I would want to do with a large, heavy, and / or expensive lens.

[Steve Hamley]

The lensboard will be determined by what camera you want to put the lens on. Lensboards are camera specific, not lens specific. Once you have a lensboard that fits your camera, you have a hole bored into it to attach the flange, then you screw the lens into the flange.

It's a fine lens, but not a lot of coverage to spare for 8x10 if that's your format. Better for 4x5, 5x7, and whole plate (6-1/2 x 8-1/2).

Cheers, Steve

[sleeklines]

All I know is that it is a Korona large format. It is capable of doing 8x10.

[Louis Pacilla]

All I know is that it is a Korona large format. It is capable of doing 8x10.

If your camera is 8x10 Korona View. Then your lens board size will be 5 3/4"x5 3/4".
If on the other hand it turn out to be a Home Portrait then the lens board will be 9"x9".
Gundlauch made a few other models in 8x10 cameras My money would go for the Korona View. Far more of those around but you don't see the 8x10 Home Portrait all to often.

Oh Yea you never answered the earlier question. Do you have the flange for your Heliar?

A "flange" is the metal ring which the lens barrel attaches to. It usually has several holes around the perimeter for attaching to the lens board.

I don't mean to talk down to you ((at all)) I'm just not sure how long you have been shooting large format. The way you've phrased your questions and your reply tell me your pretty new at this.

[sleeklines]

Don't worry, you are not talking down to me...I am new to this. I would say that I don't have the flange. I have a lens and a camera with an opening for a lens board (plus film and paper carriers) but nothing for the lens to screw into.

Looking at the opening where the lens board would go, it appears to be 5 3/4" x 5 3/4" and not 9'x9'.

The glass on the 5x7 film carrier is broken so I would appreciate also any insights into the best type of glass to use to replace it...but maybe I should start a new thread for that.

Appreciate your responses!!

[sleeklines]

Ok, now that I've been poking around regarding flanges and familiarizing myself, I have some questions.

1) Does anyone know the size of a flange that I should get (inner diameter and thread size)? I have a machinist friend who could make me one but I also found this and think it's close to the size but as I don't know the exact specs needed, I"m not sure.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/46507-REG/Schneider_92_056017_Lens_Mounting_Flange.html

2) Do most flanges attach to the lens board and then the lens screws into the flange? This is what I was thinking but my friend said he used to use a big nut basically. He put the lens through a hole in the lens board and on the back side of the lens board, he screwed the nut/flange to secure the lens to the board (just as you would with a screw and nut in other applications).

Thanks for all your help!

[E. von Hoegh]

1) Give the lens to your machinist friend, he'll know what to do.

2) A flange screws to a board, as you said. The retaining ring is primarily used on metal boards, flanges on wooden boards.

[sleeklines]

1) My machinist asked if I could try to find out the thread size so that he could be sure to be right but said he could figure it out if he had to.

2) How do the flanges usually attached? By screwing into the lens board (double threaded opening) or being screwed to the lens board with screws in holes on the flange face (as seen in the picture of the linked item in my previous message)?

[E. von Hoegh]

1) My machinist asked if I could try to find out the thread size so that he could be sure to be right but said he could figure it out if he had to.

2) How do the flanges usually attached? By screwing into the lens board (double threaded opening) or being screwed to the lens board with screws in holes on the flange face (as seen in the picture of the linked item in my previous message)?

If your machinist is a machinist and has the lens, he will be able to make a flange to fit. Yes, the flange has holes in it. It is, as I said, used on a wood board. Edit - Short of measuring the pitch and diameter of the threads on your lens, I know of no source for that info. People selling flanges don't always have the tools and knowledge to measure the threads on their flanges.

[Steven Tribe]

"People selling flanges don't always have the tools and knowledge to measure the threads on their flanges."
That is probably the biggest understatement so far this year!
The only person who does serious measurements is the big seller of orphaned brass flanges - you know where.
The Heliar has a standard M (metric) thread.

[sleeklines]

Thanks for all your input!