Cambo TWR 54 - 4x5 Twin Lens Reflex (like Gowlandflex) Question...

**Aesthetique** · 15-Apr-2018, 03:52

I have ordered six of each board, as this seemed to be the sweet spot in terms of cost and numbers ordered. Buying one of each would have been a only a little less. Buying 10 of each would have been much more expensive and would have no doubt exceeded global demand for them.

I am happy to sell the extras on to other members; it would be nice to recoup some or all of the money spent as I am now going to get some lens boards made in size 1 from another firm that uses a lathe.

What I want to have made is 39mm threaded boards and use shims to fine tune the focus between the lenses, as I think this will be the easiest to use and the cheapest to make. The fine tuning can be established by rotating the lens and measuring the correction necessary. I have found an engineering company that stamps shims out of stainless steel. The OEM helical boards would be very expensive to make and I think they will be a nightmare to fine tune, I am dreading setting up my 210mm (I already have a helical adjustment board for this pair).

If anyone is interested I have found a guy in Portugal who is making me a size 1 lens mount (i.e. a correctly dimensioned threaded brass replacement for a size 1 shutter), I didn't feel I needed an aperture on a 270mm viewing lens (and couldn't find a mount with or without an aperture) and didn't want to "waste" a shutter. This way I can retain a shutter for a 270mm on a Linhof board for my Wista and swap the groups out when I am using that camera. If anyone knows of a better cheaper solution, I would love to hear it even though I have now spent the money (~£40).

**Aesthetique** · 15-Apr-2018, 06:21

Originally Posted by Christopher Nisperos

Done, Aesthetique, giving you credit in the editing reason comments. Let us know how the laser-cut cams work out ... and how much they cost!

Perhaps the engineering company will keep the drawings on hand for future orders? PS: It just occurs to me ... Why didn't you see if anyone in the forum wanted to order at the same time as you? Wouldn't that have been a bit cheaper for each buyer?

The cost of getting one cam made in aluminium is £25.13 + VAT @ 20% +£7.50 carriage or £37.66. In brass they worked out at £50.07 for one (£35.50 before tax and carriage).

Obviously I will need to test them after they are made, as they may need a little sanding or filing to work well.

**Aesthetique** · 16-Apr-2018, 05:52

Just received another quote for the same work....

£75 + 20% + £15 carriage... so £105 for a single cam.... and this is in Aluminium not Brass.

Obviously the place I have actually used is extremely cheap!

**EdSawyer** · 16-Apr-2018, 06:59

Tuning the focus between the two lenses is super easy with the adjustable lensboard - way easier than with shims, to be sure. Simply loosen the screw, set a ground glass in the bottom half of the camera, and focus the taking lens using a loupe. Then without moving anything, adjust the viewing lens to match on the upper ground glass. Shims will require dismounting and remounting the lens from the camera and refocusing each time, which will take a lot longer with much more trial and error. undoubtedly the adjustable board will be more expensive to manufacture, but it will be a far better solution in the long run. RAF camera in Russia may be an option, they do some great inexpensive camera machinework and could probably do something like that (adjustable lens board).

**Christopher Nisperos** · 17-Apr-2018, 05:06

Originally Posted by Aesthetique

The cost of getting one cam made in aluminium is £25.13 + VAT @ 20% +£7.50 carriage or £37.66. In brass they worked out at £50.07 for one (£35.50 before tax and carriage).

Obviously I will need to test them after they are made, as they may need a little sanding or filing to work well.

OK, Aesthetique .. in that case, you're absolutely right. But —seeing as the prices seem pretty reasonable and that after producing your prototypes this engineering company will have acquired some experience in making these cams— if your tests are positive, perhaps you'll share their address? All I own currently are two of the six possible cam configurations. Having all six cams would really increase the versatility of this little beast!

**EdSawyer** · 17-Apr-2018, 07:29

Cams are not the hard part, the lens boards are much more challenging to make. But, I did fabricate both without too much trouble. I had to use the shims method for adjusting focus though, I couldn't make the adjustable lens board as a DIY project. Would be nice to have precision machined cams (and boards!) in any case.

**Dustyman** · 17-Apr-2018, 15:03

Aesthetique, if you are still taking orders, I'd like to put in my order for one of each size, assuming they come out well. I have only a 150mm cam for my camera.

**Aesthetique** · 31-Jul-2018, 06:24

Originally Posted by Dustyman

Aesthetique, if you are still taking orders, I'd like to put in my order for one of each size, assuming they come out well. I have only a 150mm cam for my camera.

I have been busy shooting since the end of May to the end of July, so I have only just returned to my TWR project.

I have cams for 150mm, 210mm and 270mm all extended and all work. When I got them made it about the same price for 5 as it was for 1, so I have some to sell. I have designs for 180mm and 240mm, and I am working with my friend in Germany to design a cam for his 360mm tele-xenars.
I can get flat boards manufactured (I have just taken receipt of 3 at 50mm, 2 at 39mm and 4 at 65mm for a tophat/wideangle project), the adjustable board for the viewing lens would be enormously expensive to manufacture. Nevertheless my Xenar 150mm f/4.5 are perfectly matched so no correction was required, however since the flat boards are threaded, I could have locked the lens at any depth using a lock ring, so shims would not be necessary.

I have also got a couple of spare plates for making grafmatic adapters as my German based friend needed a back for his camera and again it was as cheap to make 5 as it was to make 1.

Since I shoot art nude on location, I need to finish my rucksack/box arrangement before I can use the camera in the field, but hopefully I will use it before the end of the summer.

**EdSawyer** · 31-Jul-2018, 11:50

Thanks for keeping us up to date on things! I haven't used mine much this year yet but should soon. I did re-tune the focus on the two sets of 150s I have for it so hopefully they are as close as possible now. Even with the adjustable upper board, it's still challenging to get the focus exactly dialed in. The use of the fresnel in the upper lens viewing plane also affects dialing it in correctly.

**Laurent Laval** · 9-Sep-2019, 13:42

Hello,
I just join the Cambo TWR54 owner group

I foungd a good one in great condition with 150mm lenses but with a strange back to take 3 pictures. Does anybody knows how to take off this back and to put a 4x5 holder instead ?