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Thread: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

  1. #41

    Re: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Kadillak View Post
    This manufacturing shift from the old "sunk" base plate to the new surface option begs the question why ...
    You seem to imply that my camera is older than pierre506's 12x20. Is this the case? Lotus was producing 12x20's well before 2007.

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Kadillak View Post
    I would be a cautious user particularly of longer focal length lenses beyond a certain weight but that may just be me because I use several long heavy lenses on my ULF cameras. Testing for "issues" in such a condition would be fairly easy to gage. Set up the camera on the tripod and put a 24-36" level under the camera bed alongside the base plate in the direction you make photographs with adjacent to the base plate. I would be willing to bet it is as level / flat as a pancake. Rack out the front standard 24-30" and mount on the camera the heaviest longest shooting lens you have in your lens bag and recheck the flatness of the camera bed with the level under these conditions. If you are seeing any deflection of the front section of the camera bed under loaded / shooting conditions then this is something you need to be aware of. In engineering terms this is called a moment arm.
    I use a 10lb APO-Ronar 1000mm f/16 on my Lotus. In this case I use a second tripod (with a crank for fine height adjustments) that I put under the front standard. I agree with you, some bending may occur with lenses of this weight. I must confess that I never noticed any optical problem though. In fact, I am more concerned about damaging the camera with such heavy lenses: I do not know how many ULF manufacturers assume that photographers may use 10lb lenses. Lotus has an extra "lock" mechanism in the front standard that is very useful in this case: it literally blocks the lens at the height you choose.

    Anyway, playing with the front standard for tilt-shift adjustments with a 10lb lens with some sort of stress-reduction on the bed/standard/mechanisms is wise, that's my main reason for using a second tripod.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails apo-ronar-lotus-3.jpg  

  2. #42

    Re: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco Annaratone View Post
    You seem to imply that my camera is older than pierre506's 12x20. Is this the case? Lotus was producing 12x20's well before 2007.



    I use a 10lb APO-Ronar 1000mm f/16 on my Lotus. In this case I use a second tripod (with a crank for fine height adjustments) that I put under the front standard. I agree with you, some bending may occur with lenses of this weight. I must confess that I never noticed any optical problem though. In fact, I am more concerned about damaging the camera with such heavy lenses: I do not know how many ULF manufacturers assume that photographers may use 10lb lenses. Lotus has an extra "lock" mechanism in the front standard that is very useful in this case: it literally blocks the lens at the height you choose.

    Anyway, playing with the front standard for tilt-shift adjustments with a 10lb lens with some sort of stress-reduction on the bed/standard/mechanisms is wise, that's my main reason for using a second tripod.

    Irrespective of the age of the camera or the mounting of the plate, the fact remains that given the bed design the structural stress of the front standard of the camera effectively resides on the strength of the side rails of the camera bed. large focal length lenses of this weight are not that uncommon to be put into use so the fact that you have one and and it sounds like you use it speaks for itself. For a camera maker not to fully understand the loading conditions that camera users would be facing is a rather myopic view of the clients being served. Large view cameras that bend in critical areas just give me the willies. If weight were the issue being avoided with this design, how does the weight and the logistics of a second tripod figure into things? I have never been a fan of using a second tripod because it creates another layer of adjustments and logistics that take a long time when adjustments with the image composition are in play. I like to keep things simple with the big cameras but again, that is just me. Whatever puts the image effectively onto the print is what works.

  3. #43

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    Re: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

    This is a related post to the the Lotus topic at hand. I use an 11x14 Chamonix, mounting it onto my tripod with one 3/8" screw. I have always found it to be a lot of trouble to balance the folded up 11x14 on top of the tripod head and move it around till the tripod screw aligned with the female thread in the base of the camera.

    Decided to go the route of using a Kessler Crane Release Receiver with a Kessler Crane Kwik Utility Plate attached to the camera. The plate is attached to the camera by one 3/8" screw. In the future hope to attach the plate to the camera with two 3/8" screws after adding onto the bottom of the camera another recessed female thread. The Kessler Plate is already threaded in many places to add on additional screws. Yes it may be overkill. I like using the Kessler system because of its double locking system. The plate drops into the Receiver very easily. Attachment is not rock solid but no way of having the camera fall off the Receiver. Then a second locking lever secures the plate. When taking off the camera, you first release the locking lever (camera will move around a bit but again not fall off the Receiver). Now once I have the camera solidly in hand, push the Button Drop-Gate Release to lift off the camera. Single locking quick releases I will never use again after having a Rollei SL-66 with lens and meter hood accidentally fall into a stream.

  4. #44

    Re: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    This is a related post to the the Lotus topic at hand. I use an 11x14 Chamonix, mounting it onto my tripod with one 3/8" screw. I have always found it to be a lot of trouble to balance the folded up 11x14 on top of the tripod head and move it around till the tripod screw aligned with the female thread in the base of the camera.

    Decided to go the route of using a Kessler Crane Release Receiver with a Kessler Crane Kwik Utility Plate attached to the camera. The plate is attached to the camera by one 3/8" screw. In the future hope to attach the plate to the camera with two 3/8" screws after adding onto the bottom of the camera another recessed female thread. The Kessler Plate is already threaded in many places to add on additional screws. Yes it may be overkill. I like using the Kessler system because of its double locking system. The plate drops into the Receiver very easily. Attachment is not rock solid but no way of having the camera fall off the Receiver. Then a second locking lever secures the plate. When taking off the camera, you first release the locking lever (camera will move around a bit but again not fall off the Receiver). Now once I have the camera solidly in hand, push the Button Drop-Gate Release to lift off the camera. Single locking quick releases I will never use again after having a Rollei SL-66 with lens and meter hood accidentally fall into a stream.
    Anyone that has a ULF camera likely has faced the challenges of make up screws and IMHO the challenges of figuring these issues out are necessitated by the fact that in the end the best situation possible/objective for shooting this massive ULF formats is to have at least a 6" x 6" solid metal platform upon which the camera resides for stability and structural integrity. My problem IMHO with quick release is the smaller surface contact area contacting the base of the camera. There are any number of ways to solve this issue as photographers have been doing for decades. I quickly put on a light head lamp and lean the base of the camera on the far edge of the tripod head plate balancing it there giving me a triangle upon which to see where the receiving thread is with the screw looking up at it. Carefully dropping it down over the screw a couple of times you get the hang of things and in no time you are fast and efficient in making these pieces up. This is more for future readers but don't let it frustrate you. I do this quickly with my 34# V11 Deardorff over a fixed position Ries A250 head and a moving position screw on a Majestic 1200 head that moves down the center of the head. I will state that I have used the Bogen/Manfrotto hexagonal quick release plates for 5x7 and 8x10 for years with zero problems but as the Irish say, ULF cameras are a horse of a different color. I am not being critical in any way just offering some suggestions to improve efficiency.

  5. #45
    LF/ULF Carbon Printer Jim Fitzgerald's Avatar
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    Re: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

    I use the Kessler Crane for my 11x14 and 8x20.
    I find it works well with those cameras. My 20x24 I use the Reis A250-2 head on my solid Walnut tripod. No quick release on this one as it is easier with the spring loaded screw.

  6. #46

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    Re: Attention Please: Lotus LF & ULF users

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Fitzgerald View Post
    I use the Kessler Crane for my 11x14 and 8x20.
    I find it works well with those cameras. My 20x24 I use the Reis A250-2 head on my solid Walnut tripod. No quick release on this one as it is easier with the spring loaded screw.
    Could you start another thread with a review of your Kessler Tripod? Especially how it compares to a Ries if possible. Lately have been using more and more a Linhof Heavy Duty tripod, but other than setting it up in aside my SUV, is a bear to carry any distance.
    thanks
    Greg

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