Using Multiple Cameras

[Jim Galli]

I have Deardorff, Kodak (2 sixes lens boards 5X7 and 8X10), Korona, Wisner, and Folmer & Schwing (2 size lens boards 12X20 and 7X17). Nothing fits nothing. It's a REAL PITA. I don't have any trouble switching from camera to camera but the lens board debacle is driving me crazy. Some lenses get assigned to some cameras for life. Like the 12" Cooke Aviar. It's for the Kodak 2D 8X10. But then the ULF lenses have to work on both 5 1/4" Wisner and 6" Deardorff with occasional trips to 12X20 Folmer or 8X20 Korona. It's a disaster really.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Usually the solution is a lensboard adapter, but sometimes it makes sense to adapt the camera. With my wooden American Optical 11x14" camera, I took a Dremel with a router attachment to the front standard and converted it to Sinar, which is slightly larger than the original size. I'll probably do the same to the Korona 7x17" camera when I get around to replacing the bellows.

Keeping the small lenses on small lensboards reduces bulk in the pack in addition to increasing flexibility.

[Ole Tjugen]

I think I have almost as many adapter lens boards as Ole Tjugen has lenses. I should probably write a book, "The Joy of Lensboard Adapters"...

The odd thing about that is my lack of lensboard adapters! I have ONE single lensboard adapter, and that's between a type I don't use (small speed graphic) and one I don't need ("regular" speed graphic).

Instead I sit down with my lens spanner and move lenses from Carbon infinity boards to Gandolfi 5x7" boards depending on which camera I'm taking out that day. Or I tahe them out of the boards altogether, if I'm taking out one of the other cameras, all of which have universal lens mounts. I may have to put one of those on the CI too - those lens boards are far too expensive!

Since none of my cameras use any kind of "standard" lens board, adapters are not such a good idea. since the Gandolfi boards are the smallest it could make sense to adapt everything else to them, but that would be too much custom work (I'd rather spend the money on another lens).

[John Bowen]

Yes, lensboard adapters are the answer. My first LF field camera was a Zone VI (made in VT). My second was a Wisner 8x10. The Wisner 4x5 and Zone VI 4x5 use the same lensboards :-) so, I was able to obtain a Wisner adapter to use the Zone VI 4x5 boards on the Wisner 8x10. My next purchase was a Zone VI 8x10 and I had Richard Ritter make me an adapter to use the Zone VI 4x5 boards on the Zone VI 8x10 camera. My latest purchase is a Ritter 7x17 camera and once again I had Richard make me an adapter board so I could use my Zone VI 4x5 lensboards on the 7x17. All of my lenses are on Zone VI/Wisner 4"x4" boards. This makes travel less bulky, saves $$ and frustration. The boards will handle copal 3 shutters without any problems. I don't have any shutters larger than a copal 3 so YMMV.

I think god created Richard Ritter so we would be able to have solutions to these and other LF compatability problems...

Richard can be found at www.lg4mat.net

[alec4444]

Instead I sit down with my lens spanner and move lenses from Carbon infinity boards to Gandolfi 5x7" boards depending on which camera I'm taking out that day.

Hmmm, yes, come to think of it I don't usually "grab a large format camera on the way out the door" so to speak. So maybe this isn't as big a deal as I'm making it. So sure, if I got a Wisner 5x7 (LOL, Oren, the very same one that's being passed around) plus that Wisner 7x17 that Kerik is (was?) offloading on APUG I guess that would be convenient but not really necessary.

Furthermore, it sounds like nobody has gone out of their way to get the same make of camera to solve this problem or for other convenience factors....

--A

[Oren Grad]

Furthermore, it sounds like nobody has gone out of their way to get the same make of camera to solve this problem or for other convenience factors....

Strangely enough, in eleven years of tinkering with LF I don't think it has once occurred to me that I would want or need to have the same overall camera design in all different formats. As it happens, I've managed to mess with enough different formats that it would have ended up as a hopeless idea anyway, but it's never bothered me. The variety of design concepts and construction styles is part of the fun.

I did, for a while, have a notion that I would keep my lensboard arrangments focused on Technika for small cameras and Sinar/Horseman for large. But the exceptions kept pilling up, and eventually I gave up on the idea even as something to aspire to.

But I think Ole's right: if you're using barrel lenses, the ultimate adapter is surely one of those adjustable iris thingies.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Another issue is there cameras of a single brand that use different lensboards.

My Linhof Tech V 23b uses smaller lensboards than the 4x5" Tech V, and the 4x5" uses the 2x3 boards on the wideangle attachment.

Korona made different lensboards for various cameras, so I figure that if I don't convert the 7x17" to Sinar, I'll be making my own Korona type 43 boards for it.

The Graflex boards for my 5x7" Press Graflex seem to be different from other Graflex lensboards, so those I've made myself out of masonite (they don't need to be pretty, since they're recessed inside the camera for the most part).

[Ole Tjugen]

But I think Ole's right: if you're using barrel lenses, the ultimate adapter is surely one of those adjustable iris thingies.

Shutters too - one lensboard takes anything from a Compur 00 to a Compound 5, including all the strange and short-lived sizes.

[Nick_3536]

I've got an old Cambo monorail. The back of the big [and I mean BIG] lensboard is mounted a 3" or is it bigger packard shutter. I've got some strong magnets. It's easy to hold a barrel lens to the front with just those magnets. The hardest part is getting the magnets off -)

[Michael Daily]

... snip...

Is this really a problem? Do you use cameras from multiple manufacturers, and how is it working out? For those that use multiple cameras from the same manufacturer, are you happy with your choice?

Thanks!
--A

I use cameras by Deardorff--8x10 OS, 8x10 new, 5x7 OS; Busch 4x5; Leica IIIa, M2.
There is no problem switching as I chose them for what they can do and how they work. The others I have sold or given away.
Michael