Question on mounting lens on Wista 45SP

[Rafael Garcia]

My native (to the Wista 45SP) 135mm f5.6 Nikkor-W came with a mounting cylinder, same size as the shutter, with threads and retaining ring to fit a Wista 59mm holed lensboard. The Copal 0 has its own retaining ring for the standard Copal 0 hole. This lens was/is? standard on this camera. The cylinder places the lens about 3/8" outside the lensboard. The camera has a focusing scale for the lens on the rail. When I bought the lens from KEH the listing mentioned "Wista Mount". I deduce that for the camera's focusing scale to be accurate I have to use the cylinder (which is holed for the Copal 0on the front end) as a reverse recessed board, or a "projected board". Can anyone verify this from facts?

Rafael

[Archphoto]

I think you can do that your self quite easy: put the lens as is on the camera, put the camera on a tripod and focus with you GG on a distant subject about 1/2 mile away.
Than look at the scale of the Wista.
You will see if the front standard is at the infinity mark or not.
Yes: every thing OK
No: you might have to remove the 3/8 ring or put the distance scale to its correct porsition.
Check for vignetting caused by this ring, please.

Good luck !
Peter

[Rafael Garcia]

Thanks, Peter. I just don't have (yet) that size lensboard, although I just ordered one. I will test once I receive it. I am not concerned with vignetting because the rear element is as long as the cylinder when mounted.

For now I've been using it on a Copal 0 lensboard with success. I have used the scale with my roll film back also with sucess, and have at least one shot with the lens wide open that is in good (but not excellent) focus. I am just wondering why the lens came with this ring, which I assume was standard on the Wista (the shutter is labeled "for Wista").

[Archphoto]

If the scale is correct now, it will be off with the new board by 3/8" .
It seems to me that these boards were made for Wista's without exchangable bellows, so you could mount longer lenses onto the camera.

Wait and see what comes out of it.
Good shot, by the way, I like it. Looks sharp to me.

Greetings,
Peter

[Bob Salomon - HP Marketing]

Wista branded shutters are equipped with a cable release socket thayt hooks up to the socket on the camera back via a cable so the shutter will automatically close when the film holder is inserted. Is this the shutter you have? It is usually a Press type shutter.

[Dominique Cesari]

It seems that your lens is mounted on the forepart of an extensible "top hat" lensboard as Wista offers one.
You may want to remount it on a flat Technika style lensboard.

[Rafael Garcia]

Bob: It appears to be. I am at work now, so I cannot inspect it, but it is a Press Copal 0 "for Wista". Unfortunately my back is a replacement back, new, and not the original, as this is a camera I restored, and I never had the original back. Is the socket present in the replacement backs? If so, how does one go about connecting it?

Dominique: it is presently mounted on a flat board, but I am about to remount it on the "top hat", assuming the focusing scale will be accurate if the mounting is as originally intended. I use a roll film back on ocassion, and the scale is my focusing tool in those instances, so I am interested in its accuracy.


Thanks for both replies. Maybe Bob can speak on the scale accuracy with and without "top hat". The scale is labeled for the 135mm lens.

[Bob Salomon - HP Marketing]

Bob: It appears to be. I am at work now, so I cannot inspect it, but it is a Press Copal 0 "for Wista". Unfortunately my back is a replacement back, new, and not the original, as this is a camera I restored, and I never had the original back. Is the socket present in the replacement backs? If so, how does one go about connecting it?

Dominique: it is presently mounted on a flat board, but I am about to remount it on the "top hat", assuming the focusing scale will be accurate if the mounting is as originally intended. I use a roll film back on ocassion, and the scale is my focusing tool in those instances, so I am interested in its accuracy.


Thanks for both replies. Maybe Bob can speak on the scale accuracy with and without "top hat". The scale is labeled for the 135mm lens.

Wista 45 revolving frames backs have the socket. The socket is at the end of the back where you insert the film. It would be bottom right with the back positioned horizontally. To use this feature you need a Wista Copal Press shutter and a connecting cable. The cables are available in 50 and 80cm lengths. The interlock is also on the Wista Sliding roll film back.

What is the question on the scale?

[Rafael Garcia]

Thanks! It is a revolving back...I'll look for the socket.

The question on the scale was: Is the scale mounted on the rails for a 135mm lens calibrated to the F5.6 Nikkor_W 135mm lens mounted on the flat lensboard or to the lens mounted on the the "top hat" adapter? My lens/shutter combo had this "top hat", a short threaded cylinder with a 58.5mm threaded end and jam nut on one end and a blind end drilled for a Copal 0 on the opposite end. If mounted on this, the lens/shutter combo end up approximately (from memory) 3/8" outside the plane of a flat lensboard.

This is something I could answer myself, but I just sent for the 59mm Wista lensboard so I can do the testing, and started this thread looking for a quick answer to the question while I wait for the lensboard.

[Bob Salomon - HP Marketing]

Marflex is the USA service center for Wista. They are at 252 652-4401. Best is to ask them.

Thanks! It is a revolving back...I'll look for the socket.

The question on the scale was: Is the scale mounted on the rails for a 135mm lens calibrated to the F5.6 Nikkor_W 135mm lens mounted on the flat lensboard or to the lens mounted on the the "top hat" adapter? My lens/shutter combo had this "top hat", a short threaded cylinder with a 58.5mm threaded end and jam nut on one end and a blind end drilled for a Copal 0 on the opposite end. If mounted on this, the lens/shutter combo end up approximately (from memory) 3/8" outside the plane of a flat lensboard.

This is something I could answer myself, but I just sent for the 59mm Wista lensboard so I can do the testing, and started this thread looking for a quick answer to the question while I wait for the lensboard.