Cant focus with front rise high

**jamiek** · 6-Dec-2009, 11:53

With my ShenHao and 90mm lens I cant rise more than 1.5cm as the bellows have to be right back to focus and it feels as if I force it to rise the bellows are going to break as the are tight up against the back. Whats the best solution? As I don't want to lose the lens, but also don't want to lose the rise.

Cheers,
Jamie

**Andrew O'Neill** · 6-Dec-2009, 12:23

Bag Bellows, if one is available for this camera. Or a recessed lens board.

**jamiek** · 6-Dec-2009, 12:35

I guess the bellows would be more effective? Which are 80pounds :/

**Jim Jones** · 6-Dec-2009, 19:00

An extra lensboard with an offset hole for the lens might work if changing boards for the lens is practical.

**Andrew O'Neill** · 6-Dec-2009, 19:57

Jim,

That's a great idea, but I would hate the idea of changing boards in the field.

**Vick Vickery** · 6-Dec-2009, 21:43

This is a very common problem best solved with a bag bellows...with really short lenses you might need both a bag bellows and a recessed lensboard. The bag bellows are expensive, but worth every penny...even a recessed lensboard will sometimes interfere with a standard bellows.

**Lachlan 717** · 6-Dec-2009, 23:56

Most of the Shen Haos allow very short lenses (i.e. well shorted than you 90mm) to be used with limited movements, so you should probably have a bit more play that you do at 90mm.

With this in mind, the bag bellow should be the answer (and probably without the recessed board).

Did you buy the camera new? If not, check the maximum draw. If it's well over 300mm, you might have inherited a camera with an extended bellow. This will add to the minimum compressed length...

Lachlan.

**jamiek** · 7-Dec-2009, 01:01

Well im going to get some bag bellows.

The draw only extends to 20cm so they must be standard, and that's full out for the camera.

**Leonard Evens** · 7-Dec-2009, 09:14

Toho sells an eccentric lensboard to be used with its FC-45X camera. It allows you to rotate the lens about an off center point and thus effectively raise it another 15-20 mm. This is enough to make use of the image circles of my f/6.8 90 mm and f/4.5 75 mm Rodenstock Grandagon-N lenses.

I use such lensboards with my Toho using both lenses. It works quite well. It might be possible to some how arrange to use such a lensboard on your Shen Hao.