Linhof to Deardorff Adapter Board

[robert lyons]

i am wondering if anyone has information about an adapter board so i can use my lenses(currently mounted in technica/technikardan boards) on my 5x7 deardorff special. i would appreciate any leads on where to purchase such an adapter. thank

[Donald Brewster]

S.K. Grimes can manufacture one for you. Check out his website at http://www.skgrimes.com -- though the does not seem to be responding today.

[Chad Jarvis]

It can't be done. You better let me take your Special off your hands... : )

[neil poulsen]

I had a 5x7 Deardorff w/4x5 back, and it used the 4 1/2 inch square boards. Using eighth inch "hobby" board that one can purchase at hobby stores, I found it easy to build my own boards for my camera. It was even easy to stain them to match the mahogany of the Deardorff.

You can find reduction boards to a Linhof Technika mount for the 8x10 Deardoff's. I'm wondering if one couldn't purchase a user inexpensively and then use the parts to build your own reduction board for your 5x7. You see the 8x10 reduction boards occassionally on EBay.

Another possibility is to check with Ken Hough. But, there might be a question about turn around time. Also, I've looked for his webpage, but it seems to have been removed. So, I don't know how one would get hold of him. Ken is a well known former Deardorff employee who is absolutely devoted to Deardorff cameras.

[Jay Parsons]

I'm no master builder, but I built one for my 8x10 fairly easily and inexpensively, and it looks and works great. Similar to the gentleman above, I found a beat-up Calumet 4x5 front standard that had the sliding hardware for locking in a Calumet lensboard. I bought it for $20 at my local used photo store. I would imagine you could make the hardware yourself, but I don't have any metal-working tools. I then took a blank wood lensboard for my 8x10, measured out where I wanted the center of the hole to be, then drilled the hole with a doorknob drill bit from the hardware store. Make sure the bit is just bigger than the light trap on the back of the Linhof lens board. Then I measured (with a Linhof board in place) and hand-cut 4 pieces of 1 inch pine faring strip into a frame-like pattern (with 45 degree cuts at the corners), glued them on around the hole (again with a Linhof board in place to get the sizing right), and sanded them down to be the right height off of the 8x10 board for the attached metal hardware to slide over the Linhof board and hold it tight. I then stained it to be the same color as my 8x10, and the thing looks and works like a champ. Drop me an e-mail if you want a picture for any reason. I spent about an hour and $40 in materials (I had the lensboard already).