Hi, I currently own a Chamonix 45N-1 and was one of the first people on here to report problems I was having with this camera with getting in focus images while shooting with the Schneider Xenotar 135mm 3.5 wide open. So as everyone here probably already knows, this was deemed to be due to the fresnel being on the lens side of the groundglass and therefore, somewhat acting as a lens itself and causing a focus shift. I have had since had a Maxwell screen put in ( the latest one that is almost halfway between the bright and the super bright ) and am very happy with (apart from the extremely cut corners but that is in my next thread) and have also had the camera back aligned by Bill Moretz at pro camera to ensure it is spot on. Further tests with the camera and my new Maxwell screen came back right on the money!! This was also being tested with my new 150mm 2.8 Xenotar which has even shallower D.O.F. I then bought a Shen Hao roll film back and after doing some tests wide open on the 150mm Xenotar, could not get a whole roll film consistantly in focus? This was shooting at a variety of distances from close up to mid range, long etc etc. Some were in focus and some werent. I came to the coclusion that the groove that was in the cameras back was not aligning with the groove in the film back. I finally sent it back and while i was in Japan had the chance to use a Horseman 67 back. Same test and the same result, some were in and some were out. I have since received my Sinar back and done the same thing and while the results have been a little better, basically the same thing, some are in and some are out..
My intention is mainly for portraits where you might want to be shooting wide open, am I expecting too much from roll film backs? Even if stopping down I would still like to know that what I am primarily focusing on is in focus! Any others had these problems? Any advice? I can get sharp images with my Pentax 67 at 2.4 and that is when objects are prone to movement, considering that these tests have all been static, then I don't see the issue and the fact that some are in and some are out (although always very close to being in focus) is reall confusing me..
Any thoughts, comments or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Best Regards Josh
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