Will a 180mm f/5.6 Symmar Convertible fit in a 4x5" Press Camera

[holmbāgu]

Hi all,

I'm looking to get a 4x5" press camera soon; either a B&J Press, Busch Pressman, Tower View or similar and I'm wondering if I'll be able to close the front standard with this lens mounted in it.

Thanks much!

[Frank Petronio]

A 180mm Rodenstock Sironar with a 58mm filter size and Copal 1 shutter will "just" clear a closed 4x5 Crown Graphic. I think those have the most interior room of those types of cameras. I suspect your 180mm Symmar is a bit larger than the Sironar so probably "NO".

135mm or 150mm Symmars in Copal/Compur 0s are fine in Graphics.

[holmbāgu]

Well that's a shame.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

A 210mm f/5.6 Sironar N (Caltar IIN) fits inside a closed up Meridian 45B, on a custom board I made. Before I bought the lens (and also a Nikon SW 90mm that fits on a flat board), a few folks here were kind enough to point me to the specs or measure their lenses. From what I remember there were only a very few lenses that wouldn't clear the Meridian front standard opening 77mm (whereas the Busch is very restrictive).

[holmbāgu]

In what way is your board customized? Recessed?

It sounds like each camera is a little different; it'd be nice to know how they all stack up, and I need to measure my lens as well.

Thanks for the help guys

[Ivan J. Eberle]

It's milled from 1/4" plate aluminum with a 3/16" recess. Easy to do since I had a Bridgeport milling machine to use at the time. A functionally similar board could be made of 1/16" sheet metal and a 3/16" plywood rim glued to it.