38/5.6 XL on the Toyo field 45AII

[ramin]

Has any one tried the Schneider SA 38/5.6 XL with the 12.5 recessed lens board on a Toyo field 45AII? Is the 12.5 board deep enough to let you focus the lens at infinity? Did you have to drop the bed or too? I would appreciate your comments. Cheers.

[KenM]

I never used anything shorter than a 75mm on my A-II, and even with a recessed board, it was pretty tight. I had to drop the bed with the 75 as well, so assuming that you'll be able to focus the 38, you'll have to drop the bed. I'm not sure if you'll have enough 'drop' available, since the back standard only tilts back a little bit..

I found this on Badger's web site:


Built in tapered 12-3/4 bellows allows use of lenses from 47mm – 300mm.
Without need for bag bellows.


Maybe, *maybe*, with the 12.5mm recessed lens board, you'll be be able to focus the 38mm - but if you can, you'll have zero movements (not a big deal with a 38mm lens, I would expect). I'd be concerned about the pressure placed on the front standard by compressing the bellows that far.

Cheers!

-klm.

[Jeffrey Goggin]

I don't know if the 12.5mm recessed board will be enough to allow this lens to focus at infinity or not, but if not, it might be helpful to know that Toyo did once offer a 25mm recessed lensboard and used ones do turn up from time-to-time. And if 25mm of recess isn't enough, Toyo also offered a ~38mm recessed adapater for the smaller Horseman lensboards and, while fairly scarce these days, they turn up from time-to-time as well. (In fact, I have one of each of the above and suspect I could be persuaded to part with one of both of them...)

[Jeff Dyck]

I use a 65mm Super-Angulon mounted on a 25mm recessed board on my 45AII and it works OK, but I really have my doubts about your ability to focus a 38mm at infinity with a 12.5mm board. The challenges I have with the 65mm are not just confined to focussing with very limited movements available, but also in keeping the bed of the camera out of the photo! (even with the bed fully dropped you need to be very conscientious of the amount of front rise you have available on 4x5 media). I assume you are trying to use the lens with a rollfilm back?

[Jean-Marie Solichon]

I use the Rodenstock 55mm on the 12.5mm recessed board with my AII. It works with limited mouvements and no rise at all (dropped bed and front standard already in full rise position to compensate). A 38mm with 12.5 recessed board? Don't know for sure but seems very difficult.