Dismounting ground glass of a Phillips 11x14 to introduce a lens

[Eliseo Pascual]

Hello, this is a follow up of a previous thread. I have to enter the rear of a 210 Schneider Superangulon through the sinar lensboard size fornt opening of a Phillips 11x14, but it is too large and can not pass it anyhow.

The rear part of the lens can be unsscrewed - so the front can be put in place and the rear side screwed from the bck. But to do that I would have to remove the ground glass unscrewing the springs that hold it tight - each time! -

DOES IT SOUND REASONABLE TO YOU; ANYBODY HAS ENCOUNTERED/SOLVED A SIMILAR PROBLEM?. THE LENS LOOKS REAL NICE, BUT I AM HESITANT.


THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

ELISEO /Alicante, Spain

[vinny]

No. It may sound reasonable to you until you miss the good light while picking up pieces of glass with your bloody hand. Switch lenses, cameras, or have a larger front standard made by a third party like richard ritter.

[DKirk]

I'm with Vinny on this one. You'll need to do some modification either the larger front standard, or modification to the back which would allow it to flip up separating the bellows from the ground glass. For ease I'd suggest front modification - it should be fairly straightforward, if you have access to either the tools to DIY or if there is a good quality woodworker in your area (I could name a few local to me, however I think even with a cheap Easyjet flight it may be a lot of hassel).

[C. D. Keth]

Is it close to fitting through the front standard or not even?

[domaz]

It would be hard to think of any other 11x14 camera not being able to fit a lens like that through the front standard. The price you pay for having a light-weight camera I suppose.

[Oren Grad]

The rear part of the lens can be unsscrewed - so the front can be put in place and the rear side screwed from the bck. But to do that I would have to remove the ground glass unscrewing the springs that hold it tight - each time! -

Sounds like you have an Explorer. Unfortunately, the 210 SA is not practical to use on your camera. There's really no room to carve out the front standard much at all, let alone far enough to swallow the rear cell of the 210 SA, which is 125mm across. If you try, you will very quickly start cutting into the front mounting of the bellows.

If your application requires a modern 210 with enough coverage for movements on 11x14, I think the 210 Super-Symmar XL is your only option. If you don't require movements, the old 210 Angulon, stopped way down, may be adequate.

ADDED: The front standard opening of the 11x14 Explorer is about 107mm square. That's too small even for the 200 Grandagon, which has a rear cell that's 115mm across.

[Oren Grad]

It would be hard to think of any other 11x14 camera not being able to fit a lens like that through the front standard. The price you pay for having a light-weight camera I suppose.

Dick designed his cameras as field cameras, and quite consciously did not stretch the design to accommodate monster studio lenses. Remember that the 210 SA weighs more than 3 kg.

There is some variation in construction of the front standards of his different models over the years; some of them have room to be carved out a litle bit to accept especially large rear cells. But I don't know of any that can be widened enough to accept a 210 SA or 200 Grandagon.