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Thread: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

  1. #1
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    Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    I recently bought a beautiful 1929 Heliar lens after years of searching in the hopes that I could swap it with the Schneider mounted on my Gowlandflex. The local store quoted me 500 EUR (650 USD) which sounds like highway robbery to me, even by European standards. They recently charged me well over 200 EUR to fix a PC port I broke on the same camera while tripping over a cable, which was painful enough.

    The lens didn't come with a lens board, but was mounted in a probably similarly aged but working Compur shutter. I would have preferred to use my current Copal shutter, and just swap the lens, but apparently its threading is different. So they would have to build a new lens board to mount it. And that plus work ends up costing more than the lens itself.

    Now, perhaps a more prudent approach is to get the lens and shutter CLAd, and doing the rest myself. Is finding a lens board suitable for the Heliar and Gowlandflex, mounting and adjusting something that's ill-advised as a DIY project? The focal length remains the same, but I would likely have to adjust focus to ensure it is accurate.

    Below how the lens came.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2

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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Mounting that lens on a twin-lens reflex is more of a task than you think, and may well be impossible. The problem is that the nominal focal lengths are the same, but the actual focal lengths may differ. If the actual focal length of the Heliar is different from the viewing lens, the lenses will not track properly. Even if they are identical, there will need to be a compensation made for a probable difference in flange focal length, i.e. the distance between the rear surface of the shutter (where it contacts the lensboard) and the filmplane.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  3. #3
    jadphoto
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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Quote Originally Posted by E. von Hoegh View Post
    Mounting that lens on a twin-lens reflex is more of a task than you think, and may well be impossible. The problem is that the nominal focal lengths are the same, but the actual focal lengths may differ. If the actual focal length of the Heliar is different from the viewing lens, the lenses will not track properly. Even if they are identical, there will need to be a compensation made for a probable difference in flange focal length, i.e. the distance between the rear surface of the shutter (where it contacts the lensboard) and the filmplane.
    I'm betting the Gowlandflex is an SLR not a TLR.

    JD

  4. #4

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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  5. #5
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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Dickerson View Post
    I'm betting the Gowlandflex is an SLR not a TLR.
    You'd lose that bet.

    E., I'm aware of the nominal vs actual focal length difference, but I'm not too worried about that. I use the camera at camera-to-subject distances which vary very little (sitting or full length people) and at small-ish apertures (f16-f22), so that shouldn't be a major factor.

    I found the lens board specs from another post. Mr Gowland sold lens boards, and I contacted Mrs Gowland in case he left stocks. If she doesn't, then I'll have to make my own. I'd still have to figure out how to mount the lens to the board, and the board to the camera, and to adjust focus for the sweet spot. And I don't know if that's something that's doable for an inexperienced DIY with time to spare, or whether I should splurge (yet again) on a pro to do the job for me.

  6. #6

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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Quote Originally Posted by feppe View Post
    You'd lose that bet.

    E., I'm aware of the nominal vs actual focal length difference, but I'm not too worried about that. I use the camera at camera-to-subject distances which vary very little (sitting or full length people) and at wide-ish apertures (f16-f22), so that shouldn't be a major factor.

    I found the lens board specs from another post. Mr Gowland sold lens boards, and I contacted Mrs Gowland in case he left stocks. If she doesn't, then I'll have to make my own. I'd still have to figure out how to mount the lens to the board, and the board to the camera, and to adjust focus for the sweet spot. And I don't know if that's something that's doable for an inexperienced DIY with time to spare, or whether I should splurge (yet again) on a pro to do the job for me.
    OK, for one distance you can make it work (and the focal lengths may be close enough that it will work at all distances) . You'll need a lensboard with the proper size hole - which should not be expensive - and some way to shim the lens if neccesary. I don't know what your skill set or your tool set is like, but any metal worker would be able to cut the hole in the new board. What are the dimensions of the board? Is it a simple flat board?

    edit - just read the specs in the link. That's an easy board to make, if neccesary.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  7. #7
    jadphoto
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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Wouldn't be the first bet that I've lost, but Peter did make SLRs as well as the TLRs (TLRs are much more common though).

    Just setting the record straight...

    JD

  8. #8

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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Dickerson View Post
    Wouldn't be the first bet that I've lost, but Peter did make SLRs as well as the TLRs (TLRs are much more common though).

    Just setting the record straight...

    JD
    IIRC the Gowland SLR used one lens only, a 240.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  9. #9

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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Gowlandflex? You want one...I have a pair....I don't need two. Serial #508 or similar IIRC..... One of the earlier TLR's with the rotating back. 210 mm lenses (Symmar conv.)

  10. #10

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    Re: Mounting a lens on a Gowlandflex

    Quote Originally Posted by JosephBurke View Post
    Gowlandflex? You want one...I have a pair....I don't need two. Serial #508 or similar IIRC..... One of the earlier TLR's with the rotating back. 210 mm lenses (Symmar conv.)
    I'd love to have one, a useable piece of photographic history. Unfortunately, I cannot afford one. Dammit.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

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