Adapting Lens Boards

[Brassai]

My search for a vintage 4x5 seems to have come to an end this week as I purchased a late 1920s Gundlach Korona from a guy out in Tonopah, NV. No doubt he'll just squander the money on cheap magnifying glasses or something, but that's a different story I guess. Here's what I have in mind. I now have a nice little selection of lenses made from 1905--1930 and intend to use those on both my Chamonix 045n and the Korona. Being a simple person I want to make this simple. My hope is I can just leave all these lenses mounted on the Chamonix aluminum lens boards and have an adapter made so I can use them on the Korona. I think Jim said the Korona lens opening is 4 in., but another guy selling one on ebay says it's 3.5 in. This will be a bit close, but I think allowing for a bit of the bottom edge of the lens board to drop into the slot will then give enough space on the adapter to fit the opening even if it's only 3.5 in. Worst case is the Chamonix lens boards will have to be made to sit on top of adapter rather than flush within it. I've found a local wood worker who can make something out of a walnut board blank and then stain it dark cherry to match the original finish of the camera. Add some black velvet around the openings and I've almost got it. Where I'm stuck is wondering where I can get a metal piece(s) of some kind to keep the Chamonix lens boards in place. (Lens board keeper?) On the Korona the original is a metal strip that slides up & down. It needs to look like polished silver, to match the rest of the camera's metal. Can I buy these somewhere? I have thought of going to a full line hardware stoe and poking around in their little drawers. Does anyone else have any ideas? Some of you have restored old cameras and have likely solved this issue.

Here's a nice head on view of a Korona:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Antique-Camera-Gundlach-Korona-w-Zeiss-Protarliase-VII-/291177793568?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item43cb8c8820

Dang, maybe I should buy this camera too, just to get the lens.


The above camera looks like it might be the older style. Here's a head on view of the style I think mine is. Looks like it's the reverse and the boards lock at the bottom:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GUNDLACH-KORONA-4x5-VIEW-CAMERA-W-KODAK-LENS-EXTRAS-CASE-VG-CND-/251496507105?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item3a8e5c26e1&nma=true&si=DKT2Cc9Sli5XvMxJw3Qhp9yC4c0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Len Middleton]

I now have a nice little selection of lenses made from 1905--1930 and intend to use those on both my Chamonix 045n and the Korona. Being a simple person I want to make this simple. My hope is I can just leave all these lenses mounted on the Chamonix aluminum lens boards and have an adapter made so I can use them on the Korona.

I've found a local wood worker who can make something out of a walnut board blank and then stain it dark cherry to match the original finish of the camera. Add some black velvet around the openings and I've almost got it.

Where I'm stuck is wondering where I can get a metal piece(s) of some kind to keep the Chamonix lens boards in place. (Lens board keeper?) On the Korona the original is a metal strip that slides up & down. It needs to look like polished silver, to match the rest of the camera's metal. Can I buy these somewhere? I have thought of going to a full line hardware stoe and poking around in their little drawers. Does anyone else have any ideas? Some of you have restored old cameras and have likely solved this issue.


For more information, you might want to do a search on the site for adapter lensboards. Like many people I have several, and they allow me to use my lenses mounted on Linhof Technika style lensboards onto my Deardorff 8x10 (6x6RC) and Korona 8x20 (6x6 square corners). Everything that will fit onto a Technika board (Copal 3 and smaller) goes onto one and the bigger ones gets onto a 6x6 lensboard.

You are better getting the opening slightly recessed to act as a light trap, rather than trusting a flush mount with black velvet to do the job by itself.

I do not know what they are called, but I refer to them as a lensboard retaining strip and a lesnboard sliding lock. One suggestion I recently heard was buying an adapter lensbaord for some obscure lensboard conversion combination relatively inexpensively and take the hardware off it. No doubt McMaster-Carr would have something in their massive catalogue. And I would expect that they are nickel plated given the time frame, and certainly not silver...

Richard Ritter can make the parts you need, but it would seem to be a waste of his considerable talents if they could be just purchased...

[Brassai]

I was looking over ebay, looking to snag a cheap front standard or something. From your suggestion I found something perfect on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-set-sliding-locks-for-self-mounting-various-adapters-3-8-width-/331251644813?pt=US_Lens_Boards&hash=item4d2022f98d

[Tin Can]

That Ebay seller also makes very good and cheap lensboards. I use him and the Michigan guy all the time.

I did not know this Chicago guy sells the hardware.

I was just looking for this very thing.

Thank you!


I was looking over ebay, looking to snag a cheap front standard or something. From your suggestion I found something perfect on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-set-sliding-locks-for-self-mounting-various-adapters-3-8-width-/331251644813?pt=US_Lens_Boards&hash=item4d2022f98d

[Len Middleton]

I was looking over ebay, looking to snag a cheap front standard or something. From your suggestion I found something perfect on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-set-sliding-locks-for-self-mounting-various-adapters-3-8-width-/331251644813?pt=US_Lens_Boards&hash=item4d2022f98d

Wow, beats buying the material and fabricating them...

The only issue I see is minor. I think that Deardorff and my Korona 8x20 have the lensboard locking system right with the fixed retainer at the top and the sliding one at the bottom. Most of the weight of the lens is on the front of the lensboard and gravity helps to hold them in place, rather than helping them fall out.

For the sliding lock to be on the bottom, instead of two parallel straight slots, the slots should have a "J" or hockey stick profile to reduce the likelihood that they will slide open through gravity. Fairly simple modification with a Dremel or similar tool...

[jp]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skink-film-holder-sliding-locks-4x5-8x10-DIY-Camera-/291078619922?pt=US_Lens_Boards&hash=item43c5a34312 could be used to retain a lensboard.
I know adaptors are available that let you use the 4"ish speed graphic boards on bigger lensboards.

[Jac@stafford.net]

My search for a vintage 4x5 seems to have come to an end this week as I purchased a late 1920s Gundlach Korona from a guy out in Tonopah, NV. No doubt he'll just squander the money on cheap magnifying glasses or something,

Stop that! I have bruised ribs and it hurts when I laugh.
.

[Len Middleton]

My search for a vintage 4x5 seems to have come to an end this week as I purchased a late 1920s Gundlach Korona from a guy out in Tonopah, NV. No doubt he'll just squander the money on cheap magnifying glasses or something, but that's a different story I guess.

Or old Ford cars...

[Jonathan Barlow]

My search for a vintage 4x5 seems to have come to an end this week as I purchased a late 1920s Gundlach Korona from a guy out in Tonopah, NV. No doubt he'll just squander the money on cheap magnifying glasses or something, but that's a different story I guess.


Or food! Sacrilege!!