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Douglas King
2-Dec-2004, 17:16
I am a newbie and have probably a basic question. I've read a fair amount of of this and other LF forums and faqs and haven't seen an answer to this.

A few months ago I traded my Pentax 6x7 kit for a Toyo CF kit. I wanted a longer lens so I found a 210 on ebay. It came attached to a Cambo view camera (it was a little less than similar lenses went for w/o the camera ) So I am thinking I can use it for portraits or table top and the availabilty of back movments may come in handy ocasionaly outdoors as well.

So here is my question - when you have cameras with different lens boards does it make sense to get a shutter for each lens board or do folks just switch the shutter and lens? I kind of hate to up up money in shutters that I could invest in glass - but it seems much easier to move the lens between shutters.

Or in the long run will I be better off selling the cambo and buying a view that is lens board compatable with the toyo?

Thanks,

Douglas King

David Karp
2-Dec-2004, 17:22
Douglas,

Check to see if Cambo makes a Toyo field to Cambo lensboard adapter. If they do not, or even if they do, check with S.K. Grimes (www.skgrimes.com) to see how much they would charge to make one for you. That would be much less expensive than multiple shutters, and easier than switching boards every time you change cameras. My bet is that the Grimes shop has already made these. They would probably use your existing lensboard as the base, cut a larger hole, and add a slider lock and whatever else is required to hold the Toyo board on the Cambo board.

Adapter boards work great. I have a Linhof Technika to Cambo adapter that I use with my camera so I don't have to use the big Cambo boards, and like it very much.

David Karp
2-Dec-2004, 17:58
Douglas,

Calumet does not show a Toyo Field to Cambo adapter on their website, so it looks like Grimes might be your best bet.

Donald Hutton
2-Dec-2004, 19:35
When you speak to the good folks at SKGrimes, do yourself a favour and order one of their lens wrenches - they are fabulous and a steal for the price!

Alan Davenport
2-Dec-2004, 21:25
Cambo lensboards are really, amazingly simple to make from 1/8" birch plywood. It ought to be possible to make your own adapter for the Toyo lensboard, which I'm sure is small enough to fit.

Gem Singer
3-Dec-2004, 08:21
Hi Douglas,

The cameras that are lensboard compatible with your Toyo CF are the Toyo 45AII, AX, and older models of the Toyo A series. Also, some models of the Canham use Toyo field- type lensboards.

Its not the same as the 6x7 Pentax, where you are able to change lenses while the shutter remains in the camera. The shutter for an LF lens needs to be matched to that individual lens, in order to match the aperature scale and the diameter of the lens elements. Barrel lenses, behind the lens shutters, and Graphlex focal plane shutters are a few of the exceptions, of course. However, they would be difficult, to use with your camera.

Make the lensboards interchangeable on both of your cameras, and consider the lens and shutter as a single unit. Think of it as price you have to pay for the ability to use a larger negative.