Ektar, Ilex, and Technika Board ?

[Ken Lee]

Would it be possible and straightforward to mount an Ektar lens in an Ilex shutter, on a Technika board ?

For example, a 14" Ektar ? Dunno what size shutter that would require, but any insights would be most appreciated. I would use the lens for 5x7 and 8x10.

[David A. Goldfarb]

It can probably be done, but not straightforwardly, because the standard flange for an Ilex 4 or 5 shutter will be bigger than a Technika board. An Ilex 3 flange will fit on a Technika board, but I think a 14" Ektar will be in an Ilex #5. The easiest way would probably involve an extension lensboard and a custom adapter ring of some sort.

[Salty]

The Ilex 4 shutter in most cases will fit in a Technika board with the Copal 3 hole. All of my Ilex 4 shuttered lenses are in Technika-style boards. The 14" Ektar and Commercial Ektar is in an Ilex 5 and anything in an Ilex 5 is just too large and too heavy to put in a Technika board.

[John_4185]

See this: www.skgrimes.com/thisweek/9-9-04/index.htm (http://www.skgrimes.com/thisweek/9-9-04/index.htm)

I have something very much like the above, but shorter. Later I can check the Ilex #5 and if it fits, I'll post a picture. When mounting a very large shutter to the Linhof Technika board, you lose the 5.5mm drop which centers the lens, but you have rear movement to make up for it.

[Ken Lee]

Would it be easier to simply mount the lens in a different (smaller) shutter ?

Perhaps a 355 G-Claron would be a better solution.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Mounting the lens in a smaller shutter like a Copal #3 would involve buying the shutter and making adapter rings for the front and rear cells, which would be much more expensive than, say, buying a Wista extension lensboard and having a custom adapter ring made for an Ilex #5 shutter (presuming the rear thread of the #5 shutter is small enough for this--I'm 5000 miles away from my #5 shutter and Wista extension lensboard at the moment). Here's an example of a big lens mounted on a Technika board that I posted a while back--

http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/500344.html

[Ken Lee]

Thanks for the info ! You guys are the best.

[Ernest Purdum]

Many years ago, I was a partner in a metal working shop. I mounted a big barrel mounted lens on a Graflex by making a threaded lensboard,. This would be expensive, but very much cheaper than remounting into another shutter (even if this were possible, which is very unlikely). Without having the camera and lens at hand, I am not sure whether this would work for you or not.

I have an old listing which shows the Ilex Universal #5 X with a flange thread diameter of 3 1/4", but oddly, the MX version at 3 1/8". Other dimensions and the price differed also.

For a Technika, it would be necessary to have a thicker board made. If I were doing it, I would machine the final thickness after threading, so as to put the shutter controls where I wanted them.

[John_4185]

For a Technika, it would be necessary to have a thicker board made. If I were doing it, I would machine the final thickness after threading, so as to put the shutter controls where I wanted them.

The Technika (and Color) have a difficulty in that regard: the edges have to be particularly thin/indented on a thick board in order to fit well. If I were to do it all over, rather than making the 'tube' adapter, I'd make a box adapter.

[John_4185]

Okay, I got my adapter out. It looks like the SK Grimes adapter www.skgrimes.com/thisweek/9-9-04/index.htm (http://www.skgrimes.com/thisweek/9-9-04/index.htm ) except that mine is a bit shorter and much heavier (steel, particularly thick tube.) It is also a three-piece unit. The end piece is interchangable. At the moment it fits a #4, but a #5 would easily fit with a little machining.