Lens case for Lenses on 7.5" boards

[karl french]

I'm looking for suggestions for a good lens case for carrying lenses mounted on 7.5" square boards. Picked up an Agfa Ansco 8x10 camera and now have a few lenses mounted on those big 7.5" boards. All my other lens cases/bags are geared towards 6x6" boards.

Thanks.

[William Whitaker]

Karl,

No bright ideas here. But, I suggest you make or have made a reducing lensboard and continue to use you smaller size boards. Of course, that kind of negates the advantage of the big lensboard, doesn't it?

I have a reducing lensboard for my Ansco which allows me to use lensboards from my (your old) Folmer & Schwing 12x20. The there's another to further reduce to Sinar boards (my personal default standard).

How many lenses are you going to want to carry around with you that really require a 7 1/2" board? To be sure, it's nice having the capacity it offers, but carting (or carrying) a lot of big stuff takes the fun out of photography, whatever the format.

[karl french]

I did have a 7.5"x7.5" -> 6x6" adapter board made, since many of my lenses are on Deardorff boards. But the big 12.75" Cooke Series IIB and some petzvals I have are happier on the 7.5" boards.

[William Whitaker]

Understood. Big lenses demand big boards. That was the issue with my Wisner. Hopefully it's coming home soon with 8x8 boards.

Would be nice to find a Tenba Air Case or a Lightware case that could be modified with some king of inner structure to hold the boards.

[Carl J]

re. Wisner and 8x8 inch boards: is that a modification (done by whom)?

[William Whitaker]

Carl J -

I sent you a PM.

Thanks,
Will

[William Whitaker]

Would be nice to find a Tenba Air Case or a Lightware case that could be modified with some king of inner structure to hold the boards.

Just took a 71/2 x 71/2 Ansco board and tried it in my Lightware case that I have for a lighting kit. I think it's a PK-1400, but not sure as the number is not anywhere on the case that I can see. The board fits snugly between the front and rear walls and it seems that subdividing the space would not be difficult, perhaps making up some divider blocks that would Velcro in place and form spacers between the boards. The gaps in-between would effectively be slots to receive the boards. In this case there is enough height to allow for storage above the lenses of lightweight accessories (dark cloth, etc.). Yes, these cases are very expensive, but they are absolutely top shelf; very well made and superbly padded.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Of course the size of the lens boards is a restricting factor so dismount the lenses from the boards and pack them separately. The solution then should be obvious. No?

[karl french]

I did have that thought. My Cooke IIB is not getting along with it's slightly wonky flange very well, and my big 16" f4 petzval is stuck to it's flange. So, for the time being I'm keeping these lenses on their respective boards.

[tgtaylor]

I managed to store my 8x10 lens (9) which are shuttered and mounted on 159mm Toyo lens boards in a Pelican 1550 case w/padded dividers. If I don't have a clue of what I will be shooting, I can carry as many as 4 lens in the backpack without cramming but usually I have at least an idea of what the subject will be and take one or two lens of FL's that should work for it. 8x10 is a heavy kit, why overdo it?

Thomas