Problem w Front Rise Folmer Schwing 717

[G Benaim]

So I just received my new to me folmer schwing 717 and am having trouble getting the front rise to go down more than a quarter inch. It goes up fine, but something seems to be stopping it on the way down, and this is without a lens or lensboard attached, any ideas what may cause this? Thanks,

GB

[Louis Pacilla]

Hey Gab
It's the light trap on your lens board is to thick. The original lens boards had a "thin" skinny light trap so when using the rise the light trap did not bump part of the inside track framing od the camera. I mount the lens on the light trap/back side of my non original lens boards and add a felt light trap to front of the board which is now the backside of the lens board and your rise/fall should work.

I hope this makes sense & helps Gab & sorry I didn't get back to you on my 7x17 but I had sold one of mine locally.

[G Benaim]

Hi Louis,

I have the problem with no lensboard on at all, so it's something else obstructing it's movement, and only on the way down, not up.
How thin a light trap can you get away with? I was thinking of doing just what you describe and using some fuzzy side Velcro around the opening.
No problem on the camera, just drop me a line next time so I know what's up.

[Louis Pacilla]

Hey Gab

As I recall, the fall movement is not nearly as much or moves as far as rise does so could this be it? I also know that the fall movement can easily make contact with the certain tripod heads Particularly heads w/ large surface platforms. I'll check my F&S 7x17 and the exact amount of fall movement when I get a chance to pull her out & I'll report my findings later today.

P.S. I'll check the thickness of the light trap on one of my Eastman F&S manufactured lens boards as well.

[G Benaim]

That'd be great,, thanks, I can only get like a quarter inch of fall vs almost two inches of rise, and it's not getting anywhere near the tripod head.

[Louis Pacilla]

Hey Gab

I checked my F&S and you "should" have loads of rise/fall & the brass fitting that attaches to the sliding rise/fall board on the front standard has a long oval loop, that loop is pretty much the available limits of rise/fall. However,,,, "if" your using a shuttered lens that protrudes from the rear of the lens board it'll hit the inner structure of the front standard as you try to engage the rise(you'll get more but not all available) or fall( you'll barely get any). Only if you tilt fairly far forward (most always to far to be practical) will the barrel clear the inner structure.
Back in the day that this Banquette style camera was designed most folks were using barrel lenses stopped way down so a lens cap could be used for making the exposures. Of course this usually is/was a few seconds of exposure & very doable.
When I'm using my F&S 7x17 I usually use a selection of barrel lenses & that way I can get all maximum rise/fall if needed(usually not).
I use mostly this selection of barrel lenses, a 10 1/2"-12"-16 1/2" coated Dagors a as well as a Protar Series V 8 1/4" as well as a Series IV 10 1/4". I also use a few shuttered lenses but know the camera limits so I use the shuttered lenses when not needing loads of either rise or fall.Another thing is you can get a good bit more rise with a protruding rear section then you can fall and
I'm guessing that's what your experiencing and your camera is functioning as it was designed to.

FYI
I measured one of my F&S factory lens boards & the light trap thickness is an 1/8th" thick. Any thicker and it will do the same thing as the protruding rear lens . Basically anything sticking out behind the lens board will kill your rise/fall w/ out engaged a good bit of tilt.

Hope this helps Gab and sorry for the bad news on the rise/fall but at least it sounds like your F&S 7x17 is not malfunctioning but it's built in rise/fall limits w/ anything protruding from the rear of the lens board.

[G Benaim]

As I mentioned, the problem occurs even without a lens or lensboard installed, so there's something obstructing front fall, will have to look into it. I was just curious if this was a known issue w these cameras that had an easy diagnosis and solution, as is so often the case.

[RichardRitter]

Take a look at the back side of the raise and fall plate to make sure there is not something sticking out the back . Like a plugged hole from the use of a Packard shutter.

Also look at the raise and fall control for wore and broken or bent teeth.

[dentkimterry]

Mine, which I got from Louis, will rise 2" and fall 1" before it binds up although in use you could never shift it that far as the rear element of the lens would hit the interior of the camera.
Terry