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View Full Version : Any Issues with Horseman VH-R and a Horseman 4x5 Adaptable Back?



michaela75662
28-Jul-2018, 16:05
I used to shoot 35mm many years ago, develop my own stuff and also print it. I loved the processes and the smells that went with it. Now, I'm retired and want to get back into it, albeit on a fixed income that's significantly less than what I use to bring home. I also want to do LF landscapes. White it may be possible to land a Crown Graphic and lens in good condition at a price I can afford, has anyone experienced issues with a Horseman VH-R using a 4x5 Horseman Adaptable Back (I hope to get some 6x9 Singer/Graflex rollfilm backs if a Crown shows up)? Issues like vignetting (caused by adapter back) and a "normal" Horseman lens? Other issues? I'm trying to keep my options open to viable alternatives. Thanks for some info.

Michael W. Atkins

p.s. I'm looking for a hand-held field camera because setting up a view camera will not work well in a swamp......which is where I'll be shooting.

Jeff Keller
28-Jul-2018, 16:17
You can get 6x9 roll film backs which fit the Horseman VHR without any adapter. Un-clip ground glass frame, then clip the roll film back to the camera.

There is a rotary back which lets you quickly switch between the ground glass and the roll film back (I've never used one) but I believe they would impair the wide angle lens capability of the camera because the film plane moves away from the lens.

If I remember correctly there were non-Horseman brand adapters (many Chinese made) which let you use 6x12 roll fill holders but the adapter limited your lens choices.

There were also Sinar and Calumet roll film holders which slid under the ground glass.

jeff

Oren Grad
28-Jul-2018, 16:57
...has anyone experienced issues with a Horseman VH-R using a 4x5 Horseman Adaptable Back

There are two versions of the Horseman 4x5 expansion back - a fixed one and one with its own mini-bellows and focusing rail. I've handled the latter though I've never used it to make pictures and so I'm afraid I can't tell you anything from experience about the extent of any focal length or focus distance limitations caused by image cutoff. For my taste, the combination of the expansion back with the camera body really is quite big and clumsy. This page talks about it a bit:

http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/LFN/CamProf_Hman45Ext.htm

When you find one, the focusing extension back is likely to be almost as expensive as a basic 4x5 monorail camera or a beat-up Crown.

Tin Can
28-Jul-2018, 17:07
I have almost everything Horseman for VHR.

It becomes way too heavy and clumsy when converted to either 4x5 rig.

I think I want a Wista RF 4X5 instead.

michaela75662
29-Jul-2018, 11:38
Thanks a bunch for your reply and url link. I'm OLD, but really new at this. Looks like I need to keep searching for a Crown or Super Graphic and occasionally use a rollfilm back.

M

michaela75662
29-Jul-2018, 11:39
Thanks, I need all the info I can get!