Two23
11-Oct-2018, 20:30
I'm finally getting around to figuring out what to do with my latest lens, the five pound "Kong Petzval.":cool: It's an 11 inch Voigtlander Petzval c.1863. I mostly bought it because it seemed to be going cheap and is really cool! My biggest camera is a c.1925 Gundlach Korona field camera, 5x7 (plus 4x5 back.) The lens is heavy. I'm thinking of always using it with the rear extension so I can balance it over the tripod head. Also thinking of racking the lens back into the bellows as far as it will go to balance it better on the front of the camera.
Here's what I'm dealing with. The native lens boards are 4.5 in. square. The flange is 5.5 in. diameter. The opening in the front standard is 103mm (call it 4 in. for consistency I guess.) The lens tube diameter is 98mm. It does fit with a little room. The lens board has a 6mm indent to make the light trap.
The lens will have to be bolted, not screwed, using its six holes in the flange. The top of the lens board slips in under a metal strip on top and is locked in place at the bottom with two locking tabs. There is a bevel on the bottom edge of the lens board. I noticed that if I turn a standard wooden lens board backwards, with the indent facing outward, it creates some clearance to mount a larger platform to mount the flange on. I'm not sure if an adapted wooden lens will do the job, or if I should have something machined out of aluminum? Or, have an aluminum based lens board made and then bolt (not screw) a wooden spacer plus larger platform to mount the flange? I do plan on fashioning a "Y" or "H" shaped support to place under the lens to take strain off the front standard and lens board keepers.
I have an alternative idea and that is to buy something like a Kodak 2D 8x10 which has 6 in. lens boards. I've seen some in nice condition (I do want a pretty one) going reasonably from time to time. I don't really want to get into yet another format so would look for a 5x7 back for it. I'm not eager to do this because I really couldn't justify keeping a 2D and my Korona. I love that Korona--beautiful wood, and I don't think it was ever even used! I just put new bellows on it from UK.
So, any advice here is really needed!
Kent in SD
Here's what I'm dealing with. The native lens boards are 4.5 in. square. The flange is 5.5 in. diameter. The opening in the front standard is 103mm (call it 4 in. for consistency I guess.) The lens tube diameter is 98mm. It does fit with a little room. The lens board has a 6mm indent to make the light trap.
The lens will have to be bolted, not screwed, using its six holes in the flange. The top of the lens board slips in under a metal strip on top and is locked in place at the bottom with two locking tabs. There is a bevel on the bottom edge of the lens board. I noticed that if I turn a standard wooden lens board backwards, with the indent facing outward, it creates some clearance to mount a larger platform to mount the flange on. I'm not sure if an adapted wooden lens will do the job, or if I should have something machined out of aluminum? Or, have an aluminum based lens board made and then bolt (not screw) a wooden spacer plus larger platform to mount the flange? I do plan on fashioning a "Y" or "H" shaped support to place under the lens to take strain off the front standard and lens board keepers.
I have an alternative idea and that is to buy something like a Kodak 2D 8x10 which has 6 in. lens boards. I've seen some in nice condition (I do want a pretty one) going reasonably from time to time. I don't really want to get into yet another format so would look for a 5x7 back for it. I'm not eager to do this because I really couldn't justify keeping a 2D and my Korona. I love that Korona--beautiful wood, and I don't think it was ever even used! I just put new bellows on it from UK.
So, any advice here is really needed!
Kent in SD