S.W. Prinz 135mm f4.5 wont focus to infinity

[epoliqui]

Hello all!

I've recently taken my foray into LF photography with a Cambo 4x5 monorail camera and a S.W. Prinz 135mm f4.5.

My problem is I can't get the lens to focus to infinity. I can focus on things a maximum of about 8-10 feet away with the front and rear standard as close together as they go.

Let me know if there's something I'm missing, I'd love to get this to work. The lens would probably be good for portraits as is but I definitely want to do some landscapes.

Thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

A recessed lensboard, apparently! Or a bag bellows.

[Dan Fromm]

OP, your problem usually occurs when the tripod mounting block is between the standards. Remove the tripod mounting block, put it at the front of the rail in front of the front standard and try again.

I have a Cambo SC, that should do it. Works for me. Bag bellows shouldn't be needed and neither should a recessed board.

[epoliqui]

OP, your problem usually occurs when the tripod mounting block is between the standards. Remove the tripod mounting block, put it at the front of the rail in front of the front standard and try again.

I have a Cambo SC, that should do it. Works for me. Bag bellows shouldn't be needed and neither should a recessed board.

Definitely! Moving the tripod block behind the camera was actually one of my first steps, but even with the front and rear standard's rail controller dial/screw thing touching I'm only able to focus a couple meters. :-(

[Dugan]

Are the standards offset? Is it possible to reverse them?

[Dan Fromm]

OP, you're new here so are probably not aware of this forum's resources. One of them is a list of links to sources of information. A link to it is in the first post in this https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?138978-Where-to-look-for-information-on-LF-(mainly)-lenses discussion. It has a link in the Modern (relatively) LF section to Cambo's manual for assembling the SC.

If your camera is assembled correctly, remove the back, disconnect the bellows from the rear standard, reverse the rear standard and reassemble. If the lens won't focus to infinity with the camera set up this way, it has a bad problem.

What I just described is called the stupid Cambo trick. When the camera is set up this way, shooting in landscape orientation requires that the camera be flopped on its side.

[epoliqui]

OP, you're new here so are probably not aware of this forum's resources. One of them is a list of links to sources of information. A link to it is in the first post in this https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?138978-Where-to-look-for-information-on-LF-(mainly)-lenses discussion. It has a link in the Modern (relatively) LF section to Cambo's manual for assembling the SC.

If your camera is assembled correctly, remove the back, disconnect the bellows from the rear standard, reverse the rear standard and reassemble. If the lens won't focus to infinity with the camera set up this way, it has a bad problem.

What I just described is called the stupid Cambo trick. When the camera is set up this way, shooting in landscape orientation requires that the camera be flopped on its side.

That totally did it. Thank you so much! I will definitely keep that link in mind if I have any other questions.
I'll definitely be posting the results, so hopefully won't be new for much longer! It's awesome to know there's people who've been around since the 90s and early 2000s and are still active on the forums.

[Bob Salomon]

That totally did it. Thank you so much! I will definitely keep that link in mind if I have any other questions.
I'll definitely be posting the results, so hopefully won't be new for much longer! It's awesome to know there's people who've been around since the 90s and early 2000s and are still active on the forums.

More then being around since the 90s. In 76 I was a rep for Prinz.