How Can I Get More Bellows?

[miket-nyc]

I recently bought the kind of camera I've wanted since I was a teenager: a 4x5 Wista field camera. I've used press-type cameras for years, but this is the first time I've had the real thing. For it I got a 150/5.6 Symmar in a Compur shutter. I was happy to have the Symmar, because it's a convertible lens and becomes a 265/12 by unscrewing the front element.

But the first time I tried this, I discovered that the Wista doesn't have enough bellows to get out to infinity with the 265. Is there some way to get around this problem, or am I stuck? I could buy or make an extender for the lensboard, but one advantage of having a convertible lens is to get a second focal length without having to carry around bulky junk, and an extension would be even bulkier than a second lens.

Mike Taglieri

[Duolab123]

Nope, 265 mm of extension at infinity, twice that at 1:1. I have a Calumet CC series wide angle camera, monorail but short bellows. I have a 150, too long for that really nice handy camera, I found a clunky Calumet recessed lensboard and used it as a cone backwards. But like you say, not pleasing to lug around on a lovely field camera.

[Bob Salomon]

Wista has enough bellows to get over 600mm of bed and bellows. You just have to order the correct bed extension and bellows.

[Doremus Scudder]

You don't say which Wista camera you have...

My Wista DXs and my Wista SW all have 300mm of bellows extension, which should be enough to infinity focus and then some with your 265mm converted lens (unless, for some reason the lens requires more extension than its focal length to focus at infiity...).

A top-hat lensboard isn't all that clunky; I use one for my 300mm lens on the above-mentioned Wistas. I can focus to nine feet or a bit closer with my Nikkor M 300mm on the extended board and using all the 300mm of bellows extension.

Best,

Doremus

[ic-racer]

I have a similar issue with my Horseman 4x5. The "teleconverter" for the 150 lens makes it a 300mm, but it is not a telephoto. So, to focus this I attach my extension bellows. The good thing is that the extension collapses to just the right length for the 300mm.

206186

[Keith Pitman]

With a converted lens, you need more bellows than the nominal focal length. The only convertible lens I have converts to 475mm in one configuration, but the flange focal length is 545mm.



You don't say which Wista camera you have...

My Wista DXs and my Wista SW all have 300mm of bellows extension, which should be enough to infinity focus and then some with your 265mm converted lens (unless, for some reason the lens requires more extension than its focal length to focus at infiity...).

A top-hat lensboard isn't all that clunky; I use one for my 300mm lens on the above-mentioned Wistas. I can focus to nine feet or a bit closer with my Nikkor M 300mm on the extended board and using all the 300mm of bellows extension.

Best,

Doremus

[Bob Salomon]

You don't say which Wista camera you have...

My Wista DXs and my Wista SW all have 300mm of bellows extension, which should be enough to infinity focus and then some with your 265mm converted lens (unless, for some reason the lens requires more extension than its focal length to focus at infiity...).

A top-hat lensboard isn't all that clunky; I use one for my 300mm lens on the above-mentioned Wistas. I can focus to nine feet or a bit closer with my Nikkor M 300mm on the extended board and using all the 300mm of bellows extension.

Best,

Doremus

This is how you get more bed and bellows extension on Wista.

https://www.wista.co.jp/e_wista/e_show/e_acces/e_acces2/e_acces2.htm

[ic-racer]

Interesting to see how Wista extends the front of the camera rather than the back. Looks to be more sturdy than Horseman's approach. That Horseman extension back, though, attaches and removes in seconds.

[Luis-F-S]

Why I use a Deardorff V5. 23" of bellows can use anything up to a 19" Artar! Otherwise, you can use a Sinar F2, you can add additional bellows till the cows come home! I've used it with a 35" lens!

[Duolab123]

Looks like to the OP no easy resolution. The inverted recessed lensboard is no good if you want to use the lens with the front element and still have a nice compact unit. You want to keep the convertible lens on a normal lens board.

[miket-nyc]

With a converted lens, you need more bellows than the nominal focal length. The only convertible lens I have converts to 475mm in one configuration, but the flange focal length is 545mm.

Mine is apparently a DX. (I say "apparently" because I bought it on eBay and decided it was a DX by comparing features, but "DX" does not appear on the camera). It has 300 mm of extension, but that's not enough to reach infinity for the converted lens. I'll do a few tests to see how much more extension I need.

A top-hat lensboard would be fine for a lens that always needs one, because you'd mount it on that board and leave it there. But a 150 Symmar doesn't need one for normal use -- only if I convert it by removing the front element, which would not be often.

Mike Taglieri

[Doremus Scudder]

Mine is apparently a DX. ... It has 300 mm of extension, but that's not enough to reach infinity for the converted lens. I'll do a few tests to see how much more extension I need.

A top-hat lensboard would be fine for a lens that always needs one, because you'd mount it on that board and leave it there. But a 150 Symmar doesn't need one for normal use -- only if I convert it by removing the front element, which would not be often.

Mike Taglieri

If a top-hat board won't do it for you, then you'll be better off just getting another lens. It will certainly be cheaper and less bulky than the other options to increase bellows extension. Plus, the image quality of the converted lens won't be nearly as good as a dedicated lens in the longer focal length. I'd suggest the Fujinon A 240mm f/9; I love mine.

Best,

Doremus

[Bob Salomon]

Mine is apparently a DX. (I say "apparently" because I bought it on eBay and decided it was a DX by comparing features, but "DX" does not appear on the camera). It has 300 mm of extension, but that's not enough to reach infinity for the converted lens. I'll do a few tests to see how much more extension I need.

A top-hat lensboard would be fine for a lens that always needs one, because you'd mount it on that board and leave it there. But a 150 Symmar doesn't need one for normal use -- only if I convert it by removing the front element, which would not be often.

Mike Taglieri

That’s the beauty of the Wista extended board set. It has 25mm of extension plus 2 additional screw in extensions and more are available as optional accessories. The 0, 1 and 3 boards screw into the front of the tubes. You use the 150 on the basic board. When you want to use it extended you just unscrew the 0 board from the front, add whatever tubes you need for the conversion and screw the board back into the front.
But since a converted lens is not a quality performer in the first place a dedicated longer lens would be your best choice.

[Neal Chaves]

On the convertible Symmar, there appears to be little difference in using just the front element alone or the rear. The easiest solution to reducing bellows extension is to use a good quality mild plus lens (close up filter). I have B+W 0.50 filters in 67mm and 77mm. I use them on my 250mm Fujinon W and 450mm Nikkor M. This is not a radical approach. Once when I worked for the Navy they had a big Nikon zoom lens in a case the photographers claimed was defective and wouldn't focus. I was tasked to fix it or send it for repair. It had a matched Nikon plus lens in place. Without it, close focus was more than 30 feet, but with it in place infinity focus could not be attained.