Locking down focus?

[Maross396]

Wisner Tech Field 4x5; my question is after i achieve focus how do i lock it down to avoid movements? When the camera is at an angle focusing down it will slip forward slightly.

[Vaughn]

One knob moves the camera body on the rails -- and the knob on the opposite side locks it into place. Sometimes one needs to hold the adjusting knob to keep it from turning when you tighten the opposite knob.

[Luis-F-S]

Don’t forget to lock down the front rise/tilt

[Maross396]

Thanks, I’ll give that a shot

[ericantonio]

Maross, I worked with a lot of CRAPPY 8x01's and 4x5s in studios, pre-digital days. And these were house cameras. Meaning, at the studios, there will be a dozens of them for you to use. And they always have problems cause they get used 10 hours a day. The smart guys always use gaffer tape on everything, no matter what. it's their job and livelyhood so they can't afford for things to get loose while shooting especially when doing straight up and down jewelry shots. We had a corn-of-copia of A clamps for people to use, and those get used on all the parts of an 8x10 that my move if you look at it funny, it's like they are taunting you. A lot of times, a photographer would have 2 or 3 tabletop shots and go between in one, there could be dozens of people walking around so everything gets taped up and A-clamped down. This is a habit I have now too. I even taped the legs to the floor, someone is bound to trip over it. I tape my lensboard and back to the camera. I can't tell you how many times someone thought they had the lensboard in correctly, then tilt the tripod head, and see the lens fall to the floor. If you are shooting straight up and down, these guys would A clamp right where the monorail stops and then use the fine focus. These old cameras had loose gears go if the camera is not in horizontal, there's a chance of it creeping out of focus while you are out to get lunch.

Basically, they didn't trust anything that tightens down. So a little insurance always helps.

[ericantonio]

Well got it partially figured out as the rear rail locks down tightly but the front not so much, don’t want to force anything so may have to use the clamp idea.

It's them gears man. I would bet a roll of 120 film on it. On the bed is a rail that looks like this: ^^^^^^^^^. And there is a round gear that is attached to a knoby focusing thingy. If either one of the ^^^^^ or the gear is worn, it tends to slip. The other thing is that if the gears isn't making contact with the ^^^^^, it's lifted up a little, check that too. Field cameras are pretty basic, if you know a little elbow grease and how things connect, you can figure out which part is broken or loose. I have one old tattered box of Arista EDU 400 120 all yours if it isn't the gears or the ^^^^^^