55mm Rodenstock Apo-Grandagon-N & Toyo 45AII

[Emre Yildirim]

Hello,

I just wanted to post this message as a sort of "for your information" in case anyone in the future is wondering if they can use this lens with the 45AII (this way it'll be searchable in the archives).

Using the standard 12.5mm recessed lensboard from Toyo, I can focus the 55mm at infinity without any problems. It even looks like that the bed doesn't need to be dropped. Looking at the ground glass, I can't see the bed in the picture, but then again, the edges are pretty dark so I might be wrong.

I assume that since the 55mm can be used, the 58mm SA XL would be usable as well. While focused at infinity, the bellows don't seem to be completely compressed (there's still some room), so my guess is in terms of bellows a 47mm SA XL could work.

Judging my experience with the 55mm, I don't think that a recessed lensboard is required for the 75mm or 90mm Grandagons.

[Ralph Barker]

Prepare yourself for a fuzzy, trapazoidal dark area in your negs. I get that on a 45 AX with even the 65mm SA unless I drop the bed. 8^)

Then again, that's why God invented cropping.

[Dave Aharonian]

I use a 55mm Grandagon on my Toyo 45AX with a 12.5mm recessed board and I do have to drop the bed. In a horizontal format the bed just starts to get into the frame and it definitely gets in the way for a vertical format. For what its worth I also use the Schneider 3b centre filter with this lens (and my 75mm Nikkor and 110XL) and it works very nicely. I also use my 75mm Nikkor on a 12.5mm recessed board and it definitely helps. I can't get much movement on it otherwise.

[Steve Hamley]

My 2 cents:

Ebony SV45U and 55mm Apo Grandagon: you have to articulate both standards using full rise or you will get the bed in the field of view. Note that this is how Ebony say you do it, if you try to "cheat" you get the bed in the picture! In other words, the camera works just like Hiromi says it does (whooda thunk it?).

Steve