Mount a 240 G Claron in a Shutter

[Tom Monego]

I came across a 240 G Claron when a photolab was closing down. I have tried to mount it in a Polaroid Prontor #1 but there seems to be a ridge behind the aperture blades that is preventing the rear element from going in more than a single turn, and tightening it down interferes binding the aperture setting. So I am thinking I need another shutter. I have only seen Copal press shutters on ebay without a lens, inexpensive but looks like a copy of the Prontor Press. Also how to find an fstop scale starting at f9 would also be nice, the current Prontor has an f4.5 scale and the couple of time I have used the lens I have just doubled the fstop reading, probably not exact but the negatives have been OK. Any advice would be welcomed.

[Dan Fromm]

Tom, I have a number of lenses in jes' plain Prontor Press #1 shutters. None in Polaroid Prontor Press shutters of any size. No problems with any of them.

In general, I avoid "Polaroid" shutters except ones that hold lenses intended for them and for front-mounting lenses. They don't conform perfectly to the Compur/Copal standard -- tube lengths don't match the standard -- and they often have limited maximum diaphragm openings.

[Tom Monego]

I got a whole batch of Polaroid MP3 lenses when I bought an MP3 stand form a hospital lab. They had made a standard camera adapter for the stand, but replaced it all with a new MP4 (new in the mid 1990s). This was the one shutter that worked, it had a Rodenstock Ysaron lens in it, I wasn't impressed with the lens. I came across the G-Claron and found it fit (almost) in the shutter.

[Tom Monego]

I found a damaged lens in a Copal #1. Now how do I find fstop/shutter speed scales for the Copal shutter. Should I contact camera repair places or is there a way to contact Copal directly? I have heard Copal is out of business, did they have an agency inthe US that is still in business?

[Mark Sampson]

SK Grimes can make an aperture scale for you. Or you can make your own; somewhere on this site you'll find instructions. I remember people doing it but I wasn't paying attention. Perhaps someone who's done it will chime in...

[lassethomas]

SK Grimes can make an aperture scale for you. Or you can make your own; somewhere on this site you'll find instructions. I remember people doing it but I wasn't paying attention. Perhaps someone who's done it will chime in...

Another way is to keep the old scale and just calculate the difference as a correction value and write it on a label on the lens board. I've done that on a few lenses and it works fine.

[Tom Monego]

Another way is to keep the old scale and just calculate the difference as a correction value and write it on a label on the lens board. I've done that on a few lenses and it works fine.

Sounds like a decent idea, I was hoping I could just use a Prontor f4.7 scale as a model. But the Copal has a an equal distance between fstops the Prontor doesn't. Just looking it seems possible. I may check with a couple of camera repair places or try to find an f4.5 or f9 Copal scale. Thanks

[Tom Monego]

Did the math and the measurements, not hard to do.