How to mount a lens?

[Chris S]

Hi again, ok I have my 300mm Sironar-N MC lens in a Copal #3 shutter, a metal Calumet lensboard drilled for a Copal #3, and a Rodenstock lens wrench tool on its way.The lens is mint, like new and I don't want to mess it up.From what I've read I just unscrew the rear element, then unscrew the retaining ring with the lens wrench, mount, screw retaining back on and tighten with lens wrench, then screw rear element back on hand tight.Is that all there is to it?Are there any 'gotchas' I need to be aware of?I REALLY don't want to screw this lens up.Thanks!...........................................................Chris

[David A. Goldfarb]

That's pretty much it. Usually you don't need a spanner to remove the retaining ring from the shutter before mounting--just for tightening it.

Orient the shutter so that it's not too hard to attach the cable release with your camera, and so that you have convenient access to all the controls. Calumet lensboards are large enough, I think, that this shouldn't be too much of a problem, but sometimes it can be. You can check that everything is oriented properly after the shutter is attached to the lensboard and before you screw on the rear cell.

[tim atherton]

If there is a small screw sticking out of the back of the rear of the shutter where it would sit against the lnesboard and not allow it to seat properly, just remove it (it can sit in a notch on the lensboard to preetn twisting, but most people don't bother).

Also, just be real carful once the rear element os off that your finger or the wrench doesn't slip of and damage either the shutter leaves - very fragile - or the rear of the element.

And if there are any little spacer rings (no idea - some lenses yes, some no) when you remove the rear element, just make sure you don't lose them

BTW you can find a heck of a lot of stuff on this site: e.g.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lenses-primer/

[Jon Shiu]

Also, usually you don't really need a wrench to tighten the lockring: put your thumb on the lockring and turn the shutter itself to tighten. Make sure the shoulder of the lockring (if any) is in the hole.

[Chris S]

Thanks for the tips guys!

[Brian Ellis]

You don't really need to wait for your spanner wrench to arrive in order to loosen and remove the retaining ring. Just put any pointed object (I used to use one of the tines on a table fork) in one of the slots in the ring and push counter-clockwise. Spanner wrenches are nice and I have one now but for many years I just used the table fork.

[neil poulsen]

Be careful when trying to tighten the retaining ring to make the lens snug against the lensboard. The rear glass is still separated from the shutter at this stage, and the aperture or shutter blades are vulnerable. If you slip, they can be nicked, or worse.

[Frank Petronio]

I prefer to tighten the ring with the aperture blades open and the front element removed. That way, if you slip you only cause cosmetic damage, not damge to the aperture blades or the inside of the lens. With the proper spanner it is hard to slip ;-)

With experience you may decide to position the aperture scales and other knobs at the side, or top and bottom, depending on the way you most often shoot. Experiment once you get the hang of it. Have fun.

BTW, store the lens with the aperture blades open and the shutter set to "T".

[BrianShaw]

Ditto what Frank said about choosing a location for aperture scales with regard to the cable release also. On my camera, if I moung a Copal 3 in the "upright" position, the cable tends to get in the way of the front standard and compendium hood. Mounted "crooked" it is much easier to work with.

[Chris S]

Wow thanks again guys for all the help.The kid down at my local Calumet said He would mount the lens for me no charge, but I figured I really need to be doing this stuff myself.Good idea mounting the lens crooked so the cable release hangs down.On my 4x5 the cable is up and it is always in the way.

Chris

[Los]

i recently purchased a toyo view-g and i find that the lens turns when i try to adjust the shutter sometimes. i'm guessing that the lens is not mounted properly. is this correct, should the lens be rigid on the board? also, can someone post an image of a "crooked" lens placement.

[David Karp]

Los,

The lens should not turn on the lensboard. You probably just need to tighten the mounting flange. To do that you have to remove the rear set of lens elements and use a lens mounting wrench or spanner wrench. Don't try it until you have the correct tools. It sounds like you are new to LF. Do you have a friend who can help? They might have the proper tool and some experience. All you need is to see someone do it once.

There really is no proper place to set the lens. You can do it any way you want. Some people turn the "top" of the shutter to one of the sides so that it is easy to see the f/stops and shutter speeds. Others set the top of the shutter so that the aperture scale is pointed up. It is a matter of personal preference.

[Los]

david,

thanks for the reply. i'm in LA, i'll see if one of the pro camera shops will tighten for me.

[David Karp]

Los,

Once you see how it is done, you will be able to do it for yourself quite easily. Linos/Rodenstock make a nice thin lens mounting wrench with pre-sets for the standard shutter sizes. It works great and is a good tool to keep in your bag with you. And look out for that screw that Tim mentioned above.

You might be able to get some help at Calumet or Samy's. Or call Freestyle and ask John Richardson if they have the sort of lens wrench I described above. They are selling LF cameras again, and might have this sort of thing in stock.

[John Kasaian]

A glass of wine, a dozen roses and some Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole on the stereo always helps set the mood when you want to mount a lens :-)

[Ralph Barker]

John, I didn't know that Sinatra sang "Love the Lens You're With". ;)

[Los]

i visited Samy's on fairfax and they were happy to mount the lens for free. very cool folks. they even found me a lens cap for my rear element. i made my first 4x5 image today on polaroid 54 after patching my bellows with electrical tape and testing my holder for leaks. the image came out with all the clarity and resolution i expected. i'm very excited about shooting some more. consequently, i also now see why folks choose to shoot 8x10.

los
toyo view G
schneider symmar-s 210mm f5.6

[Ralph Barker]

. . . consequently, i also now see why folks choose to shoot 8x10.

Yeah, then we can shoot 8x10 Polaroids! ;)

Congrats on your success, Los.

[David Karp]

Congrats Los. You are going to have lots of fun with that beast.

[Michael Daily]

Ralph,
Nice image. I can only guess how much nicer the print is! I have often wondered about how you get the background so dark. Could you gove some technical details about the lighting, etc. Thanks.
Michael?

[Ralph Barker]

. . . Could you give some technical details about the lighting, etc.
Thanks, Michael. It's an old image that I've posted before. I don't recall the exact lighting arrangement, but it was probably a couple of White Lightning X3200 strobes with 10° grids to control the spill. Background was a thunder gray seamless, lit with a smaller strobe on a floor stand to create some gradation, and the level adjusted to give a much deeper gray. Type 804, 240 G-Claron on my double-extension Tachihara 8x10, with the blooms slightly larger than 1:1.

I like the Thunder Gray background because it lends itself nicely to be about any tone you want - from black to near white, depending on how much light you pump at it. It also takes color from gels well. Once I get the lighting on the subject where I want it, I just take spot readings of the background and adjust the background light to place it at the level I want. The key, of course, is to keep the subject lighting from spilling onto the background.

Here's another image with the Thunder Gray background. Not an LF shot, but it shows what you can do with gels on the gray. Far easier to work with than a white background, I think.

[Maris Rusis]

Getting a lens onto a lensboard in a preferred orientation is pretty well covered in this thread for normal or long focal lengths. There is a useful extra consideration in mounting a very wide angle lens on a camera without interchangeable bellows.

When I put a 65mm Nikkor-SW on my Tachihara 45GF the bellows are very compressed and rise/fall/shift movements are negligible. Answer: cut the lens mounting hole in a blank lens board as far off centre as possible consistent with getting the lens on and off the camera. The Tachihara will accept a square lens board so the 65mm wide can be put on in four different ways; rise, fall, left shift, right shift. The only thing not available is straight on and centred but I don't use that very often with a lens that has ample covering power.

[Jim Rice]

That's the first of your protrait work that I have seen, Ralph. It is an amazing photograph.

[Ralph Barker]

Thanks for the comment, Jim. Just a "test" shoot though.