12" f/2.5 Aero Ektar

[Frank Petronio]

Has anyone ever actually rigged one of these up to shoot with? This lens is 2x the more common 178/2.5.

Any ideas how to rig a big monster to a Sinar rail?

[Struan Gray]

Sinar used to sell oversized lensboards that would fit their 5x7 format frames. There is a swiss company who pops up selling their own version on eBay from time to time. That would give you more space on the lensboard and a beefier frame. If you have access to a machine shop you can even make a monolithic lensboard and flange for rigidity.

If you're worried about the weight, I have seen big APO-Ronars mounted with a two lensboards - the usual one at the back of the lens and an extra one at the front. The front lensboard has a male flange that screws into the filter thread and his held up by an auxiliary standard.