Will a Toyo 45A II close with a 210 lens ?

[Lucas Jackson]

Does anybody know if a Toyo 45A II field camera will open and close without any problems when a Rodenstock Sironar-N 210 lens is mounted ?
( I have the lens, now I need to get the camera )

[Jean-Marie Solichon]

Certainly not. As far as I can remenber (I replaced my AII for a CF last year) I doubt it can close with any lens mounted even the tiniest.
The CF can close with a small lens (105, some 135, G-Claron 150...) mounted.

[Gene McCluney]

My Graflex SuperGraphic will close with a 210 Geronar. I know different camera.

[Gary Smith]

There is not way that it can. I have a 45AII, and there is no way the camera will close with a lens that size.

Hope it helps.

Gary

[Dave_B]

As said above, the Toyo 45CF can close with a small lens. However, if you reverse the lens board on the camera (put it on backwards) a larger lens can be used. When folded, there is more inside space towards the rear of the camera. For instance, facing forwards you can close the camera with a Nikkor 135mm f5.6. Facing the other way, you can use a Nikkor 90mm f8 lens (without the lens caps). This is my largest backpacking lens and I find it convenient to be able to carry it inside of the camera.
Cheers,
Dave B.

[Ted Harris]

If you have to reverse the lensboard what is the point? It will take just as long to remount the reversed lensboard in teh correct direction as it will to just simply mount a lensboard. As for modrn 210 lenses and modrn folding field cameras, I don't think there is any modern field that will close with any modern 210 mounted.

[Gordon Moat]

Well, I am using a Shen-Hao, not a Toyo, but I have one lens mounted reversed on mine. The convenience is that I leave the lens caps on, so I would need to take the rear lens cap off prior to mounting the board. When it is reversed, getting the rear lens cap off goes quickly. I suppose if I folded it up without the lens caps on the lens, then a flipped around lensboard would be slower. Just for reference, my flipped around lens is a 135mm f5.6 Schneider.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[roteague]

As everybody has mentioned. You can't close the 45AII with a lens mounted.

[Scott Davis]

Ted- the point of having a stowed lens inside the camera would be for storage space in the bag - if you can leave one lens on the camera, you can have room for one more in the kit.

Robert- never say never. While I don't have a Toyo AII to test it on, I'd be willing to try putting my Goerz A.O. Wide-angle Dagor 4 3/8" on the front, even un-reversed to see if it goes. The lens for all intents and purposes does not protrude beyond the shutter body, and it is in an older Rapax shutter which is quite thin. Reversed, I know it would fit. For a 210, the 210 f6.8 Geronar MIGHT fit, as it was designed to go inside the body of the CF. Might still be too thick though.

[roteague]

Robert- never say never. While I don't have a Toyo AII to test it on, I'd be willing to try putting my Goerz A.O.

It won't fit. The front standard on the 45AII folds flat against the base of the camera, and the camera case won't close unless the front standard is folded properly. There is less than a 1/2 inch of clearance when in the closed position.

[JW Dewdney]

I find standing on it once it's folded up helps alot. But you have to lock it up while your weight's on it.

[Ralph Barker]

FWIW, I just measures my 45AX, and there is 5mm of clearance between the front of the lens board and the camera base when closed, and 24mm of clearance between the back of the lens board and the front of the back mounting, plus another 18mm between the mating surface of the back and the ground glass.

[Ted Harris]

To add to what Ralph just said ... I was just out shooting with my AII and remembering this thread mouonted a 105 Tominon in a Copal 0 Press shutter, about as compact a combo as you can get. Result, no way you can fold it in the camera, probably not even with the board reversed.

[Dave_B]

If you have to reverse the lensboard what is the point? It will take just as long to remount the reversed lensboard in teh correct direction as it will to just simply mount a lensboard.

I do it to protect an expensive lens without having to carry an extra case that adds weight. Inside the camera, the lens is bomb-proof. You can put it into a backpack and the lens will be just fine after a hard day on the trail.
Cheers,
Dave B.

[Lucas Jackson]

Thanks for all the responses - the whole point in trying out large format photography was so that I could hike way back into the mountains and try to get some great landscapes with good depth of field, etc. - with all the literature saying you fold up field cameras and throw them into your backpack, I assumed the lens would always be attached, but apparently in most cases it is not - so how do you transport a nice lens or two when backpacking ? Is there some sort of special storage container that holds a lens board with a lens mounted on it ?

[Jean-Marie Solichon]

Lucas, if you are hiking a long way I really recommend considering the CF. As far as lenses are concerned I just carry them into the external pockets of my backpack with both caps.

[Ted Harris]

Lucas, there are several companies that make lens wraps and that is all you need. Check Calumet and Road Warrior for two. As for lightweight cameras, in addition to the CF, look hard at the Horseman FA, Tachihara and Toho.

[roteague]

I don't find hiking with the Toyo 45A II to be a problem, but I normally only do day hikes.