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jwarren116
30-Jan-2008, 21:37
I recently bought myself a shiny new Shen Hao 4x5 from Badger Graphics. Absolutely love the camera. I came across a Polaroid 545 back for sale for a whopping $19, and bought it up. All the specs I've found on the Shen Hao list it as taking Polaroid and Quickload backs, as well as 120 film backs. All was fine and dandy until I tried to put the 545 back into the camera! It makes a snug fit, but the grooves that the sliding locks should clip into aren't in the right spot. They're too far apart it seems. I'm pretty sure it's not an error on my part mechanically. Am I mistaken in thinking it can take a 545 back? And if so, how do I go about getting a 545-capable back for the camera? I didn't see anything on Badger's website, or any websites for that matter.

jwarren116
30-Jan-2008, 21:45
Nevermind. I feel insanely stupid right now. I was trying to do something completely wrong.

Asher Kelman
30-Jan-2008, 22:03
Nevermind. I feel insanely stupid right now. I was trying to do something completely wrong.

Don't leave us in the dark! What was the error. I ask because of a problem with the measurements of a Shen-Hao look-alike (which may or may not be the same camera with a different badge).

Asher

Turner Reich
30-Jan-2008, 22:27
The Calumet C1 Roll holder doesn't fit the Shen Hao camera either, and it's no mistake, I would have to shave out some wood to have it fit in and seat correctly.

jwarren116
30-Jan-2008, 22:52
I was trying to attach it like you'd attach a roll film back. I took off the GG and tried to use the little sliding lock tabs to lock the 545-back into the rear of the camera. If I'm not mistaken, those are used for roll film backs, right?

Gordon Moat
30-Jan-2008, 23:20
With a Polaroid 545, it fits fine under the ground glass, so no need to remove the ground glass holder. You are not the first to try only fitting a 545 using the sliding locks; there were at least two questions on SHUG (Yahoo) about the same thing.

The sliding locks will fit a Polaroid 550 and Polaroid 405, which are both pack film holders. While a 405 does fit under the ground glass, it seems to place quite a bit of pressure on the ground glass springs. Therefore, I think it is less severe to remove the ground glass and use the sliding locks when you are using either of the Pack Film holders. You can also force a Polaroid 550 under the ground glass, but it is an even tigher fit than a 405 holder.

Using a rollfilm back also requires removing the ground glass, somewhat due to the thickness of those backs, but also to leave room for the lever winder filom advance. My Linhof Super Rollex fits great and works nicely in this way. I know others who have Horseman, Graflex, and Wista rollfilm backs, and they also work fine. I know one Shen-Hao user with the Sinar Zoom rollfilm holder (http://www.sinar.ch/site/index__gast-e-1798-50-1919.html), and that fits under the ground glass, negating the need for removing the ground glass.

I did a check on the Fuji Quickload holder, which has slots cut into it that are not full length. That also will not line up with the sliding locks on the Shen-Hao. However, since it fits under the ground glass, that is the preferred method in which I use it. So I am left with one way to mount the Quickload holder to the camera, and not two.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

timbo10ca
18-Mar-2008, 14:35
I tried my 545 holder in my new 4x5 reducing back (for a 5x7 camera) by inserting it under the GG as I would a normal film holder. If I push it as far as it goes (like I would with a regular film holder), the holder is on an angle and I can see a crack of light from the winder side. If I only insert it part way so the face is flush, the end doesn't reach to the far side like a normal film holder would and the film edge is not at the far end of the GG (does this make sense???). I've never used a 545 holder before, but assumed it would fit into the back like any other holder would. Am I doing something wrong, or does the 545 not fit in this reducing back?

Tim

walter23
18-Mar-2008, 15:03
Yeah, you figured it out. The 545 fits fine under the GG on a shen hao back.

Ralph Barker
18-Mar-2008, 15:16
Tim - the reducing back needs to have sufficient offset from the "space-filling" section of the back to accommodate the bulge of the Polaroid holder. It sounds like yours may be too shallow.

Marko
18-Mar-2008, 15:41
Don't leave us in the dark! What was the error. I ask because of a problem with the measurements of a Shen-Hao look-alike (which may or may not be the same camera with a different badge).

Asher

Asher,

I have to add that both the Quickload and Polaroid 545i holders that I also have did fit normally on that particular camera. Also worth noting is that both needed to be positively pushed for an additional tiny step once they stop moving in. But they are both made to slide under the GG, while the problem was with the Graflok-type fit.

Marko

timbo10ca
18-Mar-2008, 16:06
Tim - the reducing back needs to have sufficient offset from the "space-filling" section of the back to accommodate the bulge of the Polaroid holder. It sounds like yours may be too shallow.

As in, the back would need to have an indent into it? If I'm understanding correctly, this is exactly what it seems like to me- the bulge of the holder bumps the back before it can be pushed all the way in. Is there a way to fix or work around this? If I just use the back in it's offset position, will I get light leaks (I don't see any obvious crack, but there may be a small one that could cause problems)? I will have to see how well it seats itself- the ridge on the holder may not slip into the hole. If it's light tight, I guess I could just use it offset and compose for the new film edge....

Tim

Ralph Barker
18-Mar-2008, 17:33
Unless the Polaroid holder is properly seated, light leaks are likely.

An "indent" in the back isn't practical, but raising the adapter section farther above the base might be possible.

I'm not familiar with the actual design of the Shen Hao reducing back, so I can't really make specific suggestions. I'd suggest talking to them first, and if you don't get a good answer, you might want to discuss the required modification with Richard Ritter or another camera repair/design person.

svlindbe
19-Mar-2008, 17:43
The Calumet C1 Roll holder doesn't fit the Shen Hao camera either, and it's no mistake, I would have to shave out some wood to have it fit in and seat correctly.

It's in the other end of the camera, but still: I have about the same problem when trying to fit some of my lensboards. I have at least one genuine (generic) Linhof lensboard that is half a millimeter too wide to fit my HZX45-II. I have made most of my lensboards myself, of course little narrower. They still fit my Linhof. It seems a safer route to go than to shave off that beautyful walnut wood... Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

S

Gene McCluney
19-Mar-2008, 23:21
Many older wood reducing backs do not have enough "offset" to allow for a Polaroid type slide-in filmholder to be used. On some, if the base wood is thick enough, you can route out a depression which would work just fine. Routing out a shallow depression might be easier than completely disassembling the reducing back and building a thicker offset for the 4x5 back. These older reducing backs were made before the introduction of Polaroid backs.

Nick_3536
20-Mar-2008, 09:29
I have at least one genuine (generic) Linhof lensboard that is half a millimeter too wide to fit my HZX45-II. I have made most of my lensboards myself, of course little narrower. They still fit my Linhof. It seems a safer route to go than to shave off that beautyful walnut wood... Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

S

I've got likely one board of every make. The only one that doesn't fit perfectly is the Linhof. That was on my 5x7. Don't think I tried it on my 8x10. Nikon etc boards all work perfectly.