Lensboards for Hosrseman Fieldcamera

[Frank Bunnik]

As I wrote here before, I recently bought a Horseman VH-R with 3 lenses: a Horseman Super ER 75mm, a Horseman Super ER 180mm and a Topcor 150mm. To fill up the gap between the 75 and the 150mm lenses, I would like to buy, in time, a lens in the range of 100 to 120mm .

All these lenses have a Copal 0 shutter or similar. When I look at the website of Keh, I see mention of "35 mount, 34 mount, 42 mount" and I also see lensboards with a 35, 34 or 42 hole. What does this mean? Is not every Copal 0 shutter the same diameter?

Thanks for your help,
Frank

[Aender Brepsom]

Hi Frank,

KEH's indications seem a bit weird to me. Standard Copal 0 size is 34,6mm. So I would take a lens board with a 35mm hole.

[Jim Rhoades]

Anything that says 34 or 35 is a Copal 0 mount. Some are drilled a touch large to allow for the "shaft" part of the retaining ring to enter the mount. The "shoulder holds the ring firm and centered to the hole of the board.

This may be a poor explaination but look at the mounting ring and you can see what I mean. Modern rings are not flat.

[DJGainer]

You don't want the 42mm, that's a Copal 1.

[Frank Bunnik]

Thank you all. The 42 mount is indeed for the Copal 1. In time I might get a 210mm lens which are mostly Copal 1 thus a 42 mount.

Frank
www.flickr.com/photos/asialover

[ic-racer]

The Horseman 105mm and 120mm are nice lenses (and will come on the lensboards).

[Frank Bunnik]

Thanks for the tip. Do you know if the the 3.5 105mm is worse or better than the 4.5 105mm lens?

[ic-racer]

Thanks for the tip. Do you know if the the 3.5 105mm is worse or better than the 4.5 105mm lens?

I have both. The 3.5 105mm is smaller and will fold up in the camera. It has a brighter view. It is a nice sharp lens. It, however, does not allow for significant movements. The 4.5 105mm is the biggest, heaviest of the Horseman 6x9 lenses. Its main use is applications requiring movements.

At f11-16 both lenses are equal in sharpness (opinion from use, not tested with lens charts). I also have the opinion that at wide apertures (5.6-11) the bigger lens will be a little better on the far corners.

[Frank Bunnik]

Thanks for your information. If I find a late model Horseman 105 for an nice price I will certainly take a serious interest in it. I used a Technika 70 with a 100mm Apo-Symmar 10 years ago for a while and that lens gave stunning results. I am therefore tempted to buy another Apo-Symmar.