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View Full Version : The Rittrek 5x7 Metal Field Camera system. Part 1



Gene McCluney
21-Mar-2009, 16:35
People seem to be curious about this really cool metal field camera system, so I am uploading various photos taken of my system. I have all the backs, and I will show them to you.

First photo shows the most common 5x7 back with integral fold-up focusing hood.
Second photo shows the Rotating 4x5 back with integral fold-up focusing hood.
Third photo shows the Whole Plate extension back.
Fourth photo shows the 8x10 extension back, which is made mostly of wood. It is very light.

Gene McCluney
21-Mar-2009, 16:42
First photo shows the Rittrek with 8x10 extension back at maximum extension which is about 17 inches.
Second photo shows a 14" lens on a home-made top-hat lensboard to give about 2 more inches extension, or about 19 inches.
Third photo show the Rittreck front standard. The Rittrek uses its own lens board, and I don't have any so I made my own.
Fourth photo shows my adaptor lens board for common Crown Graphic lens boards. It consists of a masonite flat panel with a piece of square 1/4" high grade plywood that has been cut out and a channel was routed out to match the crown graphic lens board. I used a pair of lens board retaining sliders from a Crown Graphic parts camera. The bottom of the well is covered with self-adhesive black felt to help with light trapping.

Gene McCluney
21-Mar-2009, 16:46
The back of the adaptor board shows the screws used to attach the plywood panel. They just clear the circular opening in the Rittrek front standard.
Second photo shows how the adaptor fits behind the lower lens board retainer on the Rittrek. I had to sand a bevel on the bottom, as the masonite was thicker than the metal boards the Rittrek was designed for.
Third photo shows the retaining clip for holding the top of the lensboard. There is a lock to keep the clip from coming loose.
Forth photo shows a lens mounted on a common Crown Graphic lensboard mounted with the adaptor to the Rittrek.

Steve Hamley
21-Mar-2009, 16:56
Thanks for sharing Gene. That's a neat camera.

Cheers, Steve

Oren Grad
21-Mar-2009, 17:35
Thanks for sharing - this will be a good reference for people interested in the camera.

In addition to 4x5, 5x7, WP and 8x10, there's also a back in a panoramic format that's a shade less than 6x10. When I have some time I'll take a snapshot of mine and add it to this thread.

Chauncey Walden
21-Mar-2009, 17:42
And I have the 6x9(cm) sliding back. I make my lensboards from 6x10(in) .060 hobby shop aluminum. I made one board as an adaptor to take Linhof boards.

snuck
21-Mar-2009, 18:16
Information on Rittreck views in particular is rare. Thanks for sharing.

Oren Grad
21-Mar-2009, 18:48
Here's a so-so picture that I have on file showing the front standard with a factory-issue Technika adapter mounted.

More when I have a chance to make some new snaps...

Harlan Chapman
21-Mar-2009, 21:44
Hello Gene and fellow Rittreck keepers,

I have a Rittreck with 5x7 and whole plate backs that need seal replacement. I was hoping someone could provide a source(s) for material that could be used to fit the following areas:

The 5x7 back needs material to go in the area that the film holder contacts. These surfaces had a foam seal that fit in spaces 1mm deep, 15mm wide and 11.5mm wide.

The whole plate back seal where the back extension joins the camera needs to fit a space 2mm deep and 7mm wide. The section where the ground glass mount fits to the extension needs a seal 10mm wide, depth uncertain.

The 5x7 back to camera junction has had its seal replaced with what looks like adhesive backed neoprene. This replacement material functions well.

Any suggestions on how to source this stuff?

Thank you,
Harlan

Gene McCluney
21-Mar-2009, 23:37
Seal replacements. You can get thin sheets of black felt, and black foam at hobby shops such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels. (if in the USA). Sometimes you can get material that has a peel-and-stick adhesive back. You will have to cut it to size with a sharp knife, utility knife or exacto knife and a straight edge. If the material you are using is spongy enough to compress, you can use slightly thicker material than used originally and it will work. You are going to have to improvise, as you are not going to find an exact replacement. If the material you use is not adhesive, you can use double side adhesive tape, trimmed, or you can use liquid adhesive such as trim cement, fabric cement or craft cement. The hobby and craft shop is your friend when doing renovation on large format cameras.

If you do some seal replacement, post pictures of your work.

falth j
22-Mar-2009, 10:03
Re: Seal Replacement...


I have successfully used black velvet ribbon.


It is economical, and readily available in various widths, from sewing supply stores.


I usually buy the widest ribbon the stores have, coat the back with contact cement a few times to fill the pores.


Most of the time, I need various widths, so I slice the contact cement coated ribbon with a new razor blade and a straight edge, and then place a sheet of wax paper between the coated ribbon and the previously contact cement coated area on the camera or camera back, and after careful positioning, slide the wax paper away from the coated surfaces.



Aside from areas that require deep fills, this method is cheap, works fine, and seems to last a long time, as I've yet to replace the light seals when I've used this material.

Roger Thoms
22-Mar-2009, 17:13
Hello Gene and fellow Rittreck keepers,

I have a Rittreck with 5x7 and whole plate backs that need seal replacement. I was hoping someone could provide a source(s) for material that could be used to fit the following areas:

The 5x7 back needs material to go in the area that the film holder contacts. These surfaces had a foam seal that fit in spaces 1mm deep, 15mm wide and 11.5mm wide.

The whole plate back seal where the back extension joins the camera needs to fit a space 2mm deep and 7mm wide. The section where the ground glass mount fits to the extension needs a seal 10mm wide, depth uncertain.

The 5x7 back to camera junction has had its seal replaced with what looks like adhesive backed neoprene. This replacement material functions well.

Any suggestions on how to source this stuff?

Thank you,
Harlan

Harlan, I have some adhesive foam that might work. PM me with your address and I'll drop some in the mail.

Roger Thoms

Harlan Chapman
25-Mar-2009, 18:36
Thank you for your helpful replies and Roger, for your generous offer.
I have ordered the "interslice" light seal kit by Jon Goodman on Ebay. The assortment looks like it has the proper thickness foams for the seals. I'll post my experience and, if the results are good, photos of the finished product. And Roger, if I get stuck, I'll get in touch.
-Harlan

Simon Benton
26-Mar-2009, 06:44
Thanks Gene for a very interesting thread. When I purchased my Rittreck view Chauncey was very kind in providing me a copy of the user manual and other advice.

I am currently building an 8X10 back for my Rittreck and perhaps a 6X10 back as I recently purchased some 6X10 Tachihara film holders. I was interested to read Oren's comments about 6X10.

ARGYROTYPE
26-Mar-2009, 09:32
The telescope supply folks have black felt with adhesive back, used for lining telescope tubes as a "light sink"---not expensive and works very well.

Roger Thoms
26-Mar-2009, 09:39
Harlan, that reminds me I also have some adhesive backed black felt I could send you.

Roger Thoms

Gene McCluney
26-Mar-2009, 10:07
You can get letter-sized sheets of adhesive-backed black felt at large hobby/craft stores such as Hobby Lobby and Michaels in the USA.

Oren Grad
4-Apr-2009, 19:43
Here are some pictures of the panoramic adapter back. Actual film size to fit the holders is just under 6x10". Note the odd structure of the adapter: it's constructed as two stacked truncated pyramids - essentially, an adapter on an adapter - producing a fairly substantial extension from the rear standard. By contrast, as you can see in Gene's snapshots at the top of this thread, the yatsugiri (whole plate) and 8x10 adapters have just a single extension section.

PS: I just checked - the front section of the panoramic adapter is identical to the corresponding section of the WP adapter, although the WP spring back proper is removable from the pyramid section, while the rear pyramid of the panoramic adapter is semi-permanently attached to the front pyramid of that adapter. Otherwise you could leave one pyramid on the camera and swap the WP spring back and the panoramic pyramid-plus-back. I wonder why they didn't do it that way.