Recessed Lens Board and the #$%!!#Cable Release

[Keith Baker]

Greetings, I have an ancient calumet 4x5 view camera. I recently bought a recessed lens bo ard for my 90mm 6.8 rodenstock lens. Problem is.....I can't get the cable relea se to also fit into the recess. I have a clever litte angled (bent) cable relea se adaptor but it too won't fit. I have tried a number of different releases an d none will fit. Does anyone have a solution? Thanks

[Bob Salomon]

The Gepe Pro Wide Angle Cable Release Adapter was made to solve just this problem. Available from camera stores.

[james norman]

bob - i went to your website looking for the item, since i have never been fully satisfied with the short metal flex adapters i have used for years (the metal sheathing tends to fray easily), but while i saw the gepe pro wide angle gizzie listed, it did not provide a picture or description. a couple of years ago, i tried one of the adapters that is rigid and has a swivel right angle, and uses internal springs and little ball bearings - that one failed on me the day i got it. can you provide a description of the adapter or a picture? thanks.

[Charlie Stracl]

I've got a 90mm lens I used on my old Calumet 4x5 (no longer with me) with a recessed lensboard in the past. I found a short (6 inches, maybe), very flexible cloth covered cable release (really cheap!) that I left on the lens permanently and could wrap around the lens.

I couldn't find a better option at the time.

[Peter Brown]

Hi Keith,

I saw this on eBay large format pages today

EUROPEAN 45? Rotating L-Cable Release Adapter Item # 1274431291

It may be what you're looking for.

Kind regards

Peter Brown

[Jeffrey Goggin]

Toyo makes (made?) some really nice extenders ... not cheap, though.

[andrea milano]

maybe you could adapt the beautiful Linhof solution to your board, this "paperclip" and its holder maneges to reach and be adapted to most lenses or better said shutters releases. This is not the only recessed lens board (maybe the best, I hear Bob think) if you need another one look around. Good luck!

[Bob Salomon]

Gepe Pro is a vert shory PVC cable release extension with a very small tip so it can make very tight bends

[Stuart Whatling]

The Wista VX recessed lens board uses a similar "paperclip" gizmo to the Linhof but is probably cheaper. It's possible you might be able to adapt one of these onto a Calumet plate. I use one with a Fujinon 65mm lens on the VX and can confirm that once you've got the shutter in the right place, it works a treat (though setting the aperture is still a pain).

[Bob Salomon]

Gepe-Pro is on our website under "Latest News" www.hpmarketingcorp.com.

There is nothing to show as a picture. It is simply 3.25" long flexible PVC cable release material ith a small tip for the shutter and a threaded socket to accept the cable release.

This was mde to allow the 35mm Apo Grandagon to be fired when mounted into the double recessed lensboard for the Technikardan. It is the only device able to do this.

As we inport Linhof as well as Wista and L and U cable release devices we know that this item is the ONLY type that will properly do what you want.

[Keith Baker]

As usual, the group has been very generous and quite helpful -- Thanks to all of you who contributed to the answer. Keith

[Scott_6185]

with only a slight extention of film and lens standards towards each other- you don't need a recessed board with a 90mm - at least on a Toyo G

[Frank Petronio]

Bob S. is right on 100% about that little Gepe flexible extension for recessed lensboards. It is the nuts. Use a little blue Locktite so it doesn't come lose and forget about it!