How might I modify a toho to take super-long lenses?

[snuck]

After doing a fair amount of mountain climbing and hiking this summer, I've come back to realize that my Sinar Norma is almost impossible to use for this. So I am going light. However, I would like to continue using my 610mm nikkor lens with the thing, which of course needs 610 mm of extension. Insane? Of course! But who ever said I was sane to begin with. Other than building the mother of all top hats, I am wondering if anbody has any ideas as to modding a toho monorail to either have greater extension.

Cheers, it's been a while, nice to be back.

[Frank Petronio]

Glue and tape lensboards on each end of an Oatmeal tube. Attach lens to front, exisiting Toho to rear. Take off all your clothes and make a padded "nest" and lay your camera down onto it. Slide on your belly and adjust focus and composition, being careful not to jostle the camera as you insert the holder and make the shot. Think of it as an ultra-long Lensbaby.

Cause you ain't going to get it up on a tripod!

[snuck]

Nice to hear from you too buddy ;) How are you doing Frank?

[ic-racer]

Or 'from behind' make/find/buy a bellows to go inbetween the rear frame and the GG. This is the method Horseman used to extend the 4x5 field cameras when a 'top hat' lens board was not enough.

[Bruce Watson]

After doing a fair amount of mountain climbing and hiking this summer, I've come back to realize that my Sinar Norma is almost impossible to use for this. So I am going light. However, I would like to continue using my 610mm nikkor lens with the thing, which of course needs 610 mm of extension. Insane? Of course! But who ever said I was sane to begin with. Other than building the mother of all top hats, I am wondering if anbody has any ideas as to modding a toho monorail to either have greater extension.

Cheers, it's been a while, nice to be back.

I'm a Toho user myself. I understand what you want. But the Toho frame is the Toho frame. It's not designed for extension rails; it's designed for minimum weight. If you try to modify it, you'll find that it's not stiff enough (in several axes). Looking at it from an old mechanical engineer's perspective, it would almost certainly be better to design a new camera to get your 600+mm of bellows extension.

So... talk to Richard Ritter. (http://www.lg4mat.net/ulf.html) Designing / building new cameras is part of what he does for a living. He's got an excellent, stiff, and very lightweight design for 10x8 and ULF. He's said that it's adaptable to 5x4 and 7x5 also. I'm sure he could give you as much bellows draw as you want. Call him (he likes phone better than email). What can it hurt?

[Dan Fromm]

Funny you should ask. I'm waiting for a heavier solution to much the same problem to come home from SKGrimes. Heavier because the camera, a 2x3 Cambo SC, is heavier than your Toho. Heavier too because my rig uses an intermediate standard. Simpler, in a way, because the Cambo SC's rail is just a 1" x 1" extrusion.

See Kerry Thalmann's review of the Toho: http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/toho.htm and note that he got it to focus a 500 non-tele to infinity. Also see the extender he bought from SKGrimes. I'd have qualms about hanging a 3 pound lens -- that's how much my 610 Apo Nikkor weighs -- 4-5 inches in front of the front standard, but if necessary I'm sure a prop can be devised.

Good luck, have fun, and remember that where there's a will and enough money there's often a way,

Dan

[Ron Marshall]

Time to buy a telephoto lens!

[snuck]

Thanks all. I'll investigate.

...

See Kerry Thalmann's review of the Toho: http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/toho.htm and note that he got it to focus a 500 non-tele to infinity. Also see the extender he bought from SKGrimes. I'd have qualms about hanging a 3 pound lens -- that's how much my 610 Apo Nikkor weighs -- 4-5 inches in front of the front standard, but if necessary I'm sure a prop can be devised.

Good luck, have fun, and remember that where there's a will and enough money there's often a way,

Dan

That is interesting. I wonder if a slightly different approach would be to extend the back somehow. , because the spring back is lighter than the lens for sure. Like I would love to maintain my 610 simply because I adapted a packard shutter to it, and it is relatively decent as a lens.

Ron, I know I know, it's ALWAYS time to buy (something) but that said, you're probably right.

Cheers