Schneider 150mm 4x5 lens - Retaining Ring?

[jheene]

Hello.
I am very new to large format photography.
I have inherited a Calumet 4x5 with a Schneider 150mm lens and Compur shutter that fits the lens board opening but does not have a retaining ring. Ebay does not seem to have rings separate from the lenses. Does anyone know where I could find a retaining ring? Any leads would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Jeff

[Peter K]

Jeff, either you ask for a retaining ring at S.K. Grimes (http://www.skgrimes.com/flanges/indexm.htm) or look for a workshop that can make such a ring with M 39 x 0.75 mm thread.

[Dan Fromm]

See http://www.skgrimes.com/products/index.htm for sizes; measure your shutter to see which size you have (#0 and #1 are the likely ones), then order the appropriate retaining ring from SKGrimes or B&H or look on eBay.

[Mike Anderson]

Hello.
I am very new to large format photography.
I have inherited a Calumet 4x5 with a Schneider 150mm lens and Compur shutter that fits the lens board opening but does not have a retaining ring. Ebay does not seem to have rings separate from the lenses. Does anyone know where I could find a retaining ring? Any leads would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Jeff

What size is the retaining ring? Check this page (http://www.skgrimes.com/lensmount/shutmt/index.htm) to know the exact specs of what your looking for.

Keep looking on ebay - it took me about a week to find a 00 retaining ring at decent price.

Hey, here's some on ebay now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RETAINING-RINGS-FOR-SHUTTERS-SIZES-00-0-AND-1_W0QQitemZ260585972552QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCamera_Lenses?hash=item3cac226348

...Mike

[jheene]

Thanks for the info. I have sent a message to an eBay seller.
I am a bit confused though. Is Compur the same as Copal?
Jeff

[Mike Anderson]

...I am a bit confused though. Is Compur the same as Copal?

No, they're different brands, but they use the same standard sizes for rings, either 00, 0, 1, or 3. You need to unscrew the back half of the lens off and measure the diameter of threaded core of the lens. That diameter should be one of:

32.5mm = ring size "0"
39mm = ring size "1"
62mm = ring size "3"
25.5mm = ring size "00"

I got the above numbers from this page:

http://www.skgrimes.com/lensmount/shutmt/index.htm

...Mike

[Patrick Dixon]

If it's a 150/f5.6 it will be '0'.

[Paul Ewins]

Actually, a 150/5.6 Symmar-S will be in a size 0 shutter while the older 150/5.6 Symmar will be in a size 1.

[Dominique Cesari]

Not to prevent you to buy that retaining rim from SK Grimes, their products are superior. But you can find tons of them in#0 and #1 on e-bay. I suggest heavystar for his prices and good service. #3 is another story, I presume that they are more demanding to machine and SK Grimes is the place for these.

[rdenney]

Is Compur the same as Copal?

When it comes to retaining rings, yes, they are the same. The only exceptions are Compur shutter sizes that were never made by Copal, including the #00, the special versions of the #0 used for some early Super Angulons, and the #2 shutters. Yours will use a standard #0 or #1, and those will be the same for both brands.

If the ring you end up with has a shoulder on it, that shoulder is designed to slip down into the hole. Make sure the hole is large enough to accommodate it, or the lens won't fit well. If it isn't, course sandpaper will enlarge the hole of most aluminum lens boards easily. If the ring has no shoulder, then you are good to go.

The Compur shutter may also have an alignment pin. You can make a slot for that pin with a three-cornered file, or a small drill bit if your aim is good. That will keep the shutter from turning in the board--a useful feature if you don't get the ring tight enough.

Rick "and get a cheapie spanner, too" Denney