Looking for a lens to match Ps945

[Songyun]

I bought a PS945 and a Gowlandflex, I can not afford another PS945.
So, what lens can I use as a view lens on the gowlandflex?
I dont see many lens with 229mm focal length. Any suggestions?

[Struan Gray]

Two 115 mm Grandagons back-to-back? :-)

Seriously though, a longer lens with the right diopter would work well enough for viewing. In principle, you can even adjust the diopter spacing to match the actual focal length of the PS945. Tessars change focal length as you unscrew the front element, so there's another option there: get a 240 Tessar of some sort and adjust as needed.

[Ken Lee]

If your viewing lens is a little longer than your taking lens, you may have to crop, by a very small percentage.

Another option is to get a 210 or something shorter, and simply place a mask in the viewing area.

[Oren Grad]

Ken, the problem is that the viewing lens provides the focus analog, so the FL has to match pretty closely.

[Ken Lee]

Oops !

You're right !

Quick, sell the camera, keep the lens. Better yet, give me the lens. :)

[Steven Tribe]

Saying it is a 9" that you need sounds a little easier.

[Hugo Zhang]

There was a Wollansak Velostigmat I 3c at 8 3/4" if you want to cheat or just get that damned pinkham & smith Visual Quality 9" lens which matches your PS945 better. :)

[Songyun]

Ken, the problem is that the viewing lens provides the focus analog, so the FL has to match pretty closely.

That is the exact reason I am asking, maybe another question, if I use a close approximation say 240mm or 210mm, how off can I get when focusing for a portraits shot?

[Songyun]

There was a Wollansak Velostigmat I 3c at 8 3/4" if you want to cheat or just get that damned pinkham & smith Visual Quality 9" lens which matches your PS945 better. :)

Do you mean you have a 9" original along with 14"?

[Ken Lee]

Even if a lens is stated to be "9 inch" (or whatever), the actual flange-to-film length may vary... no ?

This table (http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/lenses.html) on the Ebony web site, provides the actual "flange back" for a variety of popular lenses.

You'll note that different models of the same "focal length", have different flange back requirements.

[Oren Grad]

Even if a lens is stated to be 9 inch, the actual flange-to-film length may vary... no ?

Flange-to-film isn't necessarily a problem - in principle you can shim or otherwise extend the mount for either the viewing or the taking lens to align them. Peter sometimes supplied his TLRs with different viewing/taking lenses - I think barrel-mount Xenar + Symmar in shutter was a typical combination early on. I imagine he did some adjusting to make them work.

[Brian Stein]

I suspect the easiest solution is along Oren's lines: find a lens of about 229 mm FL, on the shorter side, focus the taking lens on the GG (it does have a GG?), and then shim the viewing lens to be in focus. I think this will only work well if you do it at around the distances you are using. Not at all elegant but cheaper than buying another PS945

[Oren Grad]

There are two GG's - one in the spring back where the film holder goes, and the other on top of the camera for looking through the viewing lens. Proper alignment means setting up the camera so that the taking lens is in focus on the GG in the spring back at the same time the viewing lens is in focus on the GG inside the hood on top.

Both viewing paths could in principle be shimmed to at least some degree on either or both of the GG side and the lens side.

I'm more worried about a FL mismatch than a flange-back mismatch. The camera's not going to be very useful if apparent focus matches at only one distance. Struan's idea of tweaking a Tessar to match FL sounds interesting.

[Mark Sawyer]

Personally, I'd go with a Graflex SLR...

[Songyun]

The worst case, I am going to use a 210 Heliar and a 210 plasmat on the Gowlandflex,
meanwhile, maybe I should just compute the difference and see if there is a huge difference at working distance between 210 and 229.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

"maybe I should just compute the difference and see if there is a huge difference at working distance between 210 and 229."

just crunched the numbers for 229/241, the closer you want to focus the bigger the problem. If you synchronize at 10 ft it would only work from 9 - 12 ft, outside that the difference in focus would be too large. You will get a larger spread with more distance but not enough to work well. Adjusting a tessar would be the best choice.

[Songyun]

"maybe I should just compute the difference and see if there is a huge difference at working distance between 210 and 229."

just crunched the numbers for 229/241, the closer you want to focus the bigger the problem. If you synchronize at 10 ft it would only work from 9 - 12 ft, outside that the difference in focus would be too large. You will get a larger spread with more distance but not enough to work well. Adjusting a tessar would be the best choice.

Thanks Paul, you have just saved me time.
I think I have an ultimate solution, :) Persuade my friend to buy another PS945 and we use the gowlandflex in turn. :D

[eddie]

i think the suggestion of a SLR is the best. i would think you would want to see the image it produces before you shoot it....but maybe not.

please be sure to bring this lens to NY on your next trip. i would love to shoot it once or twice.

eddie

[jnantz]

several years ago i nearly bought a gowlandflex, and had a long conversation
with mr gowland about restoring it, lenses et C.
i eventually realized couldn't afford the camera after i bought it ... he told me more than once or twice
the lenses had to be not just the same focal length, but the same lens, or there would be "trouble" ...

i opted to leave the camera for someone else.

slrs are great, i have one that is my daily user...

[cowanw]

There is a 9 inch Verito.
Regards
Bill

[Jim Galli]

Get a 9 1/2" Velostigmat and seperate the 2 air spaced glasses at the front until it begins to see at 9". Cake and eat it too. It'll get a little softer as you do that.

[Ernest Purdum]

Graf made a "Variable" which was 8 1/2" sharp and 9 1/2" soft. Finding one might take quite a search, though.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Listen to the others and get yourself a SLR (Graflex or Mentor). Focus and aperture really determines the look of SF lenses and the level of halation. With a TLR you will be blind to all the beauty.

[Renee Galang]

Hello Songyun,
Sounds like you are enjoying your new ps945 and you are grappling on how to use it! It was nice opening the box direct from Cooke was't it? Well you know you can get your friend to buy another one from me for the same price or just Follow Jason GM comment! At present Cooke is waiting for some metals parts from manufacturer so the production of new ps945 is on hold. I have one buyer from Hong Kong on a waiting list. And I might buy one for myself and finally use it!

[Songyun]

ok...SLR...
Renee, I havent open the box yet. I am still in U.K. now. BTW, do you know what is the serial number now?

[Renee Galang]

I bought that lens almost a year ago. When Cooke produce my new order I will be able to let you know. Have fun with it.

[Songyun]

I bought that lens almost a year ago. When Cooke produce my new order I will be able to let you know. Have fun with it.


Renee,
Here is a direct quote from Cooke website at history section.

In 2002, the first Cooke lens made for large format photography in 50 years is designed and made in Leicester. The new Cooke Portrait PS945 lens for 4x5 format photography is a modern reproduction of the vintage Pinkham & Smith Company's Visual Quality Series IV lens. The first lens of its type is a 229mm, f/4.5. serial no. 0001 is auctioned at Christie's in South Kensington, London on July 16, 2002 to the highest bidder for 3500 GBP. One hundred lenses were made during the first production run. In 2009, Cooke Optics began a second production run.

I was under the impression that the serial number of some lens from the second run is lower than 100.

[Diane Maher]

I bought one of these lenses last year (didn't get it until earlier this year) and the serial number was 00089. I am assuming that Cooke had some parts left over from their first run?

[Renee Galang]

Songyun the lens that you have now is from the second production run and it may be the first one? Cooke has just run out of some parts and waiting from the manufacturer (metal parts). Once it receive this part then it will continue manufacturing the the lens. This is the very latest new at present time.