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View Full Version : Anyone recognize this long lens support system?



cheekygeek
24-Sep-2011, 19:48
Wondering if anyone can help I.D. this long lens support?

http://www.antiqueauto.org/assets/photo.jpg

Steve Hamley
25-Sep-2011, 07:01
It looks like some sort of a support for two rail clamps (rather than one) for use with a monorail camera rather than a lens support, but that platform on the right is unique.

Cheers, Steve

Dan Fromm
25-Sep-2011, 07:34
Adjustable. The rear support goes up and down, lets what's attached to it be moved laterally. The front mounting screw goes fore and aft. Therefore not dedicated to a single camera-lens combination.

I don't get a good enough sense of scale from the image posted, am not sure that the device could be used to, e.g., hold one of my Nikons and my Questar 700 together. Strongly suspect that its for 35 mm.

Bob Salomon
25-Sep-2011, 08:58
If it helps at all it is mounted on the Linhof heavy Duty Tripod with the Large Geared Center Column fitted with the 90 to 77mm reducing adapter that has a Linhof 2-way or 3-Way pan hed supporting whatever that gizzmo is. That gizzmo is not a Linhof item, however.

Jeff Keller
25-Sep-2011, 18:37
The tripod mount for a Questar 700 (and most catadioptric lenses) is fairly close to the camera end of the lens. The distance between the camera and lens tripod sockets is about 3.5". You would want to keep the weight centered over the tripod it looks like you would need to mount the camera on the small platform, and the lens on the longer main platform. It would probably reduce the mechanical strain on the T-mount but I have doubts about gaining much vibration control. With a thumbscrew under the small platform, it is probably a minimum of 1/2 inch higher than the main platform.

I would guess whatever this was used for was significantly heavier near the tripod than at the far end, but the small platform appears to be closer to the tripod. Doesn't seem to be for a long lens unless the lens was skinny near the camera and extended well beyond the small platform.

If you are having vibration issues with the Questar I would recommend first checking your T-mount adapter, then your tripod. The old Vivitar Series 1 T-mount adapters have worked well for me but they don't have the adjusting screws for rotation.

I would guess a piece of hardwood, a few screws and a file could probably create a better support for your Questar than this. The front of your Questar doesn't rotate, so you could support it both at the tripod mount and at the very front of the lens.

Dan Fromm
26-Sep-2011, 06:19
Jeff, I use a Vivitar Series I T-mount on the Q700. The lens' T-mount tube rotates on the lens so the adapter's lack of rotation (T-mount, not T-2, alas) isn't a problem.

I traced my vibration problems to tripod and head.

Tripod first. Very old Bogen 3021. With the leg locks as tight as possible, the leg sections weren't stiff in torsion. Solution? Berlebach 8023, which has much longer bearing surfaces between the leg sections.

Head. Bogen 3047 on a Bogen leveling ball (forget the number). The tripod's mounting plate has three set screws that are used to lock whatever sits on top of it. So does the leveler. These six set screws sometimes vibrate loose in transit. Solution? Keep after 'em.

I'd like to see the bottom of the device we're discussing. It might allow the thing to be moved fore and aft over the tripod head.

Michael Graves
26-Sep-2011, 06:31
That would work perfectly with my 400mm Vivitar for my OM system.

cheekygeek
3-Oct-2011, 06:31
If it helps at all it is mounted on the Linhof heavy Duty Tripod with the Large Geared Center Column fitted with the 90 to 77mm reducing adapter that has a Linhof 2-way or 3-Way pan hed supporting whatever that gizzmo is. That gizzmo is not a Linhof item, however.

Thanks for all the replies. Now that I have it in my hand I can confirm that it IS a Linhof item. The knobs on the bottom side both match the knobs on the tripod and have the Linhof logo in the middle. Curious what Linhof's name for it was and what time period they may have offered it.

The previous owner told me that he used it on cameras from large format to 35mm.

Bob Salomon
3-Oct-2011, 07:31
Thanks for all the replies. Now that I have it in my hand I can confirm that it IS a Linhof item. The knobs on the bottom side both match the knobs on the tripod and have the Linhof logo in the middle. Curious what Linhof's name for it was and what time period they may have offered it.

The previous owner told me that he used it on cameras from large format to 35mm.

I think that parts of it are Linhof and were assembled into something not made by Linhof or was a custom made item which Linhof also did.

jp
3-Oct-2011, 13:34
If you didn't say it was a lens support, I'd have suggested it was a slotted waveguide antenna.

cheekygeek
4-Oct-2011, 14:53
Here's a little better look at the mystery item:

http://www.antiqueauto.org/assets/linhofwhatsit700w.jpg

A 1028 pixel wide version can be seen here (http://www.antiqueauto.org/assets/linhofwhatsit.jpg).


The "black box" appears to anodized aluminum and is 18-1/8" long, 1-3/4" thick, and 4-15/16" wide.
The long slot in the black box allows for 7" of travel for that stud.
The short slot in the adjustable platform allows for 2-3/8" of side to side travel.
The rods are approx. 8-1/4" long (measuring from the bottom of the bright platform) and appear to allow about 6-1/8 of maximum travel.
The lowest the platform can go is shown (where that knob comes in contact with the top of the black box).

It is shown attached to the tripod here:

http://www.antiqueauto.org/assets/photo3.jpg