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stradibarrius
13-Dec-2011, 12:29
I just received a 90 F8 FUJINON SW in SEIKO B. I bought it from KEH and it is is in fantastic condition...but it will not focus at any length.
The glass is perfect the shutter seems to be right everything seems as though it should work but it doesn't.
I can see the image through the lens but with the bellows completely contracted it will not focus on anything.

Ideas???

E. von Hoegh
13-Dec-2011, 12:35
How close can you get the lens to the GG? If your bellows will not contract enough, you'll get blur. Can you focus an image on a piece of white paper with the lens off the camera?

Dan Fromm
13-Dec-2011, 12:38
Shorter camera, recessed lens board, rear cell seated on lens board instead of on shutter.

Which camera do you have? According to the catalog on www.cameraeccentric.com, the lens' flange-focal-distance is 102.6 mm.

Recommended quick check: take lens and board off the camera, try to focus a window on the wall opposite it. If you get an image that doesn't look too bad to the naked eye, check y'r camera's minimum extension. Stick a ruler in it, measure the distance from front of front standard to GG. You don't have to be real precise, this is basically a go/no go check.

Steve Hamley
13-Dec-2011, 16:08
What Dan said.

Probably even better is a bare light bulb in a dim room. Try to focus the bulb's image on the opposite wall.

Note that the lens will need to be about 4-5 inches from the wall.

Cheers, Steve

stradibarrius
13-Dec-2011, 17:41
I measured the distance from the GG the the front edge of the front standard and is was 118mm. If I remove the lens and hold it about arms length I can see bjects in focus...small but in focus. I read another post on the web where someone said the Cambo SC needs a recessed board for a 90mm???
I also have a Calumet cc-400. I think tomorrow I will mount the lens on a cc-400 board and see if that camera will close up enough to focus.

John Koehrer
13-Dec-2011, 18:04
Not arm's length, about 4-5" from the wall. With the lens open it will project an image onto the wall. If you measure the distanc from the wall to the approximate center of the lens it gives you an idea of how much(little) extension you need.

Dan Fromm
13-Dec-2011, 18:21
I measured the distance from the GG the the front edge of the front standard and is was 118mm. If I remove the lens and hold it about arms length I can see bjects in focus...small but in focus. I read another post on the web where someone said the Cambo SC needs a recessed board for a 90mm???
I also have a Calumet cc-400. I think tomorrow I will mount the lens on a cc-400 board and see if that camera will close up enough to focus.

You need a shorter camera, or you need to set up your SC so that the tripod mounting block isn't between the standards. I have a 2x3 SC, have had similar problems.

If the tripod mounting block isn't the problem and the lens is correctly assembled -- check whether the board or a spacer or something prevents the rear cell from screwing all the way into the shutter -- a recessed board won't be deep enough to help.

Winger
13-Dec-2011, 19:25
I have a Cambo monorail (sorry, I've never really been exactly sure which one) and need a recessed board as well as putting both standards on the same side of the tripod mount to be able to focus the 90mm I have.

Alan Gales
13-Dec-2011, 20:32
This is funny! My first large format camera was a Cambo SC 4x5. I did the exact same thing that you did! It just didn't make sense to me. Why wouldn't it focus?

I did not know about this forum then so I searched the internet for an answer. Fortunately, I found the same info that Dan and Winger just gave you.

BrianShaw
14-Dec-2011, 07:30
I have a Cambo monorail (sorry, I've never really been exactly sure which one) and need a recessed board as well as putting both standards on the same side of the tripod mount to be able to focus the 90mm I have.

Me too, on a Cambo SCII. I also use a bag bellows because the bellows gets very tight, but that's not a necessity.

ImSoNegative
14-Dec-2011, 07:38
This is funny! My first large format camera was a Cambo SC 4x5. I did the exact same thing that you did! It just didn't make sense to me. Why wouldn't it focus?

I did not know about this forum then so I searched the internet for an answer. Fortunately, I found the same info that Dan and Winger just gave you.

+1 :D happend to me with my toyo and 127mm ektar, i was like WTF dang that seems like forever ago :cool:

stradibarrius
14-Dec-2011, 16:03
Dan, your suggestion worked. I placed both standards on one side of the tripod mount and it will focus with a little bit of room left over. Thanks!

Dan Fromm
14-Dec-2011, 16:23
Been there, done that, recommend it.

In general, when there's a problem, check for operator error before checking the equipment. In the case of electronics, "not plugged in" and "not turned on" are operator errors, not equipment faults.