Chamonix 045N-2 and Super Angulon 5.6 90 XL

[msivaramprasad]

Hi All,

I recently bought a new Chamonix 045N-2 and before that i bought a Super Angulon 5.6 90 XL through this forum. Its a beautiful lens but now i am having problem with attaching the lens to camera.

Its is been mounted on Shenhao board and i think that works fine with Chamonix. The issue is the back element is too big for the camera to fix in.

Does anyone has any suggestions on how to fix it or am i out of luck using this lens.

Thanks all,
Sivaram

[Heiko Stock]

Hi Sivaram,
take the camera back and screw the rear element of the lens from behind the camera to the lensbord.
That works good with most of these huge lenses.
Best
Heiko

[vinny]

you bought the carriage before the horse.
the 45n-2 doesn't have enough movements to justify that lens so i'd sell it and get something else like the nikkor 90mm sw 4.5, it fits and that's what I use on mine. Heiko's suggestion is the only way around it but a pain in the ass in the field and not good for your lens in the long haul.

[msivaramprasad]

Heiko,

Thanks for the reply, If i understand correctly, you want me to remove the bellows or remove the back and screw the lens rare element to board every time i use this lens ?

Thanks
Prasad

[msivaramprasad]

Vinny,

Yes unfortunately i did bought the carriage before the horse as the horse takes few months to arrive after placing the order :). Thanks for the suggestion... Now i guess i need to find a Nikon or another 90 mm which fits this camera.

Thanks
Sivaram

[David de Gruyl]

You don't need to remove the bellows, just the ground glass. There are latches on the top of the rear standard that allow you to take that part off (and you can rotate it, if you need to change from landscape to portrait or vice versa).

to make life easier, you can assemble the camera so that the front standard is close to the rear standard, take the back off, put the lensboard with the front element into the front standard, and then screw the rear element in. Easy, but annoying to have to do that when changing lenses.

[msivaramprasad]

David,

Thanks. That is exactly what i did and able to mount the lens to camera. Just bit annoying if i need to change the lens.

Thanks again,
Sivaram

[Keith Pitman]

you bought the carriage before the horse.
the 45n-2 doesn't have enough movements to justify that lens so i'd sell it and get something else like the nikkor 90mm sw 4.5, it fits and that's what I use on mine. Heiko's suggestion is the only way around it but a pain in the ass in the field and not good for your lens in the long haul.


Agree with Vinny. You'll agree too when you fumble that rear element.

[Noah A]

There are lots of great 90mm lenses out there. If you don't need the huge image circle of the 90xl, you could sell it and go for the non-XL version, or a Grandagon, etc.

If you do need the huge movements allowed by the 90xl, then trade the chamonix in for a monorail...

[Kirk Gittings]

I had that problem with a Walker and my Nikkor 120 SW my favorite lens. Mounting it by unscrewing the rear element was a PITA and more than once I almost dropped it. So I sold the camera. Later I met Walker at a trade show and he said it would have been no problem for him to drill out the front standard so it would fit. Too late and I really liked that camera. You might try this with the manufacturer or talk to Richard Ritter.

However! That lens is overkill for that camera. I agree with the recommendations above.

[msivaramprasad]

Thanks All for wonderful suggestions.

Thanks
Sivaram

[turtle]

Nikkor 90 F8 SW

380g
235mm image circle

Perfect.

[vinny]

sure, but the 4.5 version is so much nicer to compose and focus with.

[denverjims]

Hi,
Had the same experience with that lens and my Ebony 4x5. At the time Ebony did not indicate that the 5.6 XL 90's which did not have the removable rear ring (later ones) would not fit. They do now due to my asking but it was too late. Yes, you can mount by removing the rear element as suggested by previoius responders. I did so for a while as the lens is superb, but as Keith suggested, one day you will fumble it and ...well, it won't be pretty. Bought a Nikkor 90mm f4.5 SW to replace and have been a happy camper since.

[D-tach]

I made the same mistake last year with the ChamonixN2 and the 90XL - man I started sweating when it didn't fit that front hole. Also tried a bit with unscrewing the lens but then took a file and made the front hole a bit bigger - problem solved. OK it's still overkill but with the universal bellows you get full 45mm rise without vignetting, even without the centerfilter.

Tom

[Ed Richards]

I have a great Nikon 4.5 90mm I would be happy to trade for your XL.

[denverjims]

I made the same mistake last year with the ChamonixN2 and the 90XL - but then took a file and made the front hole a bit bigger - problem solved. Tom

I had thought about doing that as well. Just couldn't bring myself to take a file to it. Seemed sacreligious to take such a course tool to such fine mahogany wood. :>) ...but that would probably work as well as long as you did not make it any bigger than necessary & compromise the light seal behind the lensboard. My other consideration in switching was that I backpack the camera a lot and the Nikkor is lighter and smaller than the XL 90. Live & learn (& spend a lot of $$$ in doing so).