Lens Boards / Plates

[neilwf]

Hi,
I got some good advice about focusing cloths from this forum so I thought I'd try for some more information.
I'm just starting out in LF photography. I have a 6x9 cm field camera of unknown manufacture. If it's home made it was made by a skilled cabinet maker, but there's no manufacturers name plate . I use a Graphic "23" 120 roll film back, I get 8 images per roll. I have 2 lenses, a Zeiss Ikon Compur 105mm F4.5, and a Prontor-Press Tessar 75mm F4.5. I think both came from old folding cameras they look quite old. They are both mounted on lens plates that measure 64mm high by 60mm wide measured to the nearest mm.
Is this a standard size for a lens plate. When ever I read about lens plates they are never refered to by size but by manufacters name. Similarly the hole for the lens to fit in is never given a diameter but refered to by the shutter make and model. I'm not in the market for a new lens yet, the ones I have seem quite good. However whether or not I can buy a new lens plate or have to have one custom made will infulence the decision in the future.
Thanks for your help.

Neil.

[Len Middleton]

Neil,

There is a lot of information here, you just need to look, or know where, or know how to look.

Take a look at the articles on the LF Home Page at: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/

There is an article on shutters at: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/shutters.html That will give you the size of hole in the lensboards rrequired for the common Copal 0, 1, and 3 sizes.

There are a number of standard type lensboards (Technika/Wista/Toyo style, Sinar/Horseman, Deardorff/Calumet C1 6x6, Graphic, etc.) and if you do not know what the standard is, you might have to do some additional research to find out.

Welcome to the forum and good luck on your adventure,

Len

[cowanw]

Check SK Grimes web site. There is a index of commonly used lens boards; I would look for you but my work computer wont let me see them. May be you will luck out but the outer size and the light trap size and thickness's are all important.

[neilwf]

Again thanks for the help.
I've checked the S K Gimes website, I'm now fairly convinced that my camera has a non stardard lens plate. I've re checked the sizes with a vernier it's actually 63.7mm by 61 mm, and 2mm thick. It's definatley rectangular as it will only fit the camera in one orientation. The only plate that S K Grimes have that's near is a baby graphic but it's square and too thick. All the others are way too big. On the up side it is just a metal plate, there are no notches grooves or indentations. I may even try to make one myself!

Neil.