Kodak 12" Commercial Ektar Lens on Technika board

[Robert Eaves]

I have a Tachihara 4x5 field, and was considering getting a 12" Commercial Ektar mounted in #4 Ilex shutter. My question is, will this lens/shutter combination fit on a Technika style lensboard? If not, can someone recommend a lens longer than 210mm that will fit my needs. I am limited to about 12" of bellows draw ( I believe that's what the Tachi is limited to ). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Steve Hamley]

Robert,

Yes it will fit - barely. I used the flange as a retaining ring on the Ilex #4 I have and it works. Better choices for a light field camera might be a Nikkor 300 M or a Fuji 300 C, both in Copal 1 shutters, or Nikkor and Fuji 360 telephotos.

Steve

[Steve Hamley]

Make that Nikkor 360 or Fuji 400 telephotos....

Steve

[Mark Sampson]

I tried to use a 12"Ektar on a Tachi long ago. It was just too big and heavy to be useful, although it did fit. The 300mm Nikkor-M was my final choice- it's a fine lens and it worked much more comfortably.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Robert,

From my experience, it's not only the size, but also the weight of the lens and shutter. A large heavy weight lens and shutter puts a lot of strain on the locking mechanism of the front standard of most wooden field cameras. It would be expecting a lot from a 4X5 Tachi to handle such a massive lens and shutter combination.

Lighter weight lenses, longer than 210, that can be used with the Tachi's 325mm maximum bellows extension, include the Fuji 240A and the Fuji 300T(tele). TheFuji 300C and Nikkor 300M can also be used, but they really stretch the bellows to the max. when focused at infinity. There is not enough bellows extension the focus them closer than 20-30 feet. The Fuji 400T and the Nikkor T360 ED need about 290mm of extension to focus at infinity, but They are larger, heavier weight lenses, mounted in Copal 1 shutters.

[Alan Davenport]

I use a 10" f/4.5 lens on my Tachi. Not quite as long a lens, but a big chunk of glass nonetheless. I don't have any problem with the weight of this lens, tho I don't think I'd want to go much heavier. IMO, your biggest issue with your 12" lens will be the limited focusing range.

[Juan V.]

A 305mm G Claron would work, but the 270mm would give you a little more play for subjects closer than infinity.They're also relatively light-weight.

[Ralph Barker]

As noted by others, Robert, both typical subject distance and the size/weight of the lens are important issues to consider. I'd suggest thinking first about the typical subject distances you want/need to work with, and then consider the size and weight second. The typical subject distance will guide you as to the maximum bellows draw you'll need, and may point you in the direction of a tele design. Note, however, that movements with a tele lens are more difficult due to the forward placement of the nodal point.

For example, I use a Nikkor 360T on my Toyo 45AX (which has about the same bellows draw as your 4x5 Tachi), but usually only when I don't need movements. If I need movements, I switch to a 210mm APO Symmar or a 240mm G-Claron. If I need something really long, I'll pop the 450mm Nikkor M on the 8x10 Tachi, and use a 4x5 reducing back. The large, heavy lens/shutter combos are reserved for either the 8x10 Tachi or a monorail with heavier-duty standards.