Any suggestions for a 75mm for a Pacemaker 4x5? I'm sure it it may be a big lens, but my 90mm F6.8 Grandagon-N works fine and it is large for my camera. Thanks!
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Any suggestions for a 75mm for a Pacemaker 4x5? I'm sure it it may be a big lens, but my 90mm F6.8 Grandagon-N works fine and it is large for my camera. Thanks!
75mm is a dicey choice for a folding bed camera, as the FS will ride between the front & internal rails, so if you need bed drop for full FOV, and loosing focusing rail action...
A 65mm will usually work inside the camera shell, but focusing will be difficult by sliding the FS on the inner rail...
Planning on using a helical focus is good, but you will have to calculate the added distance for it, and the lens will have to be close enough to the GG to allow for infinity focus...
Steve K
The 75 will put the front standard right on the joint between the inner and outer rails at infinity so you cannot install infinity stops or drop the bed. Try this, put the standard on the inner rails and drop the bed. See if you can attain a usable focus range. This is the way I use a 65. Of course the 75 will be 10mm further out. If you can attain infinity focus as well as usable near focus, you can put your stops on the rail behind the lens standard. You will have to fold the stops down for lenses that fold up in the case. If all this works and it is a TRF Graphic, you could cut a cam for it.
I understand the rail positioning issues. I go through some of that already with my 65mm. I will not plan on folding up the camera with a 75mm on. I am more interested in optical quality, coverage, and weight issues with various brands. I will probably not use a 75mm lens very often, but nice to have just in case.
Steve, the OP has a Pacemaker Graphic. Pacemaker Graphics have linked inner and outer bed rails. With them, focusing a lens with the front standard on the inner rails is done in the same way as focusing a lens on the outer rails. Turn the focusing knob.Quote:
Originally Posted by LabRat
Jimbo, I take it you're looking for small and light. In relatively modern lenses, 75/8s from Fujinon and Schneider will do for you. I suspect that a 75/14 Berthiot Perigraphe stuffed into the front of an Ilex #3 may be lighter, but this lens is very scarce.
Thanks! I will investigate the brands you mentioned. I am just worried that I will pick a 75mm that has coverage issues on 4x5. I use my 65mm on 4x5 with known coverage problems, but sometimes, I like it! I also shoot with 6x9 roll film.
Jimbo, Speed Graphics have minimal movements. Use the list to find Joe McGloin's compilation of info on Fujinon lenses, including how to recognize the various versions. It is the first link in the Fujinon lenses section. Also use the list to find Schneider info. Then decide for yourself how whether using all 25 mm front rise will get you into trouble with any of the f/8ers. I don't think it will.
And don't bother with the Berthiot. I follow those things. In a good year, two 75/14s come to market.
My 65/8 Fujinon W worked well on a TRF Crown and I had it cam-coupled, stops behind the standard. No rise is possible anyway because the front standard is completely inside the case. I could close it up inside by dropping the stops and fully retracting the standard. Made a nice walk around camera with roll film. The optical finder accessory lens for 90mm on 4X5 gave the same view as 65mm on 6X7 roll film. For full 4X5 I used a 20mm Russian finder for 35mm cameras.
One idea for the the rail positioning problem: you could make a 10mm top hat board and then the standard would sit at the same position with the 75 as with the 65 on a flat board.
On a top rangefinder Crown, this is securely on the front end of the inner rails and will allow dropping the bed out of view with no problems. With a Schneider 65/8, about 5 mm rise is physically possible (although not very useful as this lens barely covers the corners of 4x5) before the wireframe finder hits the top of the camera body. Remove the wire frame parts and a bit more is possible.
From experience with the 65/8, I'd probably go with an f/5.6 lens in the 65-75 range – for the brighter ground glass. Other than that, the Schneider 75/8 should be perfectly adequate.