Cambo TWR 54 - 4x5 Twin Lens Reflex (like Gowlandflex) Question...

[pierre506]

That's hilarious now. Stolen by Dutch and used by police. Funny now...

Does anyone know if the Cambo threaded lens boards are the same thread as Gowlandflex?

I too would like any info on Gowlandflex threaded lens boards, either where to find just one or the drawings.

My Gowlandflex came without lens boards and I had flat boards made, that mounted without damaging original female threads on the front standard. It works perfectly, but it is not original...

Hoping to see the thread lens board.



Those are the two lens boards for 0# shutter. But they are without the thread to have the function of calibration.
I also couldn't identify which one is the original board as I mentioned before.

[Tin Can]

Hi Randy...

I hasten to clarify .. I'm not accusing my good friends at Cambo of "stealing"!

The Cambo TWR54 is similar enough that, yes, I guess one could say that it could have been "inspired by" the Gowlandflex, but look at the two side-by-side and you'll easily see several basic differences, especially —but not limited to— the viewfinder.

This kind of "inspired design" goes on all the time in any industry (and WAY before the Asian industries became (in)famous for it!). It's even happened to me: I once designed a large, bass drum shaped pop-up changing tent —nothing on the market at the time had a similar concept (it's the one you saw me with, loading 8x10 film, when I appeared on Schneider's website).

An English company who is known for their pop-open photo products offered to make me a prototype (perhaps to get a better look at it?), but instead of staying with my idea of having it pop open, they told me that my design would be difficult to build, so they made it with prop-up "sticks" sewn-in, between the the inner and outer walls of the tent. The user has to feel for the sticks, then prop them up to hold the roof up. Plus, this manufacturer sewed the sleeves directly opposite one another, on the sides of the tent (at the three o'clock and nine o'clock positions) rather than on the front. Great if you're a gorilla. Anyway, I bravely brought this funky design to Photokina where it received a predictable lack of interest.

Coincidentally, this same manufacturer later introduced a pop-up changing tent onto the market. No accusations, though. As I said: a coincidence. Their changing tent pops up differently than the one I had in mind (which is still in my mind, by the way ..so investors are welcome to contact me . . . Chinese spoken here ) (half joke)
::
::

My IP has been stolen, it's the Logo to the left under my name...

[EdSawyer]

Just an FYI, I checked, A 240mm was never listed as an option for this camera. That said, you could probably get a pair of 240mm Tele Artons to work. They might be a good choice as I bet they would focus closer than any of the other lenses for this camera (150, 210 and tele 270mm)

[DrTang]

I don't need the blueprints..what we all need is someone to find someone who will make copies of them USING the blueprints (at a reasonable cost.. along with the cams). ..and then we can all buy them from this person

[pierre506]

Dear fellows,
I asked the technician who copied the lens boards for me before.
He can make more lens boards for us.
So, please let me know how many (for #0 and #1 shutter) boards you need.
It is about USD 52 per board.
So far, EdSawyer(LFF member) and Petko iordanov( from Flickr) have the interesting to book the boards.
I will send my boards to him after I knew the exact number of the boards we needed.
The shipping cost will be the extra cost.
Good luck~
pierre

[pierre506]

Christopher Nisperos (LFF member) also wanted the boards.

[pierre506]

DrTang (LFF member) also wanted two boards for #1 shutter.

Please contact me ASAP, pal.

[EdSawyer]

Christopher - that would be great if you can supply the drawings. I'd be interested to see those, and wouldn't post them online.

Pierre, put me in for at least 8 boards, I'd say. (4 x 0, 4 x 1). Hopefully we can get these made. $52/ea is not bad, I'd say, for what is basically custom machining.

I will take and post pics of the adjustable board soon. It would be ideal to get that function built in, but it could likely be worked around a bit if need be (shimming, etc.)

thanks for the efforts, everyone.

-Ed

[DrTang]

These cameras are great.. I just used mine on a model shoot last weekend and it worked way better than me or my graphmatics did.. man

can you imagine an 8x10 version?

[pierre506]

So far, there are real ten boards orders from Tang & Ed.