How to mount fresnel lens on a Sinar 8x10 Norma?

[Greg]

I want to mount a fresnel lens on top of the ground glass on my 8x10 Sinar Norma. Have looked through a collection of vintage Sinar Norma literature and believe Sinar never offered this option for the 8x10 Norma. Has anyone out there ever adapted a fresnel to their 8x10 Norma? Am open to suggestions on how to do this. Have considered to tap some screw threads into the sides of the back so I would be able to hold the fresnel lens with some thin L brackets but this seems to be too permanent a solution (removing the fresnel in the field would be pretty much out of the question).

Sinar did offer a fresnel lens for their later P model: part 535.58 & 535.18. But in their literature only states that these parts were "ready for fitting". They did not offer a mask & fresnel metal holder like they did for their 4x5 view. Anyone out there own an 8x10 P with the fresnel lens attached? If so how is the fresnel attached?

thanks

[erie patsellis]

Greg, from memory as mine is packed away at the moment, the 8x10 fresnel fits just the same way as the 4x5 version. Metal frame and clip to hold it in place.

[Jim Noel]

I want to mount a fresnel lens on top of the ground glass on my 8x10 Sinar Norma. Have looked through a collection of vintage Sinar Norma literature and believe Sinar never offered this option for the 8x10 Norma. Has anyone out there ever adapted a fresnel to their 8x10 Norma? Am open to suggestions on how to do this. Have considered to tap some screw threads into the sides of the back so I would be able to hold the fresnel lens with some thin L brackets but this seems to be too permanent a solution (removing the fresnel in the field would be pretty much out of the question).

Sinar did offer a fresnel lens for their later P model: part 535.58 & 535.18. But in their literature only states that these parts were "ready for fitting". They did not offer a mask & fresnel metal holder like they did for their 4x5 view. Anyone out there own an 8x10 P with the fresnel lens attached? If so how is the fresnel attached?

thanks

They also offered one for the Norma which snapped on the outside of the ground glass.

[Greg]

They also offered one for the Norma which snapped on the outside of the ground glass.

Thank you, that's a start. Do you have any recollection as to how the fresnel lens "snapped" on the outside of the ground glass? On my Norma back the ground glass is held in by 4 recessed slightly bent silver clips each held by 2 tiny screws. I had thought about removing these and bending them to 90 degrees to allow the fresnel to also fit under them but just doesn't look to be enough room to add the fresnel. Also would be effectively a permanent installation and I want to be able to take out the fresnel at times in the field.

In the breakdown photos of a 4x5 and 8x10 P, the 4x5 shows that metal frame and the fresnel lens. The 8x10 P only shows the fresnel lens (no frame). If someone has a P with a fresnel lens, I'd love to know how the fresnel is attached. I used a P with fresnel in the 1980s but can't remember how I attached and removed the fresnel... but I have a vague memory of it being quite easy to do.

Thanks

[Peter De Smidt]

I have a full page Fresnel magnifier. I simply hold it up to the 8x10 ground glass when composing, smooth side towards the glass. This significantly lightens up the edges of the image. I set it down for fine focusing. For me, that's the best of both worlds. I can tilt the Fresnel a bit to really light up an edge if needed, and there's no texture to interfere with fine focusing.

[mdarnton]

I fastened a Fresnel magnifier like Peter's to my Agfa-Ansco view with a couple of tiny pieces of book tape (holder hinge tape). It fit under the clips, but wasn't big enough that it would stay under them if it slid around at all; thus the tape.

[jose angel]

I also use Peter`s method. Not very sophisticated or elegant, but works.

[Jim Noel]

It snapped on the Norma on two posts, one on each side, of the ground glass frame.

[Greg]

It snapped on the Norma on two posts, one on each side, of the ground glass frame.

Any possibility that you could post an image on the Forum? Haven't been able to find an image of the 8x10 Norma's back & fresnel lens anywhere.

Thanks
Greg

[asf]

This is how it looks on my P