This is all very helpful, thanks everyone!
Silly follow-up question -- is there a way to support a long lens besides a second tripod? (looking particularly at the Komura lenses)
This is all very helpful, thanks everyone!
Silly follow-up question -- is there a way to support a long lens besides a second tripod? (looking particularly at the Komura lenses)
Second tripod or similar should not be needed with 12" or so of bellows and camera extension if the camera can be balanced at its point of support and the camera has eight rigidity-stability as designed-built.
This is one of the goals of using a telephoto design LF lens, to reduce bellows and camera extension to accommodate a view camera with limited bellows and camera draw. This reduction is draw length tends to help-aid with camera-lens stability when images are made. One of the primary reasons why telephoto design LF lenses happened was to accommodate field folders with limited bellows and camera extension allowing these limits imposed by camera to use a lens focal length longer than it could have otherwise.
If the camera is not stable-rigid and all of those requirements with 12" of camera extension-bellows draw, camera design-build quality IS the issue.
This is completely different with using non-telephoto lenses longer than 19" (~480mm) or Macro. These image requirements often demanded a LOT more camera extension and bellows than 12". That is when figuring out how best to set up and support the camera and all related becomes "interesting".
Bernice
Originally Posted by smeylan
Jim, where did you get this information?
Which camera do you have?
You'll have to make a bracket that attaches to your camera's tripod socket. I'd use 1" x 1" or 1.5" x 1.5" t-slotted aluminum extrusion as offered by 80/20 on, e.g., amazon.com. Put an inexpensive lab jack on it to support the lens. Drill and tap it at approximately the balance point to let you mount the assembly on a tripod. With the typical tripod, you'll probably have to make plate, with a hole tapped to accept the tripod's screw, and attach the plate to the extrusion. You could accomplish much the same with suitable piece of wood but the t-slotted extrusion will be more rigid etc.
No catch other than the size and weight and lack of multicoating. I have several data sheets for the Komura lenses.
Jim
Jim
Interesting information on the Komura lenses, however my 400mm telephoto doesn't appear on those sheets.
Mine is 400mm f/6.3 and is mounted into a Copal No. 3 shutter. I just popped it onto the electronic kitchen scales and including the genuine Technika lens board, it weighs 898 grams.
I seem to remember a special spacer between the shutter and the lens board being a requirement, which mine has, aluminium it is, presumably keep the weight at bay. I think if you found one of these Komura lenses, see if you can get it mounted into a lens board ready to go.
Mick.
Edit: if you go back a page and look at the picture I posted, you can see the aluminium spacer between the lens board and the shutter, it should look like that if you find the 400 T f/6.3 unit.
Another edit: the filter size is 67mm.
Gray Nomad, I see you're in Bundy, if ever you are in Melbourne, then you can have an optic nerve and if you have your camera with you, you can have a go with it.
Mick.
Mick, I just took a look at my 500mm and you are correct about the aperture for the 400mm. As well as the spec sheet shows it in a Copal 1 while the 400mm 6.3 shares the Copal 3S with the 500mm and a 300mm. I suspect the 400mm in my spec sheets is an older model, the specs for the 500mm are accurate as far as I can tell though, certainly the flange distance is.
I have seen at least three versions of the large format 500mm Komura but they seem to be cosmetic rather than optical. For example my lens has a leather wrap on the barrel of the lens. There is also a version for medium format and 35mm but it has a different optical design.
Jim
Thanks for the very helpful reply.
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