500mm Tele Xenar 13x18 Sinar Norma Homemade Bellows Supports

[Philippe Grunchec]

Heliopan makes 105/1 filters!

[Daniel Unkefer]

Oh Hey,

Also Schneider specified Series filters for every Tele Xenar, excepting this one. Too big for series I guess!

[Philippe Grunchec]

I'm actually looking for a lens shade! Which thread size is it?
Thx in advance.

[Daniel Unkefer]

I'm actually looking for a lens shade! Which thread size is it?
Thx in advance.

My Schneider 500mm Tele-Xenar original hood is fused onto the front of my lens. At some point I will figure out what the deal is with it, and can measure the threads with calipers




5x7 Norma XL Bellows Homemade Bellows Support by Nokton48, on Flickr

I bought a broken Bogen Studio Stand and removed a few choice pieces, threw the rest away. This is the 4x5" Accessory Tray, flipped and countersunk holes drilled with drill press. Attached new four inch bolts, washers, and cut down an adhesive foam sheet which supports the bottom of the bellows. A decent improvement over the original, this works perfectly with the Extra Long 5x7 Norma Bellows from Custom Bellows.

I'll use this with 8x10 and 5x7 XL Bellows and my longer LF lenses

[Daniel Unkefer]

18x24 Norma No 2 XL Bellows Homemade Bellows Support by Nokton48, on Flickr

18x24cm Norma Number Two, configured as a lighter weight location camera. Actually I got the idea, when my Wife and I were at the OSU Wexner Center, looking at giant mural sized prints by the dozen. Annie Leibowitz photographed the interior of Richard Avedon's equipment closet, I thought at the time it was an odd combo, F Front Standard, Norma 18x24 Rear Standard. Putting this together it seems to be a great location camera, easy to move around. This is the 360mm f5.6 Norma Mickey Mouse version so nice aperture automation, and with Norma, no need to go around to the front to set everything. This saves time in the field. Looking forward to taking this outside as I have time. Annie/Avedon inspired location camera!

Even with the normalish focal length 360mm Symmar, the XL Norma 8x10 Bellows benefits from the Homemade Bellows Support

[Rod Klukas]

It is 110mm as Daniel said, and no one really made this size. They used 5" Gels at that time of manufacture, in a holder most commonly.

There are 105mm and some 112mm filters around. Tiffen or Heliopan might make some custom ones for you. Sk Grimes might make you a 105mm adapter that should work as the lens is such a long focal length.

The lens at F22 has an image circle of 312mm at infinity at which time it requires 312mm of bellows draw.

Hope this helps


Rod

[Rod Klukas]

One more addition. I said 5". They actually used 6" Gels in a magnetic holder. Burleigh Brooks sold all of this the 1950-60s.



Hope this helps,

Rod

[Rod Klukas]

Did you know that the Oschwald bros, later Arca-Swiss, did the major design work on the Norma for Carl Koch of Sinar?

[Daniel Unkefer]

Did you know that the Oschwald bros, later Arca-Swiss, did the major design work on the Norma for Carl Koch of Sinar?

Good Morning Rod,

Yes I have heard now and then about the relationship between the Oschwald bros, and Carl Koch, I understand that Arca Swiss did produce the Norma parts for Sinar. It would be fascinating to me to hear more about this. Thanks for your comments

[Daniel Unkefer]

Here's a 500mm f5.5 Schneider Tele-Xenar update. My Compound #5 shutter locked up, so I took it to our local brick and mortar repair shop. MAC worked on it over three days, it was uber filthy inside. He was shocked by the consistency of the air mechanism. Almost perfect numbers, no variation at all. My clockmaker friend used to sing their praises over and over again. "Air pressure is incredibly constant" I remember hearing from him. Compound shutters are old but they are the best and most consistent over time.

My impression after a trip to MAC's spa: https://camtronicscamerarepair.com/

On 5x7 for closeups, several here have fairly recently raised an issue, of not being able to get ultra sharp results. My new Tele-Xenar is as good as it can be (I imagine) and it is absolutely razor sharp, with incredible fidelity, but like zero depth of field. I love the "retro look", like all my other Tele-Xenars, really exceptionally good. But not quite as saturated an image as some of my other lenses, I have noticed. Typical 1960's performance plenty good enough. I'm so glad I was able to get it cleaned down to the individual blade. Needed a good soaking too. Actually I love the thin DOF I think the bokeh is beautiful. Will shoot some 5x7 B&W studio stuff as I have time. But I know now that this is a great find and I'm so glad I grabbed it. My 360mm Tele-Xenars do not always have the telephoto pull I sometimes desire, so finding this is right up my alley.

And Wow the original lenshood was EPOXIED onto the front barrel. However I discovered by taking an old Hasselblad 40mm Bayonet Yellow, putting it backwards into the lenshood, it fits nearly tightly. Some Hollywood Gaffer Tape has secured the Zeiss 104mm inside the Schneider original hood. I'm pretty sure it's the correct hood. So now I can do filtered exposures with it, I have all the 40mm Distagon filters. Mac showed me the marks on the barrel from when he tried to remove the hood. LOL

I have six sheets of Fuji HRU XRAY 13x18cm Sinar Norma holders ready to shoot. I think I am going to love finally shooting 5x7 in earnest