Horseman L45 With Wide Angle

[sharktooth]

Stop it, stop it now! I want these puppies to stay affordable ... at least until I get my second one.

[Jim Michael]

I have the same camera and lens. Things are a little tight without a bag bellows so worth the investment. Great camera.

[Michael Graves]

I have an L45 and a 75mm Rodenstock. Without a recessed lens board,it doesn't quite reach infinity, but stopped down, the DOF sorta-kinda gets you there. You're best off with a recessed lens board and a bag bellows.

[cp_photo]

I love my Horseman L45 and use it much more than my lightweight folding 4x5. Very solid cameras that are still available at a reasonable price!

[Bernice Loui]

Curious, why using the Horseman L more than the lightweight field folder?


Bernice

I love my Horseman L45 and use it much more than my lightweight folding 4x5. Very solid cameras that are still available at a reasonable price!

[cp_photo]

It's mainly because I have several cameras now, each quite different. Once I got my lightweight 5x7 (an Argentum Excursor I.) I have used that for any hike or general out of the house/office/studio use. It is very pleasant to use and weighs about the same as my Chamonix 4x5. The Horseman monorail is a joy to use with its precise movements and solid, stable feel. I have a few larger lenses on Sinar/Horseman boards that won't fit the Chamonix 4x5 with its Technika-sized lens board but I can use on the Horseman. Although it is not a lightweight camera, the Horseman is easy enough to disassemble and pack into a bag.

Curious, why using the Horseman L more than the lightweight field folder?


Bernice

[Daniel Unkefer]

Architectural Photographer Julius Shulman uses one here as he photographs for the Architectural Magazines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQErQtVI04

I own this video and it is beautiful and moving.

[LabRat]

Used one often on pro shoots, but was never sure it could handle very heavy lenses, and always was careful to keep a hand on FS while operating controls, because I wasn't sure of the standard balance ( maybe just superstitious with the L standards)...

Steve K

[linuxid10t]

I have an L45 and a 75mm Rodenstock. Without a recessed lens board,it doesn't quite reach infinity, but stopped down, the DOF sorta-kinda gets you there. You're best off with a recessed lens board and a bag bellows.

I've come to the same conclusion unfortunately. I am working on printing a recessed lens board now. I hope 10mm is enough...

[linuxid10t]

Thanks everyone for all the help and encouragement. Here is an update. All of the kit has arrived and I just loaded up my first two film holders. The camera seems pretty great except the tilt knob for the front standard broke during shipping. Using some grippy material right now to operate it but I am going to go to the hardware store and see if I can't find something until I get an official knob. The seller of the camera is trying to source one for me. I watched an interview with Ansel Adams on Youtube the other day and it certainly seems like the Horseman L45 was the last large format camera he was using before his death. As for the lens boards, I am on a second revision of my 3D printed lens board now and they seem to work great. I have designed ones for Copal 0, 1, and 3 size shutters as well as 10mm recessed boards for each one. I will leave a link at the bottom of the post. I have tried two lenses in the straight Copal 1 board: G.Rodenstock Trinar-Anastigmat 13.5cm F/4.5 and Fujinon SF 180mm F/5.6. Both of these lenses fit well in the 3D printed lens board. Bag bellows and a recessed board seem like a must for the Fujinon 75mm F/5.6 lens I got. Working on printing a recessed board now but as the other poster commented it does seem like if I stopped down I could get infinity focus with the straight board.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5196070

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uzD...ew?usp=sharing

Side note: Has anyone tried out a Rodenstock similar to the one I tried? I think it is from the 1920's or 1930's. I pulled it out of an old folder camera I got as a kid. It was one of those dry plate cameras you can't really find film for anymore.