58mm, 65mm, 75mm Wide Angle w/Shen-Hao?

[neil poulsen]

Can one get decent rise with a 58mm, 65mm or a 75mm lens on a Shen-Hao equipped with a bag bellows? I know that the bellows works down to 50mm, but can one get decent rise without the front of the camera bumping into the housing above?

[walter23]

If you have the camera, measure out 75mm from the back to the lens board and see where it sits. I know the flange-film distance won't be quite the focal length, but it should be a reasonable approximation.

[Walter Foscari]

I've used a 75 SA f5.6 frequently with this camera. With that lens you run out of rise before the rear element hits the casing. With a 65 or shorter the front standar is most likely inside the casing and you can get 12 to 14 mm max.

[Greg Lockrey]

I don't own the camera but wouldn't the bottom vignet the image area? Or does that drop out sufficiently? I've been pondering one since you guys talk about them a lot here. My ideal 45 field camera would be one that would take 65-360mm with only one bellows.

[Gordon Moat]

Hello Greg Lockrey,

Actually, the back of the HZX45A-II moves forward quite a bit. Then with a short focal length in place, there is little to no overhang in the front. I would think you could easily run out of movement prior to tilting to get the bottom board in view. Also, you can raise the front and rear standards quite a bit, which would also ensure avoiding even getting close to seeing edges of the camera body in your view.

The toughest aspect is that the standard bellows is fairly stiff, which would be more of a limitation on movements, or ultra short lenses. You could use a 75mm with the standard bellows, and a flat lensboard, but it would be much easier to get the bag bellows.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Greg Lockrey]

Thanks Gordon. Checked out Badger's site, this may be the way to go. Looks like it will also accomadate my Schneider 210/360 combo.