Advice needed: Focus 617 Back & Toyo 45A

[Oortti]

Hello!

I've recently acquired a Focus 6x17 panorama back for my Toyo Field. However, I didn't consider the issue how to mount it on the back.

So I'm asking: any suggestions? I have a normal Toyo 45A revolving back with a ground glass with the springy expander section - I could always dismantle the ground glass from the current back but then it would leave me a otherwise useless back.

I was thinking about getting another Toyo back, with or without the ground glass and modify to suit my needs. Or would a normal graflok back fit this task better?

Here are some images of the focus back, so you know what I mean:

http://bizweb.cn/com/poodley/pic/1165333003.jpg

Any suggestions or previous experiences are welcomed!

[Steve Barber]

What you need is a Graflok back. Both the film holder and the viewer are designed to be used with that.

[Oortti]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't graflok-backs designed to be screw-mounted to the
frame? I might be incorrect on this one.

The only back attachment option Toyo gives is the sliding locks - of course this will not be an issue if the locks fit to the graflok back.

[Steve Barber]

Toyo makes a Graflok back to fit your camera. It would attach the same way your revolving back does.

[Dave Wooten]

I think the Toyo is international? It should fit, my Da Yi fits on an old graflex crown.

[Steve Barber]

The sliding locks you are speaking of, you have these now? I can't tell from the tiny image on Toyo's site, but what they say sounds like the revolving back is a Graflok style back. If you have the sliding locks, then all you need to do is release the revolving back portion using those and then attach the panoramic back the same way.

[Dave Wooten]

Oorti,

I just tried a Focus 6 x 17 back on a Toyo , it is a perfect fit. Just remove your Toyo ground glass, your Focus glass can then be used to compose the 6 x 17, and then insert the 7 x 17 film back. for 6 x 12 etc and smaller, just compose on your Toyo class.

[richard brown]

when i bought a horseman 6x12 roll film back for my older toyo 45A, i encountered the same problem. the early toyos sometimes came with a standard non graphlok back so i had to hunt around and find one ..... i have seen them at auction so check it out and see if your existing back has the two thumb sliders that pop the gg frame out of the back...
not the sliders top and bottom used to remount horizontal or vertical for non rotating backs. good luck with the pano world, its fun.
richard

[Oortti]

Thanks all,

as Richard Brown said, the first Toyo 45A's came with the older slider locks and thus regular graflok backs cannot be fitted into them as some of you proposed.

I've also considered and tried to remove the ground glass from my old back, but since it comes with the spring, the removal of the ground glass and the spring is way too complicated (and while possible, but rendering the back unusable for future use in normal 4x5 composing).

Here are some images to clarify the toyo locking mechanism for those who are not familiar with it: http://www.peronvuo.fi/toy/

While it looks like a graflok locks, trust me, they aren't ones.

So far the best option is to get a toyo back (I'm not sure if they make it for the 45A anymore), or find one (without the spring) from ebay (didn't find any to fit 45A, since it has a different lock than the newer models) or make my own backplate for the toyo with ie. graflok back screw-in holes.

[Steve Barber]

Quick and dirty, but they show a Graflok style back; with the ground glass, the ground glass section by itself and the back without the ground glass. Looking at the ground glass section, you can see the thumb levers on the sides that lock and unlock the ground glass section in the back by depressing and sliding them sideways. The back, with the ground glass removed, is the part that you would attach the panoramic adapter to using the sliding locks on each side.