Horseman LE questions

[Karl151k]

I just received my new camera in the mail. It's a Horseman 4X5 LE which is a step up from my Busch Pressman. I have a few questions that will probably be no-brainers for most users on the forum.

First of all, I have a 120mm f5.6 Schneider Symmar lens that I was using on the pressman. It worked great on the pressman, but when I fit it to the Horseman, I can't focus to infinity anymore. However, before you suggest a bag bellows to remedy this, I already have one and it's still not focusing to infinity. I'm sure that if I stop down to f45 that it won't be a huge deal, but I does limit my creative use of DoF with this lens. I'd prefer not to buy a recessed lens board since they're in the $150 to $250 range. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

With the 120mm Schneider, I found that if I remove the rear element, I am able to focus to inifity with ease (although I still need the bag bellows). Removing the rear element seems to change the focal length from 120 to somewhere in the 240mm neighborhood. This seems fine to me as it's like having two lenses for the price of one. I do worry about the sharpness though. Am I loosing a ton of sharpness by removing this rear element? Is the lens no longer Apochromatic?

Also, I was looking for another lensboard for a Copal 1 lens that I have and all I can find for the Horseman LE are 140mm boards. I measured my board and it's 138mm. Are the extra two millimeters for the rounded edges on the left and right of the board? I'm thinking this is the case, but I want to make sure before I waste a bunch of money on a lensboard that doesn't fit my camera.

Finally, I remember hearing about a modular lensboard system that can be carried across different camera systems. Is that system called Tecknica? If so, how much of an invesement would it be for me to get an adapter for my Horseman and 3 boards to fit the adapter?

Thanks as always for your assistance!

[Lachlan 717]

I use a Sinar/Horseman to Linhoff adaptor on my 140x140mm Horseman. Look at eBay number 350140071862.

Really quite well made and works well!

Lachlan.

[ic-racer]

Also, I was looking for another lensboard for a Copal 1 lens that I have and all I can find for the Horseman LE are 140mm boards. I measured my board and it's 138mm

The 140mm board should be OK for you. The "other" Horseman board size is 80mm.
According to the Horseman Literature the shortest flange-focal-length that can be focused on that LE is 60mm with the bag bellows.

[Brian Ellis]

I've never owned your camera but if it won't focus a 120mm lens at infinity, even with a bag bellows, there's almost certainly a problem with the lens or the camera or maybe with how you're mounting the lens or something else somewhere. The camera's specs say it will focus to 60mm with a bag bellows (which they call a "balloon" bellows : - )). I know you said the lens worked fine with your other camera but the camera's specs can't be so far off that they say 60mm will work and you can't get 120mm to work. If I had to guess I'd guess that in fooling around with mounting the lens you got the front and back elements reversed. But regardless, I'm pretty sure there's something wrong somewhere, Horseman couldn't have sold many LEs if they require both a bag bellows and a recessed board just to focus a 120mm lens at infinity.

[isaacc7]

Yeah, I could focus my 150mm lens with no problem on an LE and there was way more than 30mm I could go past infinity. I suspect something is up with the lens. Make sure that both sides are screwed all the way into the shutter, an extra space in there could really screw things up focus wise.

[Lachlan 717]

I've easily focused a 90mm and a 110mm on mine. No issues.

Perhaps put the lens back on the original camera, focus at infinity and measure (roughly) the extension.

Then put it back on the Horseman, rack to the same distance and have a look.

Also, check that the ground glass is in flat, or that there isn't an incorrectly mounted fresnel stuffing things up...

[Karl151k]

Thanks for the replies everybody!

Your advice assuaged my fears that I have a camera that is incompatible with my chosen lens. Knowing that other Horseman LE owners have gotten their lenses to focus correctly was all I needed to hear. I have since investigated the front and rear standards and I discovered what was causing the problem. The front standard was mounted upside down, which resulted in about a 20mm difference. I have since reversed it and everything works and focuses perfectly!

Thanks for the advise and encouragement. Regarding the 120mm lens, why does the focal length change so drastically when I remove the rear element? Is the lens designed to be used like this. I've heard of convertible lenses with more than one focal length, but this particular lens wasn't advertised as such.

Thanks again, Carleton

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for the replies everybody!

Your advice assuaged my fears that I have a camera that is incompatible with my chosen lens. Knowing that other Horseman LE owners have gotten their lenses to focus correctly was all I needed to hear. I have since investigated the front and rear standards and I discovered what was causing the problem. The front standard was mounted upside down, which resulted in about a 20mm difference. I have since reversed it and everything works and focuses perfectly!

Thanks for the advise and encouragement. Regarding the 120mm lens, why does the focal length change so drastically when I remove the rear element? Is the lens designed to be used like this. I've heard of convertible lenses with more than one focal length, but this particular lens wasn't advertised as such.

Thanks again, Carleton

Someone else no doubt knows more than I do but I seem to recall that the Symmars were convertible or at least could be used that way. I think that changed with the Symmar-S or if not then it certainly did with the APO Symmars, which I used to own. I'm glad you solved the problem.