Originally Posted by
rdenney
On Graphic cameras (including the Pacemaker Speed Graphic), the rangefinder and the viewfinder are separate. Even with your top-rangefinder Speed, you look in a different hole for the rangefinder and viewfinder. Dan was talking about an attachment for the viewfinder.
Unless you can find a cam for the top rangefinder, it will not work with the 90. You'll have to focus using the ground glass, or by scale. And if you want to maintain the ability to use the 135 quickly, you'll also need another set of infinity stops and a focus scale for the 90. If you have the focus scale, you can focus using the rangefinder, read the distance from the current focus scale, and adjust the focus to show the same distance on the 90mm lens focus scale. For street work, though, I suspect most folks prefocus to the desired distance, and use their feet to get their subjects positioned at the right distance.
In addition to the Angulon, Graflex marketed their own Graflex Optar W.A., which is also small and light. (The same lens is also available as a Wollensak Raptar W.A.) Some say the Angulon performs better (in the center) and some say the Optar performs better. Given the difficulty of getting accurate focus on the street, those differences probably don't matter. None of them will be as sharp in the corners.
None of the lenses intended for Graflex cameras are mounted in typical modern large-format shutters, such as the Copal and Compur shutters that have (for the most part) standardized mounting holes. The Wollensak and Kodak shutters that were used with Graflex cameras use holes of a different size. The trick is to find the lens, and if it isn't already mounted on a Graflex lens board, then measure the diameter of the threads and find a Graflex lens board with that size hole. I seem to recall my 90mm Optar had a hole bigger than a typical 00 hole (which is about 26mm) and smaller than a 0 hole (which is about 34mm).
The Graflex shutters have the advantage of using shutter buttons that will align with the cable-actuated shutter release mechanism mounted on the body of the camera.
None of the Dagor-style lenses (such as the Angulon) will be really sharp in the corners, especially if you use apertures that would allow hand-holdable shutter speeds. Goes with the territory.
Another option which I have not myself tried is to go wider, to a 65mm f/8 Super Angulon. This lens is significantly wider, but it covers 4x5 and it's reasonably small and light. You might get better depth of field with that shorter lens, too, making scale focus easier. I have one of these lenses, currently mounted (incorrectly) in a Prontor Press 00 shutter, which would be a dandy shutter to use for this application. The original 65/8 SA's don't seat properly in the Prontor shutter, however, and need a bit of machine work on the decorative part of the barrel to allow the important threaded part to screw down all the way. I have hopes for that lens in a 4x5 point-n-shoot camera project that is on my list.
Rick "keeping Pace, not necessarily keeping peace" Denney
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