Wanderlust 4x5 P&S

[Steve Pitchford]

I'm still excited waiting for my Wanderlust too - it seems like forever. I've had my old 90mm lens CLAed, just for it. I bought a used Super wide field Caltar (on Ebay) to replace old 90mm and use on my Wista. Weight and size is not an issue for the Wista. I've also bought a two way level and one of those plastic viewers from the guy in Israel. I purchased two range finders also, one Russian Blink and a Japanese Walz. The Bllick is much lighter and stylish, but the Walz has a large focusing dial and a longer range before reaching infinity. Also the Blick has a light rose viewer and the Walz has a light yellow viewer color. I don't know if those tints are to match a filter color or just the result of aging. After trying them out on my Wanderlust I'll keep one and sell the other.

I also bought another ten film holders, but worst of all as you may have found out on your own, once you get on ebay it's had not to buy things you don't really need. Waiting for my Wanderlust ( I don't do waiting very well) I decided I needed a small rangefinder 35mmm camera so now I have a Voitlander Vitoret DR, a Cannonet Ql19 and a Yashica Electro GSN. I didn't really need them and I'm in trouble with my wife. Sure hope my Wanderlust comes soon; so does my wife.

Well, Happy Trails,
Steve Pitchford
P.S. If I'm screwing up this posting reply feel free to correct me. I did check the FAQs but since I don't post often I am uncertain of where my post goes after "submit"

[rdenney]

P.S. If I'm screwing up this posting reply feel free to correct me. I did check the FAQs but since I don't post often I am uncertain of where my post goes after "submit"

It appeared where it is supposed to. No worries.

I also started with a Blik rangefinder, but recently picked up a Voigtlander that is probably the model copied by the Walz. It's better-made and more compact, and will atop the Wanderlust more easily and still leave room to use the other two shoes.

And, yes, I also bought a level (for the 65mm version) and I have several viewfinders I will be experimenting with, from the Israeli cheapie like yours to a Sea-and-Sea underwater finder for wide angle that I think will work with the 65.

Rick "the Wanderlust pile is growing" Denney

[drew.saunders]

I just added to my "wanderlust pile" by getting a 65/8 SA from Keh in "Ugly" condition for a really good price ($126!). I have no idea why it got "UG"! There's brassing on the rear group, but not much, and the shutter and front group are pristine. The glass is clear, the shutter is smooth, and (according to my Calumet tester that I'll never sell) dead-on accurate from 1s to 1/60. 1/3 stop off at 1/125 (so it's 1/100, making "sunny 16" with Delta 100 actually easier), 1/2 stop off at 1/250 and 2/3 off at 1/500. The S/N says this lens is from late '67 or early '68, so it's just a few months younger than I am, and, honestly, in better shape. I guess that makes me "UG" too.

I'll probably use my CV Zoom Finder to start, unless I can find a 4:5 ratio finder or one that's easily masked. I have a Fuji 90/8 for my WL 90, but it's rather large, so I'll keep an eye out for a tiny 90/6.8 SA.

Waiting...patiently...

[tenderobject]

What is the best alternative for BLIk rangefinder that i could use with travelwide and the external VF? 21mm or 24mm? Thanks!

[Regular Rod]

What is the best alternative for BLIk rangefinder that i could use with travelwide and the external VF? 21mm or 24mm? Thanks!

How about the human rangefinder? Takes up no space, weighs about as much as a business card and is very accurate. Use a mirror and a tape measure to get the distance between the pupils of your eyes and use the tape measure to get the distance from your eye to the end of your thumb with your arm fully outstretched and put the measurements into this tool, add in the focal length of your lens and the distances your helicoid has marked on them, add in the format and the scale will include an HFD chart too. http://tomchuk.com/misc/rf/

RR

[Kuzano]

Thank you for the update on Kickstarter. Just read it.

I have not been impatient (OK that's my first lie ever) and willing to wait until the product is "right". Anticipating delays in any plans of mice and men, I embarked on a special hunt.

I sold my very nice Schneider 90mm 6.8 lens in synchro compur shutter. I spent a lot of time looking for a combination I wanted to use on the Travelwide. I knew you were going to post soon because in the intervening weeks, I found, just three days ago, the lens shutter I really wanted. A Linhof Schneider branded in large letters... LINHOF, in a Linhof branded shutter. Very clean lens, operable, usable shutter, although I may have SK Grimes CLA it for about $100+ dollars.

It was an auction on eBay and was on the front of a workable, or usable, Graflex View Monorail. Picked it up for $299 shipped. I will sell the Graflex View to recapture as much as I can of the $299.

Why the drive for the Linhof branding.... Schneider performs rather strict Quality Control on their lenses. Linhof in addition has a very strict Quality requirement of their own. So a lens and shutter with the actual letters LINHOF on them passed two QC tests at the time they were new. Some may consider the small format 90mm from Schneider to be rather mundane. Those people may be entertaining the Super Angulon on the front of the Travelwide. I won't go there. It slightly defeats the purpose of the idea of keeping the package small and light as possible.

So opted for the best of the best in the small lens. I've used a few of the lenses before, and been satisfied with the Schneiders alone. When I have used the Linhof branded lenses and shutters, I have been quite pleased.

Let me also say this. Having checked eBay 3-4 times a week while the camera was being processed, I have passed up any number of Schneider 90mm f6.8 lenses in Synchro Compur shutters from sellere with ample 100% feedback. Nobody should be having trouble finding the small lenses. In addition there have been literally tens of Super Angulon 90mm lenses over the time since the successful Kickstarter goal, and now.

So the delay has worked for me and I am ready to go now. However, your explanation has been thorough, and I would rather have the camera right. My first shots on the camera will be using Quickloads and Readyloads in a light tight Kodak Professional Ready load holder, until I use up the 150 envelopes I have in the freezer. Then I'll blow the dust out of my film holders and continue on.

[Roger Cole]

How about the human rangefinder? Takes up no space, weighs about as much as a business card and is very accurate. Use a mirror and a tape measure to get the distance between the pupils of your eyes and use the tape measure to get the distance from your eye to the end of your thumb with your arm fully outstretched and put the measurements into this tool, add in the focal length of your lens and the distances your helicoid has marked on them, add in the format and the scale will include an HFD chart too. http://tomchuk.com/misc/rf/

RR

Better yet, if you wear glasses your eyeglass prescription will have your pupillary distance on it. They don't always include it in copies of the prescription, but they have to have it to fit your glasses so your optometrist should be able to tell you what it is, or measure it again for you, very accurately - more so than trying to use a tape measure.

[Tim Meisburger]

Thanks for the update Ben. Its interesting just to learn what goes into precision plastic moulding. A few years ago I wrote Patterson and asked them to do a new run of Orbitals, and they wrote and said they no longer had the tooling. I really wondered why they didn't just crank out a few thousand to meet unsatisfied demand. Now I know its more complicated than that

Best, Tim

[AuditorOne]

Thanks for the update Ben. Most enlightening.

[tenderobject]

sound interesting. thanks!

How about the human rangefinder? Takes up no space, weighs about as much as a business card and is very accurate. Use a mirror and a tape measure to get the distance between the pupils of your eyes and use the tape measure to get the distance from your eye to the end of your thumb with your arm fully outstretched and put the measurements into this tool, add in the focal length of your lens and the distances your helicoid has marked on them, add in the format and the scale will include an HFD chart too. http://tomchuk.com/misc/rf/

RR