Voigtlander Bergheil 6x9 - and 3 LENSES

<p>Hello,<br />I am going to buy Bergheil 6x9 with Heliar 105mm f/4.5 lens. Becouse the camera gives possiblity to use more lenses than standard one, I wonder if I could use Heliar 150mm f/4.5 with it and 65mm wide angle lens?<br>

.<br />I have heard it is possible to adopt vintage Zeiss Goerz 7.5cm f/9.0 lens, but I also consider to buy Horseman Topcor 65mm f/5.6 (6x9) or Topcor 65mm f/7 (4x5). They are small and seems they will fit but I am not sure.<br>

.<br />Does somebody know wheter they fit and will they cover the image?<br />I will use Rada Roll-film back, which has 56mmx84mm film size.<br>

.<br />I consider also Horseman Topcor 75mm f/5.6.<br>

.<br />regards.</p>

<p>Adapting any lens not originally intended for the Bergheil, will be extremely difficult if not impossible. The Bergheil mounting system does not use lens boards... rather, it uses a unique flange affixed to the rear of each lens that engages a receiver stage of the front standard. Additionally, the Horseman lenses use a cable release mounting block which is affixed to the lens board... once you remove the lens from the board, there is no way to attach a cable release to the lens.</p>

<p>I have used the Horseman (Topcor) 65/7 and 75/5.6 <strong>Super</strong> series of lenses, on a Horseman VHR... they are both excellent. They will allow considerable movement capability on 6x9.</p>

<p>Unless you are into the "classic camera" mindset, a Horseman 6x9 (850, 950, VH, VHR, etc) is a much better 6x9 choice the Bergheil... and nowadays about the same price.</p>

<p>I have already 6x9 Graflex Century with a few lenses, including adopted Mamiya Press 50mm f/6.3. Have also some experiences with classic Ica Maximar 6x9 dated from 1927 I bought one year ago and liked it so much that decided to buy Bergheil becouse of possibillty to use several lenses. I suppose this unique flange can be copied and fixed to te rear element of other lenses (I know someone did it with Zeiss Goerz 7.5cm f/9.0) - why it would not be possible with small Horseman Pro 75mm f/5.6? Hope it would.<br />But what about small Horseman Topcor 65mm f/5.6? That's the question...</p>

<p>Before you buy the Bergheil, make sure it is a model with interchangeable lenses. Had one with the unique flange which results in the lenses being interchangeable, but I've sold that. So I thought all Bergheil lenses can be interchanged. Recently bought one with the much sought after dark green body but surprised to find out the lens cannot be interchanged unless the other lens is of the same size and screw thread. My second Bergheil did not have that unique flange compared to the first Bergheil I owned. Somebody switched it?<br>

You'd be better off with a Bee Bee 6x9. The flange is kind of a round metal board and is easy to copy. The only drawback is that only small lenses can be fitted. If a lens flange is bigger than #1 for example, it won't fit in. Rather the rear lens won't fit in. The 75mm Dagor may fit in but I doubt the 150mm Heliar. Maybe in that case you got to go for the Bee Bee 9x12. The hole beneath the flange connecting to the bellows is much larger compared to the 6x9 model. The 9x12 Bee Bee model normally comes with a 135mm lens.</p>

 

<p>The outside rear element lens diameter of Horseman Pro 75mm f/5.6 is 30mm - the lens is truly small (shutter diameter is 55mm) and I suppose it will fit. I know that Heliar 15cm rear diameter is 44mm and may be too large to fit to the Bergheil's 6x9 metal board (see the picture, this is exactly the model I want to buy) but looking at the picture the hole looks quite large... to compare - the outside diameter of Heliar 105mm lens seen on the photo is 28,5mm.<br />Hope there is vintage Schneider, Rodenstock or Dagor 150mm lens that will.<br />I am a bit suprised there are not clear informations about focal lengh of the lenses that could be used with Bergheil 6x9, 9x12 or 10x15.</p>

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<p>Just has found that Schneider Angulon 65mm f/6.8 is the smalest 6x9 65mm lens and may fit on Bergheil... (?)</p>

<p>Here is a nifty trick I use on my 9x12 Bergheil with a #1 Compur flange. For additional lenses that use the Compur 0/Copal 0 size I just replace the Compur 1 shutter with a Compur 1 to Compur 0 adapter (SK Grimes) then I can screw in an assortment of different lenses to this adapter as long as they are of the Compur 0 size. With an additional Compur 0 to Compur 00 adapter you could screw in the tiny 65mm Schneider Angulon which uses the Compur 00 shutter. For additional Compur 1 shutter/lens assemblies I have had a batch of Bergheil bayonets made using Cad/Cam technology on stainless steel sheets. The lenses I can now use interchangably with my Bergheil 9x12 are the 203mm Ektar in Compur , the 135mm Heliar, and the 90mm and the 65mm Schneider Angulons. With the 65 mm Angulon you have to shift the lens up in front or you will catch part of the front foldout in the picture. Some of the older 150 Heliars are mounted in a Compur 2 shutter which would be too large for a 6x9 Bergheil.<br>

Best-<br>

John Flinn</p>