Lenses, lenses, lenses...WHAT FITS?

[david richhart]

The sizes of filters and other attachments for lenses, are usually hidden by the different manufacturers with an undecipherable code of names and numbers. Probably an attempt to sell their own products. Wouldn't this be a great website to begin a chart listing the various lenses with the sizes of the attachments that are compatable? I think the experiences of others could make things a lot simpler and less expensive.

[pat_j._krentz_29_palms__ca]

The size of a lens is usually on the front, the size of filters are

on the band that holds the glass, in large format the bellows

extension in relation to the lens determines if it will work with your

given camera, you cannot put a 20 inch lens on a camera with 18 inch

bellow draw, you will never have infinity focus, you can put a much

shorter lens if you are going to do 1:1 or closer, the other thing

that you need to remember is the lens board must be the correct size

and if the lens board, bellows draw, are sufficient you can use any

lens you wish. Pat

[simon2]

I know what you're saying, Dave, but it really isn't so bad. Most of

the questions you see in this forum about filter and accessory size

have to do with older lenses; in recent years the standardization to a

finite number of front element sizes has been pretty thorough among

the "Big Four" lensmakers (e.g., 52mm, 58, 67, 72, 82, 95, etc.).

 

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One other point worth noting is that--for me, anyway--a MAJOR

advantage of LF over 35mm and MF is the ability to mix and match from

almost all manufacturers. You say you like your expensive wide-angle

lens but don't like your camera? In MF, you're screwed, but in LF, you

get to keep the lens and change cameras. Ditto for modular front

accessories, most of which sell adaptors to allowing fitting to each

new addition to your lens collection, and for "backs" (film holders

and roll-film holders), which are cross-brand compatible in LF unlike

in MF or 35mm.

 

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As far as I'm concerned, in fact, these are the good ol' days in

photography; never before has there been so much choice (in all

formats), and with enough hunting around (especially with the

internet) you can usually find what you need--whereas in the old days

you'd have to make it yourself or do without.

 

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Finally, I believe that the lens charts on this website (e.g., "Lenses

for 4x5 cameras") already list the front accessory size for all

current lenses. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. . .

[david richhart]

I fully understand what you are all saying...I just think it would be

great to check out EBAY and know for certain if a "72mm Tiffen

filter" will screw onto my "14 inch Koday Commercial Ektar lens"

without an adapter. It's frustrating when you mail order and things

don't fit! So many fine lenses are available in large format, that

it's hard to find a definite answer to such a simple question.

[michael_briggs2]

Modern LF lenses have standardized on a small number of threads. The

Large Format Photography Homepage

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/

has several tables listing filter threads for current lenses from the

big four, e.g., New lenses for 4x5 (Fuji, Nikon, Rodenstock,

Schneider).

 

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There is no simple answer for lenses more than a few decades old.

Some lenses weren't made with filter threads, or were made with

threads that are unusual by today's standards. Over the years,

manufacturers may have changed the threads on a particular lens.

[david richhart]

I know Michael...that is why I think it would be helpful if other

photographers could pass on the information on the older lenses

because they have had the experience. It's a trial and error process

at best. And if the results of past experience were stored in one

easily accessable location, it could prevent a lot of problems. I

think a list like that could be helpfut to a lot of people!

[wilhelm]

In the past it was easy. You just measured the outside diameter of

the lens, and Kodak had a slip-on filter holder within 1/32 inch of

that figure. You could jiggle the tines in or out to make it fit as

snugly as you wanted. (There were also clamp-on filter holders for

those who didn't want to gouge the outside of the lens). These

adapters fit standard series IV, V, VI, VII, etc or gelatin holders,

and life was easy and relatively cheap, and truely interchangable.

There were, of course, step-up and step-down rings from series to

series. Every dealer had cigar boxes of used adapter rings, and

would frequently give them away if you bought a filter. Kodak's

filters were, unfortunately, colored gels between two glass plates,

which always went bad in a few years and had to be replaced. Optical

glass was available from Ednalite and others.