SA 65mm on a recessed Wista/Technika board

[brian_wallen]

I am trying to mount a 65mm Super Angulon in a tiny Synchro Computer (43mm shutter body) on a Wista/Technika

recessed board. Even though the lens hole in the board is offset toward the bottom of the board and the board

has a special bracket with an offset pin to reach back into the recessed portion, I can't arrange it to make

contact with the cable release port. The port on this SC model is a threaded collar mounted at 90 degrees to the

wall of the shutter body. The offset bracket approaches the cable release port at the wrong angle.

 

=> O

 

My slightly later 75mm SA is in a Prontor that has the cable release port at a steeper angle that could be

connected to the board's offset mechanism.

 

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I've got several cable releases with offset connectors, but the mounting shanks are all too long to clear the

recessed well of the board. The shortest of these shanks is about 30mm. A cable release with a shorter shank

and pin travel

would work, since it does take much to trip the shutter release plate in the 65mm shutter.

 

Has anyone had and solved this problem?

 

I've also wondered why these recessed boards for WA lenses have holes drilled off-center toward the bottom of the

board. This provides more front movement, but at least on a Wista/Technika board that can only positioned one

way on the front standard, it only exaggarates front fall and limits front rise, which for me is

counter-productive, since I more often use rise than fall.

 

Thanks.

 

Brian Wallen

[tim_ludwig2]

Hi, Brian.

 

Second answer first, but I'll answer with another question. Can you buy the Wista recessed board without it

being drilled and then have a local machinist create the proper sized hole for you and have it centered? I've

never understood the rationale for making the hole offset either.

 

Sounds like you have a 00 size shutter to do battle with. I've got one for a 47mm SA and I'm glad I can mount it

on a flat board for my Zone VI.

 

Have you ever used a Speed or Crown Graphic and utilized the finger trigger on the side that pulls a flat steel

'finger' down on the shutter's trigger lever? I'm wondering if something like that can be mounted on the rim of

your recessed board with the 'finger' going into the recess and engaging the trigger. Then you could rig a cable

release to the outside mount. The only drawback I can see to this would be that with the 65mm, you're going to

have trouble finding a place to mount it and yet keep it out of frame.

 

Maybe, since you mostly use front rise, your could reverse Wista's idea and have the hole bored high on the board

and have this trigger rig mounted inside the bottom rim of the board with room for the cable release to attach.

 

This might be something to consult S. K. Grimes about. He may have already created a solution to this problem

for others.

 

Good luck.

 

Tim

[bob_salomon]

First: recessed boards are not made. All you need do is have a machinist mill the )) sized hole in a sheet of thin

aluminum or opaque acrylic. Cut it to fit behind the mounting hole on the board you have (centered in the hole of course)

and then put a bead of caulk between the board and the plate. Drill some small screw holes and screw the new plate

onto the old board (behind not in front.

 

A Gepe Wide Angle Cable Release extension (that is the one with the extremely small threaded tip not the cheap metal

copies with the long tip) will let you screw a cable release onto the shutter.

 

Next: The hole is centered. It was made so the lens is centered on the ground glass when the front standard is in the

normal position. Should you place the hole in a different spot then the lens will not be properly centered. This is

especially important with wide angle lenses as if the lens is not centered the fall off that is normal in the lens will not be

symmetrical and will increase the need for a center filter. As you apparently have a 65mm f8 in 00 shutter then you

would need a 49mm Center Filter. That is currently available from Heliopan but is a discontinued size.

 

However you have a much bigger problem. The 65mm f8 00 Super Angulon does not cover 4x5 at infinity at any aperture

and allow any movement. Therefore proper centering is critical as it only has a 155mm circle of illumination at f16 at

infinity (as a comparison the 65mm 4.5 Granagon N covers 170mm at the same aperture and distance). Your lens was

designed for 6x9cm. So don't spend a lot of time or money to make the lens fit a 4x5 if you are planning to shoot 4x5. It

won't work well. The 65mm 5.6 Schneider, the 65mm 4.5 Rodenstock do cover 4x5 and they are in a 0 shutter that does

fit your lensboard.

[brian_wallen]

Thanks for both responses. While Bob's brings unwelcome news, it is very helpful. I hadn't realized that the f8 SA had less coverage than the f5.6. Guess I should have done more research. It's still useful, since I often use roll holders and just bought a Horseman 6x9 VH.

 

I had planned on making a ring with a smaller mounting hole for the small shutter, though I would have mounted it with the hole physically centered. I have no idea if the flat lens boards I have are from Wista or are clones. From your explanation, should I assume that any boards that have physically centered holes are not mounting the lenses on their optical centers?

 

Seems like the recessed board might be better utilized for providing freer bellows movement for the 75mm 5.6 SA, since even with the 65mm Grandagon or 5.6 SA, movements will be very constrained for 4x5. The Wista manual, in tentative English, seems to claim that the VX will focus a 65mm lens with the pleated bellows. I'll set up the 65mm on a flat board with a correctly positioned hole and try some test shots.

 

Tim's idea for a Graphic type linkage might work, though several Graphics I've had seemed to have very sluggish body releases. I think the front element sits far enough forward so that anything mounted on the front part of the recessed board would not be visible to the lens. The Gepe cable release seems to be the simplest for this type shutter.

 

Tim, I assume that you are not trying to cover 4x5 with your 47mm SA. I remember these being mounted on Graphic XLs.

 

Brian Wallen

[colin carron]

I mounted a SA 65/8 with Synchro Compur 00 in a flat board with a sliding insert getting the idea from bpards you sometimes see on some old brass and mahogany cameras. This board allows better access to the shutter etc and also allows the lens to be shifted up or down ( and sideays too as it is a square board). The problem of the stiff bellows at these short lengths does not matter so much as the bellows do not have to move much. The board insert provides most of the movement. The limit is when the rear cell touches the bellows. I made the board myself as i was fed up by not being ale to use all the image circle. It iwas a bit more complicated than the normal board but worth the exra effort as it makes the lens much more useable. The camera I use it on is an MPP VII similar to a Linhof IV..

[tim_ludwig2]

Hi, Brian,

 

I wish I could expand that image circle a bit more to get up to 4x5, but no; I'm using it on my Zone VI, but with 6x9 and 6x12 roll

backs. It does vignette a tiny bit on the 6x12, but the effect is not unpleasant on a super wide panorama. If I go with a 47mm for some of my architecture (4x5), my business partner has an XL that is almost overkill, but once in awhile is perfect.