What lensboard is this????

[jamie_wood]

Hi Folks,

 

I need to buy a new Copal 0 lensboard for my camera (an old Calumet Rail) and I can't for the life of me figure

out what type of lensboard it takes! It came with a Copal 1 lensboard (which I've included pictures of.) Does

anyone know what name or type of lensboard this is? Whatever it is, I need to get it in a Copal 0.

The dimensions are 10cm x 10cm. It has a raised number on the back: 105822.

 

If anyone can offer any information on this, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

JT<div></div>

[oistrakh]

Looks like it might be a Graphic View lens board.

 

http://www.skgrimes.com/lensboards/index.htm

[don_wilkes]

Jamie: You can either make one yourself out of some thin wood, metal, or opaque plastic, or just buy a brand new one from Calumet: http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/CC45030/. If you go the do-it-yourself route, don't worry about the raised rim on the back too much -- I made a board by using two thin sheets of wood, so one sits inside the front standard, and it worked out perfectly. I have another board made out of a single slab of aluminum, and it worked fine, with no light leaks.

 

But, at $50, a brand new one isn't outrageous, especially pre-drilled for your shutter size.

 

You also might want to check places like Badger and Mid-West for used ones; they're pretty common.

 

Cheers,

\donw

[jamie_wood]

Don, is the lensboard you linked to at the calumet site the same lensboard, or just something similar? I noticed they don't show the back of it, and to tell the truth, I AM a little worried about the raised rim on the back. It fits snugly into a groove on my camera, and I would like to find one with the same feature. It's actually what has kept me from just going down to a machine shop and getting them to cut me one.

[floyd_waller]

That is a Calumet lens board, not a Graphic View lens board. Lens boards are commonly provided in blank (drill to correct size), 0 and 1. I happen to have two used Calumet 0 boards, 1 grey, 1 black. The black one has one edge beveled but will not affect its use.

 

Email me.

[tim_ludwig2]

Jamie,

 

Two years ago I bought the wide angle version of your camera without lensboards from an ebay seller. I then

proceded to buy five boards off of other sellers over a period of only a few weeks. They show up on ebay quite often.

Just search under "Calumet" and keep at it a few days and you'll get what you need. I don't think I paid more than

about $25 for the flat ones and about $35-$40 for the recessed versions. When needed, I had my machinist friend

bore the proper sized holes.

 

Calumet repairs does stock a remarkable number of parts for these cameras considering they have not been made

since the sixties. Just call and talk to Jose.

 

Good luck.

 

Tim

[User_503771]

In answer to your subsequent question:

 

Yes, that Calumet link is to the correct board, made for your model of camera. It does have the raised ridge on the back.

 

When I had Calumet cameras (both the 400 series regular and wide angle versions) I found that Graphic View style boards also worked on them -- just regular 4x4" lensboards with no raised ridge on the back. These were also the Graflex "C" wooden boards made for the earlier Speed Graphic cameras.

 

However, this is not vice-versa! The Calumet boards will not work on Graphic Views or old Speed Graphics. But I have a couple of the Calumet recessed lensboards from which I've shaved off the raised ridge, and so those work fine on other cameras that use regular 4x4" boards.

 

Too much information? Sorry, but I hope at least some of it answers your questions.

[don_wilkes]

Jamie: Yes, that's the official lensboard for your model camera. However, the raised ridge is sort of a belt-and-suspenders light seal, which isn't strictly necessary. If you're at all handy with some tools, make a board or two yourself -- it's really not that hard, and it's dirt cheap! But, as the others have noted, these boards are still quite common, so you should be able to pick up some used ones for not very much.

 

Good luck!

\donw