You don’t need a cam unless you are planning to use a rangefinder and the cam
would have to be especially matched to the lens on a III. Neither of my cameras
even have a rangefinder because they are only used as field cameras and the
rangefinders only add weight. The lens “boards” must be aluminum as they have
to be in that .06 thickness range. Wood that thin would be fragile and subject
to warping. Regular double sided film holders work great, I just like more
firepower and only use Grafmatics (6 shots) and Kinematics (10 shots).
Kinematics require no modification but are scarce. For a Grafmatic, the stop
plate (the upright piece that the film holder butts against when you insert it)
has to be reduced in height something like 1.5 mm due to the beveled under edge
of the holder. It’s all modular and highly engineered so is not a problem to
remove, alter and replace. Wood cameras, of which I have and have had, several,
are pretty but easily broken and if substantial enough to not be flimsy are not
that light. Closed up the Techs are practically bullet proof.
Chauncey
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 3, 2019, at 6:38 PM, <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thanks Chauncey. Just had a salesman try to tell me you needed the cam to
mount the lens. The only pictures I have ever seen of a cam appeared to be a
wire structure to use it as a rangefinder. That I have no intention of
doing. I intend to use it like a field camera, so am I right to think that I
won't need the cams? I understand if you use them, they are made for a
specific lens. But if I want to handhold something, its highly unlikely I
would want it to be a 4x5. In the 50s, well its hard to believe newspaper
photographers were using 4x5.
Trying not to be too hard on a salesman, but my gut and his own admission was
he didn't know. He had never used one and I think was basically reading the
same line I was. Thing is I had a credit card out ready to buy till he
started giving me what I suspected was bad information. Will talk tomorrow
with someone else and see if they give me the same thing. You have something
they don't have though and that is experience with it.
By holders, do you mean film holders that would go in front of the ground
glass? I have some, but I thought those were pretty much standard. If I
need to make a modification to accept them, what kind of mods would be
involved and how simple is it to do? If I make that mod, would it cause
problems when using the originals?
Thanks to those that suggested wood to save weight. You are absolutely right
it would be much lighter. Personally, and I might be alone here, but I find
a wooden field camera that is well done a thing of beauty. It is a piece of
art that is used to create art. I would love to have one at some point in my
life, but they are at least double the cost. A while back I bought one to
refurbish that was without much of anything. I learned a lot.
I learned how to make a ground glass. I had a plan for making a back, but
the show stopper for now was the bellows. It's not that the bellows was bad.
It didn't have one at all. With the cost of the bellows and so many other
things unknown, I felt it was time to shelve the project. The money would
have been better spent being used for a better camera. I thought I could
have made a bellows, but I could see fairly quickly that the time it was
going to take to learn to do that was more than I would have been willing to
invest.
Even if I had wood, this camera could see some rough use. Wood usually
doesn't tolerate getting wet too well. No camera likes it, but wood and tent
camping just might not mix.
Also is there any reason why a lens board would have to be made out of
aluminum? I am much better working with wood than metal, but its also likely
that the wood would need to be so thin to fit that it wouldn't have the
necessary strength. Thanks for your help
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: copal no 1 shutter questionThanks
From: Chauncey Walden <clwaldeniii@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, April 03, 2019 5:36 pm
To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Tech III board is a simple piece of aluminum easily made from .06 hobby
shop aluminum. I have 2 Tech IIIs and make all my boards. Nothing special is
required. I also have an Ilex 215 and it is a good Planar type lens and is
convertible. They came in several shutters so best to wait until it is in
hand. A simple modification is required to the Tech III to use a Grafmatic
holder but it will take a Kinematic as is. I love mine which I acquired for
$200 each.
Chauncey
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 3, 2019, at 12:19 PM, <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>=============================================================================================================
<mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well think I have finally found my field camera, but not sure about a couple
of things. Found an old Linhof Technika III, and from everything I have
read those old cameras seem to have been extremely well built and tough.
Though the sheer beauty of a wooden field camera appeals to me, I also want
to be able to take it into the field without worrying about what might
happen to it. This early III is at a price point that although I wouldn't
necessarily like it if it was damaged, it really wouldn't be that big of a
deal either.
What I don't know is about the lens boards, and really haven't found a
picture of one. Some are quite simple, but others can be quite complex. If
its just cutting the right size piece of metal and putting the right size
hole in the center, that I can handle. If there are threads involved, it
has light traps and other things as a part of the lens board, that could get
much tougher. Any help would be appreciated.
Now I have an Ilex Acutar No 545 Its a 215mm lens with 8 1/2 coverage.
It's in a Copal 1 shutter. I have no way to know how old this old lens
might be, but the little use I have with it makes be believe it is a fairly
decent portrait lens. I am sure there are better now, but in its day it
looks to me like it would have been a pro grade level lens.
But it would need to be moved to a lens board that would fit the field
camera, and I see nothing and have found nothing that tells me how big of a
hole in the lens board is needed. I am taking a wild guess in the dark, but
I am guessing it might be 42mm, but I really don't know. If anyone knows
what I need to move the shutter and lens to use it on the linhof, its
appreciated. Never having seen how these come apart, I have learned to be
careful.
Thanks in advance for any help
Mark 73
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