From: Rod Fleming (rodfleming@sol.co.uk)
Date: 05/23/00-08:56:57 AM Z
Hi
Are you really sure you want a wooden field camera for this?
In order to get 1:1 the extension of the lens must be twice the focal
length, so you will obviously need a camera with triple extension if you're
going for any kind of baseboard/folding camera. (And most triple extension
cameras become a little hard to control fully extended.) You're going to
need 300 mm (12 inches) of bellows extension for the 150 and a whopping
420mm (17in)for the 210, so the 150 macro is likely to be a better bet from
that angle.
However you have to get in closer with the shorter lens,which can cause
problems with lighting , so in fact the 210 is in some ways better.
I doubt if you'll get a wooden 5x4 field camera that will reliably handle
the 210 for the work you intend, and I think you'll have to go to a
metal-bodied technical camera. My own 5x4 tech, an MPP, which is very
closely related to the Linhof, will just manage 17 inches of extension.
However at the end of the day it's hard to beat a monorail for this sort of
work. Long extension is easy with a monorail, and instead being mounted on
sections that slide in and out, which can become loose and wobble, the
standards are on a really rigid optical bench.
The bench is mounted on a sliding tripod mount which can be kept at the
centre of gravity, and they are very accurately calibrated, which means that
the back and lensboard can be critically aligned- essential for close copy
work, and not easy on a wooden field camera. Monorails can be quite compact
and they don't have to be heavy- mine weighs a ton but there are several
lightweight monorails around. (Unfortunately the lightweight ones tend to
cost more....)
For this sort of work I personally use a 250mm lens (an elderly Ross) on a
monorail, usually on a studio stand rather than a tripod. It's an excellent
set-up (until you want to take it somewhere) as you can work well back from
the subject and use big lights with a broad beam that are easy to work with.
When working away from base I'd use the Pentax 6x7 with a macro lens and
extenders. Personally.
BTW I have nothing against wooden cameras at all- they are great for
trekking and all sorts of other work; 1:1 copy work is not really their
thing though, IMHO. Frankly, aligning a wooden camera at full extension with
practically no d.o.f. at all would drive me nuts.
Best
Rod
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Niven" <nimoys@loxinfo.co.th>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 02:01
Subject: off topic: compact 4x5 options
> Hi Folks,
>
> I'm the guy who's about to do a lot of copy work on Kodak 4125 film with
> a 150mm lens thanks to the advice I've found here.
>
> One further question: I'm considering purchasing a "field" type 4x5
> camera but am not sure it would be capable of being used with a 150mm
> lens or 210mm lens, whether the bellows will outstretch long enough to do
> nearly 1:1 copy work.
>
> Any other suggestions as to an affordable non-field 4x5 that can pack up
> fairly compactly, handle 150 or 210mm lens, would also be most welcome.
>
> Many thanks in advance,
>
> Doug Niven
> Bangkok
>
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