4x5 Norma Leitz Tiltall inspired by Julius Shulman

john_s said:
I have a friend here in Australia who is a (young) relation of Julius Shulman. She remembers him from when she was growing up in LA. She gave me a copy of that book. Very stylish photos of a golden age.

On the subject of mounting cameras on a tripod, I found that the Rollei dedicated clamp that fits on the base of the SL66 (medium format SLR) allows some movement, not because the clamp arrangement allows it, but its attachment to the bottom of the camera allows slight flex. I modified a RRS Arca-type plate to fit and because of its larger surface area it is much more stable.

The OP's mount looks like a great solution. There's nothing like thick metal.
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Now that's interesting. It makes it more personal to know someone who knew Shulman. Like my friend's Dad who lived in the same general area and knew him.

I have a homemade book by Shulman that shows the construction of his own modernist house. Glad I found it!
 
4x5 Plaubel Peco Profia 90mm F6.3 Komura Original 90mm Komura Hood by Nokton48, on Flickr

The lens hood cost nearly as much as the lens! LOL

Plaubel Peco Profia 4x5 ready for shooting architectural, Profia Bag Bellows, ingenious clamping 4x5 film holder (best I have seen!), Profia Monocular Magnifier/Bag Bellows on the back for stylish comfortable viewing. In the original Profia catalog is the 90mm F6.3 Komura in Seiko Shutter. The Lenshood for this lens is humungeous and attention getting. The Julius Shulman inspired modded Leitz Tiltall tripod is perfect, quick and dependable to use, quite solid after a few seconds. Sharp enough to make big prints. I also have the matching 75mm F6.3, the humungeous companion to this lens. Both of these lenses recess into the Profia Recessed board, this board will also accomodate all of my Makiflex boards, and also my Peco Jr boards, with the additional stepdown board, which I cobbled together with stuff from the parts box.
 
MrFujicaman said:
Dan, I was told that if you want to polish your Tilt-All's you need Flitz metal polish.
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MFM,

This stuff worked great on Tiltall [NODE="1"]Home[/NODE] Except that on three occasions my hands were black from it LOL, I guess it's aluminum oxidation. Now it SHINES brightly. So Thnx
 
Plaubel Peco Profia 75mm f6.8 Komura by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Peco Profia 4x5 ready for shooting architectural, Profia Bag Bellows, ingenious clamping 4x5 film holder (best I have seen!), Profia Monocular Magnifier/Bag Bellows on the back for stylish comfortable viewing. In the original Profia catalog is the 75mm F6.3 Komura in Seiko Shutter. The Julius Shulman inspired modded Leitz Tiltall tripod is perfect, quick and dependable to use, quite solid after a few seconds. Sharp enough to make big prints. I also have the matching 90mm F6.3, the humungeous companion to this lens. Both of these lenses recess into the Profia Recessed board, this board will also accomodate all of my Makiflex boards, and also my Peco Jr boards, with the additional stepdown board, which I cobbled together with stuff from the parts box.

I'll bet they made a hood for this I've never seen one.
 
Not a Tiltall instead a Star D but look at the Star D dolly! I have not seen another one besides this one. I bought it years ago off that site for like $10 and $50 shipping. It came from a lady in LA who told me it belonged to her dad who had been in the movie/tv business.

Some history about Tiltall, Leitz, and Star D...
http://tiltallsupport.blogspot.com/2010/03/mystery-of-star-d-tiltall.html?m=1
 

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SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Using Brass Hobby Modeling Screws I bolted a Plaubel 120x120 Adapter Board, to a Sinar Norma Uber Heavy Metal Homemade Machined Norma Board (heavily used) LOL. Always wondered what I would ever do with this thing LOL. So now all my Plaubel Junior mounted boards fit onto the Norma, which I can go up to 8x10, although with these 4x5 will do it nicely. This is the Schneider 135mm F3.8 Schneider Xenar, a not often seen lens, in the F3.8 version. Great to look through on the 4x5 Norma. The tripod is Shulman-inspired Leica Tiltall, modded with aluminum block. This tripod is in Shulman's books on Architecture and Interiors, which I studied intensely back in the Eighties.
 
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Julius Shulman inspired modified Leitz Tiltall model one, heavy aluminium machined block bolted to center column. Camera locked down with 9/16" closed end wrench. Rock solid light as a feather. Uber solid medium format monorail technical camera. With the Sony E series mirrorless attached to a flat board, I have a "poor man's digital mini-me view camera system". So far I have ten of the original lenses ready to test. Four have been freshly overhauled by Camtronics. The Monocular Viewer swivels left and right to see the groundglass uber clear magnified with fresnel, can easily assess sharpness critically with this setup. This back is matched to original 6x9cm and 6x6cm Plaubel Makina 120 Backs, which I have been using all along in my two Makinas II and IIIR. So rolls get finished up and move around, these are a bit finicky to use, but doable and gets easy to do with time. Also fifty 6x9cm Plaubel Sheet and Glass Plate holders. Add Sony digital and it's pretty versatile for cheap money
 
That is an excellent mod.

I picked up an original Leitz Tiltall a few years back. I ended up lopping off the head right where the two prongs come up then I drilled and tapped it and put a ball head on it. They really are nice tripods. I usually grab it instead of my carbon fiber Gitzo. There is something satisfying about using something that old.
 
I had two of the Leitz and a Marcioni and still have the short fat leg Leitz. The fat leg one had legs like the standard model but just shorter. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen.

The Leitz I have (had) had paint not anodizing on the metal and chips badly. All three of them have gals up over fifty years of heavy use and travel.

It was rare that I used a view camera on a tiltall over concerns of not being heavy duty enough. I mostly used it with my SL66’s and 35mm’s.

In the early 70’s when I started shooting 8x10 I bought a Linhof heavy duty pro, the beast. A friend has it now but it was sturdy enough to handle my 8x10 & 11x14. I carried it around the country on jobs and finally sold it and replaced it with the big Majestic double leg model which I quit using when Gitzo carbon fiber tripods came out. I now use. 5 series Gitzo carbon fiber and years ago retired my Tiltalls from most duties with three other smaller Gitzo CF tripods.
 
Tiltall was my first tripod. All the pros used it in 1965. Mine came from Altman Camera in Chicago.

No finish on the aluminum and my hands got black for two decades. I was dumb them and should have clear coated it or waxed it.
 
C22 No 2 135mm New Leitz Tiltall Hacked Leitz Ball Head by Nokton48, on Flickr

Mamiya C22 Body #2 with 135mm Blue Dot Yellow Filters Paramender. Mounted on new to me Leitz Tiltall heavily modified. Regular column replaced with modern black one with Leitz Ball Head neatly permanently attached. This new Ball Head (same as on my Leitz Tabletop Tripod) works great on the original Tiltall and a Japanese Quick Mount, which also works great with the Paramender. This weighs little enough that I can carry it around with one hand without straining. And it is rock solid Leica Quality. Broncolor Octobox 150 left, 4x6 foamcore right. Sony Nex-7 with Zeiss Touit Makro Planar 2.8/50. Painted background by David Maheu "Tiim Kelly Gold Plaster".
 
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