charjohncarter
Veteran
This is a simple question. Is this the correct setting for F 5.6, that notch is confusing.
Windscale
Well-known
Spot on. You have got it just right.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Thank you.
charjohncarter
Veteran
By the way, what is that camera in your avatar?
Windscale
Well-known
This is a homemade camera. The parts are:
Zeiss Nettar 6x45 body with the front plate and bellows removed;
Top plate added housing 2 shoes (for spirit level or flash and Russian 35mm finder turned vertical and shaded for 75mm standard lens);
Kenko/Hasselblad body mount on aluminium board fitted to cover the removed front plate and bellows;
Hasselblad lens mount and adaptor housing Agfa Solinar 75mm/f3.5 in Compur (From Isolette);
34-37 step up ring glued to front focusing ring for holding filters and hood.
The lens assembly can be removed (ordinary Hasselblad bayonet) and interchanged for Pinhole assembly (built on a Hasselblad body cap). But the changing can only be done inside a dark bag or lose 2 frames instead as there is no slide to cover the film.
This is the only one in the world (if no one else has done the same thing) and probably the smallest non-folding 645 in the world or one may call it the medium format Rollei 35T!
This camera was made almost 20 years ago. I love folders but their bellows tend to leak sooner or later. And I had not discovered Camerabellows in Birmingham at that time. Hence the project to do fixed lenses to get rid of the bellows. All the parts and lenses have been carefully calibrated, levelled and adjusted and focusing checked against ground glass. I have a few others made up of other parts. The idea was not to rely on bellows but still have something relatively small and light. I once went on a trip to Europe with a Hasselblad system and I ended up selling all of it upon my return swearing that I will only have something light when travelling even at the expense of a drop in the quality of the gear. This is the history behind it. I will try to post a better pic later but I am just not good with digital stuff.
Zeiss Nettar 6x45 body with the front plate and bellows removed;
Top plate added housing 2 shoes (for spirit level or flash and Russian 35mm finder turned vertical and shaded for 75mm standard lens);
Kenko/Hasselblad body mount on aluminium board fitted to cover the removed front plate and bellows;
Hasselblad lens mount and adaptor housing Agfa Solinar 75mm/f3.5 in Compur (From Isolette);
34-37 step up ring glued to front focusing ring for holding filters and hood.
The lens assembly can be removed (ordinary Hasselblad bayonet) and interchanged for Pinhole assembly (built on a Hasselblad body cap). But the changing can only be done inside a dark bag or lose 2 frames instead as there is no slide to cover the film.
This is the only one in the world (if no one else has done the same thing) and probably the smallest non-folding 645 in the world or one may call it the medium format Rollei 35T!
This camera was made almost 20 years ago. I love folders but their bellows tend to leak sooner or later. And I had not discovered Camerabellows in Birmingham at that time. Hence the project to do fixed lenses to get rid of the bellows. All the parts and lenses have been carefully calibrated, levelled and adjusted and focusing checked against ground glass. I have a few others made up of other parts. The idea was not to rely on bellows but still have something relatively small and light. I once went on a trip to Europe with a Hasselblad system and I ended up selling all of it upon my return swearing that I will only have something light when travelling even at the expense of a drop in the quality of the gear. This is the history behind it. I will try to post a better pic later but I am just not good with digital stuff.
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charjohncarter
Veteran
Yikes, that is so nice. Do you have bigger pictures?
dazedgonebye
Veteran
Very cool thing you've made there.
I'll take one with something around 50mm when you have the time.
John,
I concur on the aperture setting...at least that's always the spot I've used.
I'll take one with something around 50mm when you have the time.
John,
I concur on the aperture setting...at least that's always the spot I've used.
Windscale
Well-known
Very cool thing you've made there.
I'll take one with something around 50mm when you have the time.
In fact I do have a couple.
One is Agfa Isolette body with Schneider Kreuznach 47mm/f5.6 with focusing ring.
The other is Voigtlander Perkeo body with the same lens and focusing ring. The lens on the second one is more expensive because it has a "Linhof" mark on the rear tube.
I have either a Leitz 21mm or Russian 20mm finder to go with them.
I will try to post some pics. But as I say I am not good at computers.
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dazedgonebye
Veteran
Well then, I've got an old balda mess baldix that's in the mail to you now.
Just send the bill later.
Just send the bill later.
Windscale
Well-known
Steve,
I will try to post a pic of one of the 47/5.6 to tempt you. I hope I will be able to do them within the next day or two. Watch this space.
I will try to post a pic of one of the 47/5.6 to tempt you. I hope I will be able to do them within the next day or two. Watch this space.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Keep going, I want to see these images. I still don't get the piece that goes on the camera that replaces the bellows, but I believe you that it can be done. Please show some photos and label the lenses and the camera.
Thanks
Carter
Thanks
Carter
Windscale
Well-known
When you take out the front plate and bellows of a 6x6 folder, you will also take out the two supporting cranks. You are in effect taking out a square chunk and should be able to see the film pressure plate. So, what you need is a piece of square board (like a lens board in LF) to cover that space. You will also have to drill a big hole in the centre of this board to house the focusing ring or what have you. In the case of my Solinar already shown, it was a Kenko/Hasselblad body mount on the square board.
dazedgonebye
Veteran
I'm not handy enough for this sort of thing. I'd never get the plate mounted parallel to the film plane...or something else like that would go wrong.
I've made a couple of pinhole cameras...because mistakes there just make "character."
Windscale
Well-known
The trick is that you do the mounting and steadying with the aid of many little spirit levels. That plate is only glued to the square with araldite. And I can tell you it is a very strong glue. First you apply glue to the front. Once the position of the board is fixed, a second thin layer of glue is then applied through the crack between the board and the 4 sides of the square. Araldite left for18 hours is really very hard.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Thanks, that camera is still the neatest thing I've seen in years. Post when you have time.
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Windscale
Well-known
I hope I have done this right.
Here it is. Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 47/f5.6 onto Agfa Isolette.
And Steve, you are at liberty to make me an offer which I can't refuse. This is probably the only one of its kind in the world (again)!
Edit: I would add that this camera has been with me on many of my European travels and have been instrumental in many of my 24x36 or 30x30 in enlargements. It is OK wide opened and very good at f11. It is not comparable to the SWC for quality. But it is that much lighter and smaller and can make your travel fun.
I have a few more 'Standard Lens' mods in my inventory.
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charjohncarter
Veteran
Again, I'm in awe. I have an Ansco Speedex the same as the AIsoletteII. Do you just use a ground glass to adjust the infinity setting with the lens mount spacing? Please post some of your images.
dazedgonebye
Veteran
Do you have any idea how hard it is to mail a severed horse head?
I too would like to see pictures taken by this neat set up.
Windscale
Well-known
Pictures are easy. But I have to get someone to do the scanning. I only have a cheap cheap scanner which I use as a photocopying machine at work. So you will have to wait a bit. May be it is high time that I caught up with the modern age! But I can say with confidence that you won't be disappointed with the results.
Windscale
Well-known
There are 2 types of lenses: whole lens unit moves (Super Isolette) or just front lens moves (Isolette I-V). The first type is easy. Once you got infinity it is all right. The second is a little more trickier. Apart from finding infinity you also have to find another distance (say 5m or 10 feet) right. This can be done by finding the right distance between the rear lens unit and the film plane. Only when infinity and one other shorter distance is right then your lens is calibrated. In the factory they used ring spacers (1, 2 or sometimes 3) between the shutter and the front of bellows crank ring to adjust the right distance. Don't lose those spacers or you will have fun trying to get your lens calibrated. The rest is easy, just use a loupe on top of ground glass to find the distances. But, for the short distance, make sure you measured the distance of the object to the film plane and then check infinity. On a lucky day this will be done in no time. On an unlucky day it can take hours. Good luck.