Re: MicroPress 4x5 question

"Max Perl" <max_perl@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:472cf8e4$0$2109$edfadb0f@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> skrev i en 
> meddelelse news:13iprqn167bb8e7@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> "Max>>>
>>>>   The cameras shown on the MPP site above appear to be 
>>>> clones of the late Pacemaker Speed Graphic and Crown 
>>>> Graphic. More about these cameras can be found at 
>>>> http://www.graflex.org
>>>>   There was also a curious camera built briefly by 
>>>> Busch in the USA. This was evidently intended to meet 
>>>> the military specification for the Speed Graphic and 
>>>> had a focal plane shutter. Unlike the simple FP shutter 
>>>> used on all Graphic and Graflex cameras the Busch 
>>>> shutter was self-capping and had much better speed 
>>>> regulation. I think it also had a revolving back but am 
>>>> not sure. The standard Busch models certainly did.
>>>>   I have only ever seen one advertisement for this 
>>>> camera and have never seen an actual example. Busch 
>>>> cameras were of very high quality and were an 
>>>> alternative to the Graflex models for press 
>>>> photography.
>>>>
>>>
>>> This graflex page was quite usefull. Now I found out 
>>> what "drop bed"
>>> means :-) and also why the camera can tilt the lens 
>>> board back.
>>> If MicroPress is a clone then maybe it uses the same 
>>> lens boards as the
>>> Pacemaker and it may be eassier to find one to mount a 
>>> lens with or
>>> without built in shutter.
>>>
>>    I don't know the MPP camera well enough to know about 
>> the lens boards. There are two series of boards for the 
>> late Graphics, one for the earlier Pacemaker and another 
>> for the later Super Graphic. The supers will work in the 
>> earlier camera but not the other way around. Both of 
>> these are stamped metal, probably aluminum, with folded 
>> in sides. I think the dimensions are on the Graflex site. 
>> I see these occasionally at local sales, usually for 
>> around $20 US. You can also sometimes get them from 
>> Midwest photo supply at: http://www.mpex.com/
>>    One of the advantages of the focal plane shutter is 
>> the ability to use barrel mounted lenses.
>>    It would be interesting to know more about the FP 
>> shutter on the MPP camera, i.e., is it just a copy of the 
>> Graflex shutter or something more elaborate.
>>    If its like the Graflex shutter you must remember to 
>> put the dark slide back in the holder or adaptor before 
>> winding the shutter or it will expose the film.
>>
>
> It is the same shutter as in the Graflex.
> Just read that I can use Pacemaker Graphic lens boards on 
> the
> MicroPress so this it a good thing.
>
> http://www.mppusers.freeuk.com/lensboards.htm
>
> Today I got a used 6x9 Horseman back and I also
> purchased a 90/6.8 Angulon which I now need a
> lens board for. It is a nice little lens and give a bit
> more wideangle on 6x9 than the 135 mm Xenar.
> I know much better lenses are out there.....Super
> Angulon's etc but the 90/6.8 was cheap and good for 
> starting
> up I think. It has a Synchro - Compur - P shutter which go
> to 1/500. The Xenar is a Rapid which goes to 1/400 and
> has no X/M switch. Do you know which type of flash
> the Rapid shutter can synch. with?
>
> The Compur shutter on the 90/6.8 has the usual little
> knob which normally is used for the self-timer by pu****ng 
> the
> little knob a bit which allows the arm to go a little 
> further.
> But on this shutter version it seems to have another 
> purpose?
>
>
     The knob is for a "blade arrester" which allows you to 
open the shutter for focusing or composing without setting 
it on "time". Push the button over or down (depending on the 
shutter) and trip the shutter, it should stay open. To take 
the picture re-cock the shutter. Usually synch shutters with 
blade arrestors do not open quite enough to trip the flash 
contacts.
     Most shutters with unmarked synch sockets are X synch 
for strobe. You can check this easily by hooking up a strob 
and seeing if the shutter is fully open when it trips. If 
the shutter is set up for flashbulbs the synchronizer delays 
the opening until enough time has passed for the bulb to 
come up to full brightness, typically about 20 milliseconds. 
By then a strobe flash will have flashed and gone back to 
reading the paper.
    The type of shutter makes the Angulon a fairly late one. 
These are pretty good lenses. Some of the pre-war Angulons 
were not good. You can date any Schneider lens from the 
serial number charts on the Schneider web site.
    The Angulon is essentially the same type as the Dagor 
except the order of power of the cemented elements is 
reversed. The outer elements are made extra large to reduce 
mechanical vignetting. The lens should be stopped down to 
about f/22 or smaller for best sharpness away from the 
center. Even though the Super-Angulon is a much better lens 
the older design remains popular because it is so small and 
light in comparison and its performance is satisfactory.
    If the MPP is the same as the Speed Graphic it will take 
the 90mm Angulon on the regular flat lensboard.
    Unfortunately, the bent metal design of the Pacemaker 
type lensboard makes them difficult to make yourself unlike 
the earlier Anniversary Graphic lensboards. However, there 
were tons made so they are not too difficult to find.
    If you get one with a hole too large for the Angulon 
shutter you can always make a patch of sheet metal of 
similar thickness cemented to the lensboard with epoxy 
resin. A new hole is cut in the patch. Of course smaller 
holes are simple to enlarge.
    I think you probaby have a very good camera. I have five 
Speed Graphics of various ages and they are among my 
favorite cameras.


-- 
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Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@[EMAIL PROTECTED]