Re: MicroPress 4x5 question

"Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> skrev i en meddelelse 
news:13iqgon2ur6usb9@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "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 pushing 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.

Thank you for the answers!
Can see there are some lens boards for sale on ebay.
It is a shame it is not at flat lensboard but I can see the
idea by benting the metal to make it light proof.
The Angulon goes to f/32 but for these LF lenses it seems
loss of sharpness caused ny diffraction is not at problem.