[LargeFormat] do it yourself or the home firm

[philip Lambert]

One enjoyable aspect of using a field camera is that you can use lenses on
your camera that nature never intended.  I just fitted a (10x8) 305mm R
Claron f9 in large shutter onto the front of a little Linhof whose bellows
draw is too short for it, by making a simple extended mount.  I used a
fretsaw and plywood on the kitchen table. If you don't have these facilities
a work bench will do
This is how to make a simple extended lens board for use when the bellows
are too short.
(1) Cut out a  plywood lensboard to fit the camera.
(2)Cut a 58mm diameter hole in it to accept the filter thread end of a
plastic lenshood of this size.
(3)Cut out two circles of plywood 10mm greater in diameter than the wider
(front) end of the lenshood. I bought a used one for £2.
(4) In the middle of one of these disks  cut a hole the exact diameter of
the shutter flange ring.
(5)In the other disk  cut away all but the 5mm outer circle so that the ring
thus formed can be pushed over the end of the lenshood
(6) Glue the ring to the other disk to form a push-on cap that fits the end
of the lenshood.
(7) Spray all plywood components matt black ready for final assembly
(8) Assemble the two wooden ends onto the lenshood using two-part resin to
make a durable join. I used a black resin which should seal up any little
gaps and I sprayed the finished item with a second coat of black. (If you
hold thin unpainted plywood against an electric light an orange glow shows
through the plywood.)

The above adapter now has the 305mm lens mounted on the front and looks like
it ought to work.  I need to roadtest a couple of w/a lenses I bought so I
will test the 305mm on the same roll of Fijichrome ( that sounds more exotic
than the Fujichrome I intended to write) but all these lenses need the
shutter speeds measuring first because 'chrome doesn't take any prisoners
where slow shutters cause overexposure ..
My next trick will be to make a smaller-scale adapter to fit my 203mm Ektar
on a 2x3 Sp Graphic using a smaller lenshood. I need a rollfilm back for it
as well but I am assured one is in the post....
Philip