SL66 and Hektor 135mm lens

Stanley got the lens adapter, and mounted the lens on it right away, he mailed me the images, what a beauty!

 Test shots will coming, he promised.

So we wait. 

And by the way, anyone knows there any M42 lens with detachable housing available? SL66 is really fun for these vintage lenses.

5 Bellows building service for free

I frequently receive mails, issues about bellows building.

The most frequent asked questions are concerning with the ribs plotting, for this first step of bellows building, to who are new in this area, plotting correct ribs shape and size is difficult, no mention those following steps.

Thus I would like to provide bellows building service for whom need it, begin from ribs drawing, to help people to start their own bellowing building procedure in rather easier way.

I will draw the ribs in correct shape and size, according to the information you provide, and save the drawing files in PDF format, so you can print it out your way, then paste the plotting on any materials you pick, to start the cutting and building.

Please prepare your bellows' front/back opening size, the rib shape (square or taper), the rib width you prefer, and if anything particularly need to be mention.

5 bellows ribs shape drawings for free, I would like to try this service, to see if there are any further improvement and bellows building kit are needed.

Chinese bellows building in rather cheap rate, and they do make in good quality, but DIY is always fun and a good way to gain some knowledge, so if you are passionated to try yourself, do leave a comment here, first 5 requests will help me to perfect the service, thus for free.

Thank you for your supports, my friends.

Daniel

SL66 lens adapter takes M42 or LTM lens

Inspired by Stanley from HK, when he asked me whether  SL66 lens adapter could mount LTM lens or not, he would like to try a Leitz Hektor 135mm lens on SL66.

I replied that if he can find a retaining ring. Then he asked where to find one, that brings me on the topic, there a lot of  LTM to M adapter, or LTM to M43 (digital camera) or M42 to M43 adapters in market, thanks to interchangeable digital cameras.

If find one as retaining ring, then SL66 lens adapter could mount any LTM or M42 lenses!

Stanley send me three sets of M42 to M43 adapters, each attached with a 42-39mm adapter, so this adapter would take M42 lenses or LTM lenses.

I lathe the SL66 lens adapter hole into proper size, so this adapter could tightly sit on top. glued and drilled three screw hole by side, to make sure two adapters are now in one.

Bring this adapter back home, mount a 39mm thread lens, seems it fit alright.

But when I tried to un-mount the lens, it seems that adapter so fit on the camera body, it simply refused to depart, I had to un-screw the lens first, then I can un-mount the adapter. It is because the adapter is flat, no place for hands to rotate it to un-mount, tomorrow I will change those 3 tiny screws into inner-hexa-head, that will provide good support for un-mount.

Another LTM lens, but I know it is not proper for SL66, this lens only got 25mm focal length, I just want to see if a LTM lens works on adapter or not, it fits.

Maybe I should find a Hektor or Elmar 135mm lens, to see how it make medium format image.

Replace flathead screws into hex socket cap screws, thus makes un-mounting adapter much easier.

Xenotar 150 Gowlandflex

John Turner modified a Gowlandflex camera, made it both viewing and taking lens in Xenotar 150, what a combination!

Hey! this is what 4x5 snap camera supposed to do! a lively snaps!

He wrote to me about the modification,

"I decided to try to modify it to accept my underused Xenotar.  It required a great deal of work and modification. I found some recessed lensboards and adjusted parts so that when the frame meets the body...it is exactly at infinity.

Then bellows that go inside out and trimming the lens flange etc etc.
What did I get was a hand holdable..(although much bigger than a byron!)..easy to focus (used Maxwell focusing screen))(everything is bright) 4x5.The magnifying hood (homemade) with diopter for my eye, makes wide open focus easy!!"
"Dear John,

How envy am I now!!

This must be the most luxury Tlr 4x5 ever made! what do you think when bring it out and people get around you and WOW! maybe you can check their teeth at that time!

Xenotar lens is heavy and EXPENSIVE! so if I were you, I would try to find an enlarger lens, same as 150mm, to mount it as a focus lens, leave taking lens as Xenotar is more than enough.

What is the total weight of this tank? You must be very strong to hold it and snap on the street."

"Dear Daniel, It is easy to hold to shoot....its length allows your arms to rest at full length and you just need to tip your head a little.The shutter release is a pleasure as well!
The viewing lens need to match focus along its travel. The Schneider man told me that even between Xenotars you may not get a good match!  I bought a barrel with scratches for the viewing lens for 550! not too bad. It matches from less than a meter to infinity.
I will weigh it and let you know.  My negatives are tack sharp on the eye wide open 90%. 

I will try to send some to you...still don't understand Picasa!"

Months later, I received another mail with two huge images (33MB each), showing his camera does make great job!

"I took 12 pics... and 11 were tack in focus on the eyelashes...these are random...not the necessarily  the best of the group.  That is bamboo about 1 meter behind him."

Two original images had been downsizing to 1/64 in size, or this blog won't take it, but I crop the eyes which keeps in original size.

Folks, enjoy these beautiful images and great camera with me! 

Thank you John, you made wonderful camera, and such a lively portrait!!

New enlarger light box arrived

Recently I bought a color light box mixer for my Saunders/LPL enlarger, which is set in a multi-grade light box now.

New light box is in brand new style, but since it is set for 4x5 copier (!!), three color mixers wheel are in up-side-down for their digits, but that doesn't make reading difficult.

For that up-side-down reason, the price for this new box is incredible cheap, less than $100, and at street price this will cost you more than $500.

My darkroom was deserted for many years due to moving new house, and no time to plan a new darkroom, but this winter I should be able to re-open it.

For collecting dark brown glass bottles for storing solutions, I now rush to drink a lot of beers. :)

New light box is on the platform, beneath the old one.

Modify Fujifilm Quickchange holder for Byron

Fuji QuickChange film holder is rare in these days. It is a 4x5 film holder that holds 8 negatives in cassette, so you can make quick snaps without replacing holders, comparing to Grafmatic 1268 with 6 neg, Fuji holds two more.

Quick Change holder is not in ISO standard type, it has no lid around it for sliding lock to keep it in place, like most common 4x5 camera back does, so to get it on Byron back, I need to make a little modification.

 Holder side needs to be cut as what white line shows, to leave space for Byron back clamp to hold.

Grafmatic holder and Quick Change holder, QC has modified, you can see the groove at side has extended.

Sliding lock has block the end of the holder, it needs to cut the tip to make way for holder.

And rotating lock needs to cut an angle to securely lock the hinge at the end of holder.

Now Fuji Quick Change is on Byron!

Improve cam grinding process

Years ago I announced and made X type Byron, that is a camera dedicated to Xenotar 150/2.8, for people who wants to make portrait in 4x5, with this wonderful lens, which brings beautiful bokeh images. 

Not through the ground glass, but by rangefinder, to focus and framing, to capture natural moment of the model with Xenotar 150/2.8, that is what people dreaming of, which is also why X type is so special.

But after two X cameras were made, I stopped and had to face one obvious problem: RF is not match with the lens.

Before X type was made, cam for the lens was made by measured, plotting, then monitored grinding under microscope, in a try and error manner.

Here is some plotting of the lens characteristic curves , and here, and here.

Xenotar 150 has a big 2.8 aperture, and the way cam get ground is not good enough for such shallow range of focus range for this lens, I suffered to this problem for many days, months, stopped taking orders, trying to solve the problem, then I designed a way to make perfect cam for this lens, this took me year and a half.

It took about one year or so, maybe longer, but now I finally get the tip, and in confidence that I can make perfect match cam for Xenotar 150/2.8 on Byron, and the cam for any other lens too!

So Suwen, if you read this, I am on your X, you will have it before X'mas.