Using wide angle with flatbed?

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I am using a Super Speed Graphic and just purchased a 90mm lens. To keep the bed out of vertical photos I need to drop the bed. Then, I assume I need to tilt the front standard back to vertical...? If correct, will I also need to raise the front? Thanks in advance- Jon

-- Jon Paul (jonspaul@jps.net), January 22, 2000

Answers

Yes, when you tilt back you will once again make the lens panel parallel with the film plane. Because you dropped the bed you also lowered the optical axis of the lens relative to the film. By raising the lens you will compenstae for this.

-- Robert A. Zeichner (razeichner@ameritech.net), January 22, 2000.

Jon, I have a Super and a 90mm as well. I've not used the 90 enough to get a really good feel for things, but it would seen that you only need to drop the bed when you use front tilt or when you rotate the back for a vertical shot. Bed drop plus pulling the lens up for rise is a pain unless you really have to. I watch my ground glass to help me out. Good luck. It's a fun camera. Roger

-- Roger Rouch (rrouch@msn.com), January 22, 2000.

I run a Nikkor-SW 75mm on my Crown Graphic, and drop the bed while doing so. This lens' angle of view requires the bed be dropped to prevent it from intruding into the picture.

The 75mm focal length is short enough that the lens standard remains on the interior rails when the bed is dropped down. I suspect the 90mm lens will be riding on the dropped rails and the front tilt back will be required when the back is in vertical position. The Crown does not have a revolving back, so dropping the bed for the 90mm is not required.

-- Bruce Gavin (doc@compudox.com), January 23, 2000.


I don't use a Speed Graphic but it would be a little surprising if you needed to use front rise after dropping the bed and then tilting the lens backwards so that it is parallel with the back. My Technika V has a two stage front drop (I think the first is 15 degrees and the second is 30 degrees or something like that). Even when I drop only to the first stage I don't have to use front rise to keep the bed out of the picture. But maybe Speed Graphics are different.

-- Brian Ellis (bellis@tampabay.rr.com), January 23, 2000.

Jon: One of the tricks the old timers (like me, now) used to use with wide angles on the Graphics and other cameras with the drop bed was to obtain another lens board and drill the hole off-center for the wide angle lenses. By drilling the hole for mounting the lens 1/2 in. to 3/4 in. off center, depending on the lens, the lens will then line up with the center of the film with the bed dropped and standard tilted back. This trick also gives additional slide, drop, and rise movements when when the board is turned to the side or bottom. This also helps on other cameras with normal bellows when the bellows is compacted so that movements are limited. Good shooting, Doug.

-- Doug Paramore (dougmary@alanet.com), January 24, 2000.


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