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FrankS · Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2003 1:30 pm Post subject:

I am planning on doing some motorcycling with my newly aquired Speed Graphic and I have a concern about vibration and the stress on the lens standard which is only supported by locking onto the focusing rails at the bottom. I was wondering if gluing a (perhaps) wooden block on the top inside of the camera body that is the correct height to support the top of the lens standard would be a good idea. That way if the camera is laying flat in my tank bag, the lens standard would be nicely supported and not affected negatively by vibrations. (Of course I'd lay the camera on a vibration absorbing piece of foam or sweatshirt.) Alternatively, the camera would travel better without strain on the lens stndard if it were upright, but I don't think my bag is that tall.
If anyone is interested, could you look at your camera to see what I'm talking about? There is a space there in the camera body that would be a perfect spot for the placement of a top lens standard support.
Thanks, Frank
BTW, My taste in motorcycles is a lot like my taste in cameras - old and classic, well engineered and functional: a 1976 BMW R90 and a 1981 R100.

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...preferring to be on the shiny side of the film, Frank S.

alecj · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 853 Location: Alabama

What about just stuffing some foam in there, if it bothers you that much Frank? Lots less permanent, and non-damaging to the camera.

[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2003-02-25 08:50 ]

FrankS · Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2003 6:02 pm Post subject:

If there are engineering types out there who don't think this is a problem, I can let it go. It's just that the camera is 10 years older than I am and I want to take care of it as well as it's previous owners have, while still using it. I suppose if it was rugged enough to go to war, it should be fine on a motorcycle on smooth pavement.

It's just that with the lens standard put back into the camera body and locked, and before closing the bed, the top of the lens standard has some "wiggle" to it that could easily be immobilized by supporting it from behind. This is only a consideration because of the motorcycle travel.

_________________
...preferring to be on the shiny side of the film, Frank S.

45PSS · Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2003 2:40 am Post subject:

I would just remove the lens/board, slide the standard in as far as it will go without force and not worry futher. Pack the lens/board well. If the bellows are starting to show signs of weakness or if after a hundred miles weakness are starting to show then the previous suggestion to use dense foam would be approiate.
Charles

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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

maericks · Joined: 15 May 2002 Posts: 21

Another alternative is to put it on the seat behind you (e.g. in a seat bag) rather than in your tank bag. That way you take advantage of the seat padding to isolate vibration from the camera rather than putting it up against a metal tank.

Yet another alternative is to tuck the camera in a day pack and use your body to isolate the vibrations. You carry the camera closer to vertical that way as well.