Graflex.org

gstarza · Joined: 30 Mar 2005 Posts: 7 Location: NYC

I recently purchased a 4x5 graflex series d. I'd like to get a wide lens. What wide focal lenght will work with the rb? I know that at a certain point the mirror will not be able to snap up. Is there a set range i.e. 200-500 that will work with this camera? I've seen a lot of lenses on ebay that are barrel, but how can I be sure that it will fit my camera and not an 8x10? Or will a 4x5 lens work on a 8x10 and vice versa?

Is ebay the best source to buy vintage barrel lenses?

best,
gstarza

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

You've got the same problem Victor Hasselblad had back in the 50s.
Everybody wanted wide angle lenses and that mirror just gets in the way.

So he developed the Super Wide camera... no mirror.

You'll notice that the common lens on any Graflex is apreciably longer than the common lens on a Speed Graphic. It's the nature of the beast. This is why most commerical photographers had both cameras... Graflex for people pictures and a Speed with shorter lenses for wide landscapes and faster shooting where you'll crop later.

The only lens design that would work in theory is the retro-focus lens. A normal lens (think most of those brass barrel lenses you find on ebay) will focus at infinity when the lens is the same distance from the ground glass as its stated focal length; ie a 10" lens will focus 10 inches a way.
A retro-focus lens will have a longer bellows draw than normal, ie a 10" retro focus lens will focus at say 12".
This is how Hasselblad was able to mount a 50mm (and a 40mm) lens on their 500cm.

But these lenses are complicated, expensive and rare. I haven't seen one that covered 4x5 in a very long time.

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