Graflex.org

[Rick M]

I'm trying to find a recessed lens board that will fit my Anniversary Speed Graphic and also my New-Vue view camera (they take the same size). Where can these best be found? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Rick

[t.r.sanford]

Graflex made a recessed board for its view cameras, which accepted the same lensboard as the 4x5 "Anniversary Speed." I've not heard that anyone ever used the recessed board on an "Anniversary," and I don't know whether the internal arrangements of the camera front, and bellows dimensions, are quite the same.

The "Graphic View" recessed boards do turn up from time to time; I recall seeing one or two listed by Lens & Repro in New York, and you might check with Midwest Photo Exchange.

[glennfromwy]

I don't think you will be able to use a recessed board on an Anniversary, unless you have one custom made to fit the round hole in the bellows front. Even at that, you wouldn't be able to access the shutter controls, if you could use a shutter at all.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

[RichS]

A good curiosity question

I just looked at my Anny and a recessed lens board from my GVII. You're right as it doesn't fit...

But... It looks like if one wanted to, the thin wood round section inside the square lens opening could easily be cut out to make the entire opening square. Now I wouldn't guarantee this because I'm not about to take a saw to mine, but once cut square it does look like the recessed board will fit. The thin wood would only have to be cut in the corners and could be done (carefully) from the outside. With enough care, there should be no damage to the bellows. To be honest, I doubt I would use a saw. Maybe a craft knife?

Okay, scratch that "wood". After a loupe examination and a small scratch, it's aluminum. May be a bit harder to 'saw' square?

As far as accessing the shutter, it would be no more trouble than using it on the GVII. It all depends on the shutter. Using one of the 3 inch cable extensions permanently mounted on the shutter helps a lot...

[t.r.sanford]

My 3¼x4¼ "Anniversary" has that plate with the round hole inside the camera front. I did not know that it was also found on the 4x5 model, but I suspected that it might be.

Back in the glory days of inexpensive American enlargers, there were some large-format ones that could be accessorized to permit their use with miniature negatives. The accessories included various recessed boards, typically round -- sort of a flat-bottomed cylindrical cup with a hole in the bottom and an extended lip or flange -- whose intended use was to allow a 50mm. or 75mm. lens to be fitted to an instrument whose focusing mechanism had been designed for 90mm. or longer lenses. The flange was drilled to accept two or three machine screws that would secure it into the enlarger front. It would be a matter of little difficulty to cut a large hole in a 4x4 flat board...

I had a recessed board from Testrite that would fit through the hole in the 3¼x4¼ "Anniversary" front plate, though it was rather deep, and I'm not sure it would have worked with an ultra-wide-angle lens without vingetting. But it would have accommodated a small shutter, of the sort I associate with lenses like the 75mm. f:9 Goerz W.A. "Dagor," with a bit of clearance left over for one of those right-angle toggling cable release adapters.

My guess is that the factory stamped or "drew" these cups, but I think you could "spin" one from thin aluminum sheet, if you had access to a lathe affording 6 ins. or so of swing across the bed, and were willing to take the time to turn a hardwood core to serve as the pattern.

An attractive feature of this approach is that the "Anniversary" front, and the fronts on the "Graphic" view cameras, have a fixed lower retaining flange that requires you to slip the board in at an angle. That makes a recessed board of any depth somewhat problematic. You could get around this by devising a two-piece assembly consisting of the flat board, with suitable fixed screws protruding from it, and one or several lens cups with lips drilled to mate with those screws.

[RichS]

Interesting, and someday I would hope to be able to try spinning metal. Not at the moment though...

On the other hand, you can buy, ready made, pretty much what you're talking about. Look for cheap stamped muffin pans used in the kitchen. They come in various sizes and have enough flat material left around the round muffin area to work as/with a lens board...

[Rick M]

Good idea about the muffin pans. That is what I like about these old cameras. They are ingenious but simple at the same time. I can't imagine anyone making a lens adapter out of a muffin pan for their 20d!