4x5 cameras with truly parallel/aligned standards

[Michael R 1974]

Well you couldn't calculate swings; but all it takes is a little calibrated angle bevel gage to do that,
which weighs next to nothing. The pendulum gadget gives you reference to vertical. I don't know why anyone would specifically have to match front and rear swing anyway unless they had no shift option - probably the least used function in my experience.

I'm not talking about applying swing. I'm talking about making sure the standards are parallel horizonally. Pendulum-type devices can help ensure the standards are parallel vertically. I misunderstood when you said it could also be used for horizontal parallelism. Sorry for the confusion.

[Michael R 1974]

A clinometer-compass like the one I use also has a compass for swing angle or horizontal parallelism, as long as nothing on your camera is magnetic.

Well, when you fold up the camera the Walker is held closed with a magnet, so that's that.

Anyhow, I've asked for a refund. We'll see what happens.

[AgX]

Here is a photo from Linhof, from which one can conclude that they control at least on front/back standard parallelity:

http://www.linhof.de/images/Linhof-m679cs_s.jpg

on that camera.

[frotog]

Nice. I wish the tech who cla'ed my sinar p2 had such a tool!

[BrianShaw]

Looks more like a measure of film plane flatness to me.

[AgX]

Brian,

Carefully looking you'll see a stud seemingly running from the micrometer through a hole in the back-standard plane to a plane within the front-standard.

[BrianShaw]

Thanks, small picture; I missed that detail. Cool instrumentation!

[David A. Goldfarb]

That is pretty cool, and also why original Linhof lensboards are more expensive than copies. If you look on the back of a Technika lensboard, there are contact points that are machined to a fine tolerance for parallelism.

[Marizu]

This sounds like a bit of a disaster for you.

What exactly are you seeing on your neg/print?
The only reason that i ask is that I seem to recall that you mentioned using substantial amounts of front rise and I'm wondering whether you have exceeded the recommended coverage circle of the lens.

I have seen some of my images drop off in quality quite abruptly in this case. If my parallelism is out then I would expect to see a very gradual fall off in sharpness.

Although it is a bit more difficult to see on this image because it is a scruffy wet plate, I have exceeded the coverage of this lens by excessive vertical rise. Look at the softening in the definition of the bricks towards the top.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/c....html?image=15

I find it difficult to focus wide angle lenses in low light. Ease and certainty of focussing is one of the reasons that I always recommend beginners to start with a standard or long standard lens.

[ic-racer]

Here is a photo from Linhof, from which one can conclude that they control at least on front/back standard parallelity:

http://www.linhof.de/images/Linhof-m679cs_s.jpg

on that camera.

A common laser pointer and some optical glass will be just as good.