• 09-28-2010 01:10 PM #0
    2F/2F
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    Quote Originally Posted by brucemuir View Post
    The standard 100 3.5 lens that came with the Super 23 won't cover the polaroid even without movements

    The 127mm 3.7 is the lens that will cover the pola and maybe the 75 will too but I'm not certain.

    Robb Smith, author of the "Mamiya Professional Systems Handbook," writes in the book:

    "Choice of Lenses for the Polaroid Format

    "The 75mm, 100mm, and 127mm lens will cover the entire picture area of the Polaroid 3-1/4" x 3-1/4" format. Other lenses for the Mamiya Press are designed to cover only the 6 x 9cm format, and if you use them with the Polaroid film pack, you will find a slight vignetting (darkening) at the corners of the print."

    I have used the 100 f/3.5 on Polaroid, and it covers with no problem on my Press Universal. This lens has perhaps the largest image circle in the Press system. I do not have any idea why one would make the statement that it does not cover Polaroid if they had ever tried it.

    For the OP, the only lens that will work with movements while retaining infinity focus is the 100mm f/3.5, which works because it is retractable. Smith writes, "Other lenses that do no retract can be used only for perspective (sic) control at near and medium distances. Wide-angle lenses will give you perspective control only at close range." Even if you rig a Polaroid back to a Super 23, because of this limited nature of the movements, I would suggest a Universal, and doing without the movements. It will be lighter as well. You can shim your printing easel to change the shape of your image, and then tilt your lensboard to align the plane of focus with the paper, if you have an enlarger that allows this.

    I think the best way to do what you want to do is to use a Super Graphic or Super Speed Graphic with a Polaroid 405 holder. Then you will also have a 4x5 film camera (and a 6x9, 6x7, 6x6, and 4x5 Polaroid camera, with the appropriate film holders), with no modification/hacking necessary. Another potentially huge benefit is that this camera will take any lens that you can fit to it, not only system-dedicated lenses like the Press.
    Last edited by 2F/2F; 09-28-2010 at 01:24 PM. Click to view previous post history.
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