[tuco]

...
Ps Note the spelling mistake on the name of the Super Takumar The engraving is wrong, it is not missing paint. Was that original?

I've never seen that before. That may be a collector's item one day.

[klaus123]

Nice and impressing setup - but I am surprised that you do indivual plates for each lens instead of using one bajonet plate as one adapter for all lens.
From the lens choice I have some questions: Why have you choosen the early 55/3,5 - commonly it is discussed that the late 55/4,0 is much better - I do not know how the usable image of these lens is. Have you measured ist for the 2 lens you have so far?

btw. - I am sure it is not the last 6x7-lens you buy ;-)

[wombat2go]

Hi, Klaus, Thanks for the questions:
I am not able to replicate the P67 bayonet mount completely for the lack of drawings also because i don't have the berillium copper springs. or the lens release pin
So my mounts are a tight interference fit to lock the lens and the camera front is not strong enough to change lenses by rotation. Since the lens board has to come off the camera to change lenses, I decided to make one per lens.

I have not tried the P6X7 55mm yet to see how far it covers the 6 by 9 . I am still using the 75 mm which covers the sides of the 6 by 9 but is slightly soft out in the corners.
Last night I developed my first run of C41 using Rollei Digibase and I got 100 % of 6 rolls . That will help keep the costs down.
(Of course half of one roll was ruined by forgetting the dark slide!)

My little project with the Speed/P67 lenses is to photograph some of the old houses around the neighborhood, with owner's permission and a promise not to post on internet. The P6X7 75mm lets me shoot from across the street, I hope the 55mm will let me get on the sidewalk closer in.

The quality of the negs is OK, the grain of the C41 Fujicolor iso 400 is quite a lot coarser then the TMY 400 b/w , they are being scanned on the Epson V600 into big tifs which I am cropping to 1.25 to 1 for 11 by 14 paper prints. As I don't need iso 400 for this job, I might try for a finer grained C41 Ektar 100 ??

[stevebrot]

Ps Note the spelling mistake on the name of the Super Takumar The engraving is wrong, it is not missing paint. Was that original?

I seem to remember seeing a post with this sort of thing in the past.


Steve

[Paul Ewins]

I believe there may be some helicoid extension tubes that were marked "Hericoid". FWIW, that serial number looks to be really low so that may well be a very early example of the lens. (i.e. an early Super Takumar 55/3.5, not just an early 55/3.5). Definitely collectible but I doubt that there would be much of a premium for it since there aren't that many people collecting P67 gear compared to, say, Leicas.

The easiest way to make mount adapters for LF cameras is to screw a short extension tube to a lensboard since this will generally give you the locking pin as well. I robbed the mount off a broken 6x7 to make my own Speed Graphic -> 6x7 adapter. Not quite as good but it was just parts lying around and I didn't have a spare extension tube.

[wombat2go]

I started out this project intending to only buy and adapt ONE lens, the P6x7 75mm to the Speed Graphic.
Well by now I have 3 P6x7 lenses. The 4th addition to the 6X7 collection is not a Pentax lens.
It is a Computar f/16 105 ~ 150mm Variable Focal lens from Surplus Shed.
It can only be used on a camera like the Speed which has a front rack.

I took the lens apart for cleaning. There is a fixed f/16 stop inside which can be removed to make this lens f/5 or so, but I decided f/16 is a good general aperture. (Although it is a very bright day in Michigan today and down to f/22 and 1/1000th on the ME super in early afternoon).
Some search reveals that this lens was used in Camerz cameras which were 70mm long roll cameras, electrically powered, which were used to photograph the school kids in USA from 50's until digital days.
So the lens is ideal for 6 by 7, 6 by 9 etc. It came with a nice metal hood and shares a 67mm thread with the P6x7 90 mm LS.

I made a lens board, and non destructively added a stainless scale rule to the rack. Then tabulated infinity, 20 meter, and 5 metre for 105mm, 135 mm and 150 mm.
Focus is not critical at f/16, and I hope to mostly just use tabulations and not need the ground glass. The Speed is set up with cam and scale for 135mm, and the viewfinder is almost covering 105 mm at its edges.

Making the Computar lens board
https://www.box.com/s/l0abmpqgjot97xjnp4af
https://www.box.com/s/gxfofae5bu7mhmgupt97

[wombat2go]

Update 2013
Learning about the medium format, one of my projects this year was to photograph some of the nice old houses in neighborhood here, and give prints to the owners.
I asked their permission, saying that the photos will be film, home processed, never published on internet, and not to worry about me wandering about with a camera and tripod at odd times over the seasons. So far, they have all been OK with the idea.

I used the Pentax MX initially and progressively changed to my Takumar 6x7/Graphlex hybrid cameras, on a very sturdy Slik 700.
I am using the Taks- 90, 75, and 55mm.
The medium format photos are mostly on Fuji 400, home developed in C41, and scanned on Epson V600.

i don't have a color printer so I set up an upload account with Office Depot photo service with a store close to home.
They can do prints for pick up in a couple of hours and the prices for 6 by 8 and 8 by 10 (gloss only) are reasonable. a mix of 18 prints for about $24
They can't take the full tiffs, so i am sending 2500x3000 7 MB jpgs, and I presume they are using the sRGB.

The project was more difficult than I thought it would be, there was a lot to learn and things went wrong in just about every step of the workflow!

The first 6 color prints in 8 x 10 are back. I have the second batch ready to process.
Not perfect but I am pleased and they are good enough to give to the owners.

I think I will stop using the Pentax MX and just concentrate on the 6x7 for 3 reasons:
-The 6x7 neg is easier for me to handle in the darkroom.
-The flat-bed scanner is doing an OK job on 6x7 whereas it is not sharp enough for 35mm
-The 6x7 aspect ratio is easier to compose/crop for printing the standard sizes (the top/bottom get cropped slightly). The 35mm negs have a good chunk lost on each side.

I am also preparing a 2x3 Crown camera which gives some limited movements with its Gaftar 103mm in a user friendly press shutter. It will be interesting to compare with the Tak lenses.

[Paul MaudDib]

Yes, looks cool and $140 is much less than what you would pay for a 75mm 4x5 lens, but there is the rub. Image circle for the Pentax lens is probably a little shy in terms of coverage.


Steve

The 35mm f/3.5 lens that the 75mm f/4.5 is based on throws a ~55mm image circle for a 35mm negative. I think the 75mm would probably throw a proportionally larger image circle - so something like 120mm. Close, but it'll be a bit short.

[Paul MaudDib]

Take note the 6x7 Tak 90mm leaf shutter lens will operate in pure leaf shutter mode but only for shutter speeds between 1/60 - 1/500.

This is a poor idea. Both LS lenses are triggered from the aperture lever - when you stop down, it triggers the leaf shutter. The difference is that the 90LS defaults to being open, and the 165LS defaults to being closed (in LS mode). You would need to figure out a method to trip the aperture lever, which is behind the lens board. You would also need to close the darkslide before the aperture lever was released on the 90LS.

If you want a lens with a leaf shutter, buy a shuttered large format lens and call it a day.

[wombat2go]

You would need to figure out a method to trip the aperture lever, which is behind the lens board. You would also need to close the darkslide before the aperture lever was released on the 90LS.

Paul, None of that is necessary on the P6x7 90mm leaf shutter lens.
I put a lever on the rear of the lens board to hold it against the spring permanently.
Then there is manual aperture control with the ring. The shutter cocks with the end ring, and is fired either with the cable, or with the button under the front of the lens.
I do not use a darkslide, except when I am testing the flash.

[fabie]

I am presently limited to 6 by 9 by the darkroom.
6 by 9 needs a wider angle lens than the Optar 135 mm f/4.7 on my Graphlex.
But wide angle large format lenses are way over budget.
Desertscape on the forum here kindly advised that the Pentax 67 lenses might just cover the 6 by 9.
So I purchased a very nice Takumar 6X7 1:4.5 75 mm from KEH for $140 shipped.

Made a lens board of sandwiched aluminum plates supplied already cut slightly oversize and radiused from Stainless supply of Monroe NC
Cut a 67 bayonet mount in the lensboard on the lathe.

I just shot the first roll of Kodak 400 TMY-2 and i will develop next Saturday
Also have purchased some Fuji Pro 400 to try.

I am using the little M43 camera with the Pentax 40 mm pancake as a spot meter.
The image on the ground-glass is very good, the lens appears to cover the 6 by 9 corners and might even have a little allowance for some rise.
With a register of 84.95mm the lens is well back on the rails, so there is only room for about 10 mm of rise and a few degrees of up tilt.

the lens is set at infinity with rails locked to allow use of the distance scale on the Takumar.

Would love if I can buy these lens board from you if you can make them...I have the Pentax 67 camera and lenses AND the Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5.

[stevebrot]

Would love if I can buy these lens board from you if you can make them...I have the Pentax 67 camera and lenses AND the Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5.

This is a very old thread and you might have better luck contacting @wombat2go via private message.


Steve

[wombat2go]

Thanks Steve,

Hi Fabie.
I will replace the telescope flocking on the rear of one of the P67 lens boards , and get ready to send it over to you to try.
With no drawings of either the Graflex standard or the Pentax bayonet, I made these boards to match the existing lenses here.
And hand finished the tapered bayonet lugs for a tight fit.
Also you might look at this thread about upgrading the fasteners on the Graflex locks to take the extra lens weight.
Graflex lensboard Lock Hardware- Original and modified | APUG.ORG

Do you happen to know of a hobby machinist in your area?
I will reply to your pm.

[wombat2go]

Hi Fabie,
I will mail a lens board for you to try as soon as I get the new flocking on.
You will need to check that the P67 lens rotates until it stops firmly with the orange arrow nearly at the top of the board.
It does not need not be exactly at the top, but it needs to grip tightly so the lens does not come loose.

Also check that the outer rectangular 2 step light seal is light tight against the camera socket.
I do that with a small flashlight in the camera, in the darkroom.
Then check that the board locks can be tightened securely to hold the heavy lens.

If that all works then you will need the Graflex 4x5 ground glass and a 8x or 10x loupe to lock the standard to infinity and parallel.
Best done at night on the moon or a distant street lamp.
There is some leeway with the 55mm for rise and down tilt.

Have fun and I hope you can soon put up some good photos!