Graflex.org

keshlam · Joined: 21 May 2021 Posts: 38 Location: Boston area

Just checking my understanding: Since the lens length is also (in this generation of lenses) the minimum infinity-focus distance from the back of the lens to the film plane (right?), one of the advantages of the RB Auto's longer bellows should be that it's able to work with longer telephoto lenses.

Right? Or did I misread?

Related to that, has anyone worked up a table of which large-format lenses cover what image circle, what minimum size mounting board they need, and what their image characteristics are? Or which are good bets? I found a table giving some of this for the Fuji lenses (which seem to be among the cheaper options right now)...
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Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey

The list you want doesn't exist. If you want to read it, write it.

The first post in this https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?138978-Where-to-look-for-information-on-LF-(mainly)-lenses discussion has a link to an annotated list of links to items of interest to LF photographers, including lens catalogs and some lists of lenses with their characteristics. Happy reading.

About longer lenses. I take it you have a 4x5 RB Auto. Its maximum extension is 18 1/2". Standard issue teles for it are 17" and 20". If you want to focus closer than infinity, 20" is probably around the practical maximum, but this really depends on the lens' flange-focal distance at infinity.

About mounting a fat lens on a skinny board. I've done it with help from S. K. Grimes (skgrimes.com) who make, among other things, custom adapters.

It seems from another post that you have a 3x4 RB auto. If so, its maximum extension is 15.5" and standard issue teles were 14" and 17".

keshlam · Joined: 21 May 2021 Posts: 38 Location: Boston area

Never hurts to ask. Someone more obsessive/completeist than I might have already done the work. I've got another concordance I'm supposed to do first...

Yes, I have a 3x4 RB Auto. OK, I'll take 17"/432mm as presumed maximum, then. That shouldn't constrain me any time soon, I think.

Thanks for the pointer to the honorable S. K. Grimes. I should file that for future reference.
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45PSS · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:18 pm Post subject:

The RB Auto was/is the only Graflex SLR capable of 1:1 images.
1:1 means the image on the film is the same size it is in real life.
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Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey