The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Attaching a Nikon DSLR to an old Kodak view camera

geneg12

New member
I did some google searches and found it has been done with a Nikon D800 and a single rail 4x5 view camera. I'd like to know if anyone has bought or built a pack for a view camera. My questions:

What back did you use and what extention tube did you use?

What lens did you use on view camera?

Would a 65mm lens or a 180mm lens work?

Does AF work on the digital camera work?

Thanks,
Gene
 

Lars

Active member
65 sounds tight - flange focal distance might be a problem.

This chart shows the flange surface to rear of lens distance for Schneider lenses - the 58 XL has 31 mm, and a flange focal distance of 70 mm, which leaves 39 mm distance from lens to film plane.

Wikipedia states that Nikon F mount has 46.5 mm flange distance, so you cannot focus a 58XL at infinity.
 

jsf

Active member
I use my d800e on my Cambo 4x5 quite a lot. Lars is absolutely correct even a 150 will not focus at infinity. I use a 210 or longer lens and it works just fine. What you gain is swings and tilts, I stitch and get really a big file, but I can stop down to f/32 or f/45 and it doesn't matter a whole lot since I am making the equivalent of a 4x5 negative. Not a lot of magnification.

Mostly I use this with a 13" Cooke, no swings and tilts, but a big file and at f/6.3 bokeh to die for. It is big and bulky and ever so slow.

I am not certain if you meant auto focus, but I would think that, that would be one heck of a trick.

Oddly focusing is not that difficult, and on the 210 since it is a f/5.6 lens the focus check thingy works just fine.

I use manual exposure however, otherwise the camera makes some really odd decisions.
The adapter is made by Fotodiox and works just fine

Joe
 
Top