where can I view sample photo from Canon FD 800mm ?

[danfromm]

wilco, what does BIF mean?

Cambos have cast metal lensboards. Lenses are held to them by flanges or retaining rings. Here's a link http://www.skgrimes.com/products/mounting-flanges that should make clear what they are.

The lensboard will have to be bored to accept the lens. This link http://www.skgrimes.com/lens-mounting/to-lensboard should give you and idea of what's involved.

Used process lenses sometimes come with flanges. The 4x5 Cambo lensboard is 162 mm square. If the lens you buy has a flange and it will fit the board, that's great. If the lens is too fat to pass through the camera's front standard, it can be mounted in front of the standard. Not inexpensive, but all this should easily fit in a $2K budget.

Understand, that standard 4x5 Cambo bellows gives around 50 cm extension. You'll need a second bellows and an intermediate standard. Cambo makes (? certainly made) an intermediate standard, these aren't common. But front and rear standards are identical, they can be bought used for around $50 and one of them will do. I have three 2x3 Cambo standards, the extension tube runs from front standard to intermediate standard, the bellows from intermediate to rear. Clear? You'd use two bellows, used 4x5 bellows are much less expensive than the tube I had made.

If the lens is heavy, it should be supported. I use a mutilated 4x5 Cambo front standard (2x3s and 4x5s use the same rails). An inexpensive lab jack might be a little less trouble. I use one to support my Baby Bertha's SLR module. www.labconusa.com , their SKU 3588-1, “Lab Jack Aluminum 4"(100mm)

To attach a NEX to a Cambo view camera you'll have to attach a NEX extension tube or female SLR-to-male NEX adapter to a suitably bored Cambo lens board.

None of the machining needed can be done with hand tools. I don't have the machinery, pay skgrimes to do the machining I need.

I keep saying Cambo, am not 100% sure that it is a better choice for what you want to do than Sinar. Look into Sinar equipment.

The rig will need a very sturdy tripod. The camera will be long and heavy, is not going to be well-suited for following birds in flight. I focus my long lens rig by moving the rear standard, the front standard is too far away to reach. Also, unless you shoot only at full aperture you're going to need a helper to stop the lens down before you shoot and open it after. Otherwise you'll have to run to the front of the rig, stop down, run to the back, shoot, ...

[wilco]

Ian and Dan thanks for your informative detail reply. You make me on the fence to get Canon FD800 or Nikon 600mm Ais.
@Dan - BIF means Bird In Flight. I want to watch and take the photo of birds. If I spend around 2k, I can get manual lenses above 500mm and my DSLR are nikon body too. I will check and match the pieces of information you provided to me to get the whole picture. It looks like running back and forth to adjust the aperture. I am really appreciate for giving me the information and I will decide whether to jump in that route. I have gitzo carbon 3series and I believe it can handle the weight.
Bty for Rodenstock 760mm lens, does the price is right for $900? Since I am not used to with pricing for the lens I cannot judge it.
I will ask you more question for sure.

Regards,
Wilco
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[danfromm]

Wilco, thanks for the explanation. On the whole, I think you may be better off with a 35 mm SLR (or the digital equivalent) and a long lens.

If you want to use a NEX, can live with a mirror lens, a 700/8 Questar (in T-mount) might be a better choice, and certainly a lot less trouble, than using a long process lens. I've had one for years, superb lens but hard to use. Long lenses punish the least unsteadiness severely. Think very seriously about support.

I'm not sure on pricing. If you're patient, you can probably find a long Apo-Artar in the http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/ classified ads section for less than on eBay. If you're patient, you might be able to find one on eBay for as little as $.75/mm. If you're in a hurry, well, you'll pay more. I'm patient and poor, pay little or don't buy.

[ZoneV]

Hi wilco, manual world is small

Do you really need the 800mm focal length with the NEX?
The Canon FD 500/4.5L is much better than the FD 800/5.6 SSC at least the ones I got.
I have only made few test images back then:
http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Canon-FD500-4.5L-EF-mount-conversion.html at end of page.
_________________
Camera modification, repair and DIY - some links to look through: http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/index-en.html
DSLR: Canon EOS 5D, EOS 350D with interchangable IR-Cut / IR-Pass filter / Grey filter
Lenses: Zeiss 50/1.4, 50/1.7, 85/1.4, 135/2.8 C/Y, M42, Converted Minolta Rokkor 35/1.8, 58/1.2, Converted Canon FD 50/1.4, 100/4, 300/2.8, Steinheil Quinar 135/2.8, ..

[wilco]

Hi Markus, Oh ya! I was requesting more sample . I check on Ed Miker's flickr photostream which has more full size and does not look good at all unless resize to 1024 pixel.

Here is one of them, sorry photo does not appropriate to look though http://www.flickr.com/photos/ontarian/4555645739/sizes/l/in/photostream/
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[feanolas]

Putting a Nex behind a big tele lens is awkward at best, and probably fairly unusable in practice, especially for bird photography. Finding the bird with a 800mm lens, equivalent to a 1200m with an APS-C, will already be challenging with a reflex. On the screen of the Nex, it's even worse!
Have you ever tried such a thing?

I went out last sunday for a casual stroll around a nearby lake with the children, and grabbed the Nex with the FD 8/500mm Reflex lens... handholding it, it was near impossible to find the subject due to the screen limitation (rolling shutter and slow image update) and then to adjust focus because of the shaking, the bad viewing of the rear screen due to the sun and again the slow update.
I would not imagine being able to do anything with an even longer lens on a always moving subject like a bird... or do you intend to setup your rig in static for nest photography?

[wilco]

Yes I intended for static bird photography. Not intended to use for Bird in flight.[/quote]
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