All Hail the new handheld 4×5 camera setup !!! You start with a Busch Pressman camera purchased on eBay, a diamond in the rough. Add a nicer 135mm Schneider Xenar lens to replace the Graflex Optar that came with it (thanks Danny !). Next I worked with (more like “assisted and tried not to get in the way”) Thomas Roma in his wonderous metal shop to add a chain with a fancy quick release plate, create a shutter release extension from a brass tube, and modify an L-shaped flash bracket to extend off the side and above the camera, to which I attach my Vivitar 285HV which is powered by a Quantum Battery 1+ I can wear on a strap across my right side. As a final touch I borrowed Dan Willner’s Grafmatik back which allows me to have 6 sheets of 4×5 loaded up and ready to go.

One of the key advantages of these press cameras is the ability to quickly fold them up without removing the lens. The resulting compact box is small and sturdy.

This extender was Tom’s idea and creation. The extender makes it easier to release the shutter while cradling the bottom of the camera with my right hand (for greater stability). Entirely fabricated from a brass tube that Tom pounded into shape and we soldered onto the original shutter release. Works like a charm.

We made this aluminum plate for the bottom of the camera which includes half of a quick release taken from a keychain and glued into our block. The other half of the quick release is attached to a six foot length of window chain. Read on to see what this is for.

One easily attaches and releases the chain with this system.

Once attached to the camera you let the chain fall to the ground. You then raise the camera to the height you desire and step on it with your right foot and pull up on the camera against the chain. You’ve just created the equivalent of a monopod hanging from the bottom of your camera, and it can quickly be removed and dropped into your pocket between shots. This entire chain system is the brainchild of Thomas Roma. He has been using this chain technique for years with great success. Once I saw him using this on his camera I knew I would have to duplicate his setup. Simple. Brilliant. Elegant.

Thanks to Danny Bauer and Dan Willner for their help. Special thanks to Thomas Roma for his ingenuity and generosity without which I wouldn’t have dreamed up this configuration.

And now, to put it to work !

This entry was posted on Friday, February 2nd, 2007 at 10:30 pm and is filed under photo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.