Eyelike M22 and Fuji GX680

[fovis]

Hello all...

Does anyone have any experience with shooting a Jenoptik Eyelike Precision M22 back on a Fuji GX 680 III...?

In particular, - does the 4-shot and 16-shot modes work with this camera...? At present we use our Fuji's with Ixpress single-shot backs.

And does the 4-shot and 16-shot work with manual lenses, - on a Hasselblad V-series or Sinar P camera - manually stopped down, and with shutter left open for the duration of the 4 or 16 exposures..?

Any experience...?

Peter/.

[bdp]

I used an Eyelike M11 and M22 back with my Fuji 680, and because the mirror is so large it cannot even be used in 4 shot mode due to the vibrations. Forget 16 shot. The Fuji cannot keep the mirror locked up between exposures like a modern digital ready MF camera (such as Hassy or Hy6). It has a multi exposure mode, but the mirror still flips down during the winding/cocking phase because it is all mechanically linked. The Fuji had so much potential but is really no good for digital - bad lenses, clunky mechanics, too big and heavy.

The 4 and 16 shot will not work with a manual lens. I used the M22 on a P2 with Schneider lenses mounted in electronic shutters. This is the only way to do multishots well. A Contax can do 4 shots when the 2 sec self timer mirror-up mode is used, but the vibrations are too much for 16 shot. The software has to activate the shutter, therefore manual shutters cannot be used.

Ben

[ixpressraf]

Are all fuji GX680 lenses that bad for use with a digital back and what specific is bad about them?
Thanks, Ixpressraf

[bdp]

I found that when any tilt or swing was introduced and the files inspected at 100% there was awful chromatic aberration and softness. It didn't seem as bad when shooting with film on the 680, presumably because film is thicker than a CCD, so there is more room for error if you get what I mean.  

Ben

[rethmeier]

This is the whole problem with digital!
we all have become pixel peepers!
I'm sure you all know what I mean,
Willem.

[klane]

From what ive seen Ill agree with bdp. The chromatic distortions ive seen on gx680 shots motivated me to spend the extra money on a view camera with digital lenses.

[ixpressraf]

The strange thing is it all depends on the amount of tilting. when I only use one tilt direction, it really is OK. But when i introduse a second tilt in the way the lens is tilted horizontally and vertically things get ugly really fast. So i manufactured a lensboard to fit my Nr 0 shutter and yes, it is perfect now.

[bdp]

Yes, I now remember hearing about some 'ghetto' ways of mounting LF lenses to the Fuji body, but never tried it myself. Might be a great way to get a nice portable view camera working. Maybe the mirror could be taped and an electronic shutter hooked up to do multishots....

Ben

[yaya]

:blink:the strange thing is it all depends on the amount of tilting. when I only use one tilt direction, it really is OK. But when i introduse a second tilt in the way the lens is tilted horizontally and vertically things get ugly really fast. So i manufactured a lensboard to fit my Nr 0 shutter and yes, it is perfect now.

I'd love to see a picture of this setup! How do you get the mirror out of the way? Are you sincying the lens directly to the back?

[ixpressraf]

All lenses longer then 120mm seem to be usuable. I use it with a symmar s 135mm and a digitar 120mm. The symmar-s does not have the extreme sharpness but one can close the apperture much more then on the digitar without getting CA. I used to have a rollei x_act wich had much more tilt and swing.
When using fuji lenses multishot is no problem, at least not with my flexframe 4040.
Now i am using a 528c in single shot, flash-synced to the copal shutter using the "m" sync. Works perfect.
The lens board is simply an unused printed circuit board from a photoshoot a few years back. I glued two plates togetter, drilled a hole in it and mounted the shutter. looks like a piece from the movie  "The matrix".
Just use the "mirror-up" button on the 680.

[bdp]

All lenses longer then 120mm seem to be usuable. I use it with a symmar s 135mm and a digitar 120mm. The symmar-s does not have the extreme sharpness but one can close the apperture much more then on the digitar without getting CA. I used to have a rollei x_act wich had much more tilt and swing.
When using fuji lenses multishot is no problem, at least not with my flexframe 4040.
Now i am using a 528c in single shot, flash-synced to the copal shutter using the "m" sync. Works perfect.
The lens board is simply an unused printed circuit board from a photoshoot a few years back. I glued two plates togetter, drilled a hole in it and mounted the shutter. looks like a piece from the movie  "The matrix".
Just use the "mirror-up" button on the 680.

The problem with using the mirror up button is that the camera winds and cocks between each of the 4 or 16 captures, which creates vibration when the mirror flips down then back up every time, then the pixels are out of alignment in the result. The mirror up button doesn't keep it up the whole time, and the multi exposure switch is on the film backs, so this suggestion by someone  in another thread won't work. Some backs may work differently, but the Eyelike backs activate the shutter with every capture, so the Fuji is unusable in my experience.

Ben

[ixpressraf]

It all depends on the tripod you are using. i made hundreds of MS shots with the flexframe and my 680 Mod.1
I haven't been able to try the ixpress 528c as i do not have the needed trigger cable. Maybe someone has an ideae how to connect it to the back. The camera side will be a stripped ecectrical release cable. I thinc i will try to adapt a contax 645 trigger cable.

[bdp]

I use a heavy Foba studio camera stand, but I'm not disputing what you are saying.

Ben

[ixpressraf]

I also use a NICA battery that supplies 8,4 volts to the camera. I noticed a difference in the sound and vibration of the mirror flapping up between the 8,4 volts GX680 mod1 and the GX680III. Much softer on the model 1.

[EvanBedford]

I also use a NICA battery that supplies 8,4 volts to the camera. I noticed a difference in the sound and vibration of the mirror flapping up between the 8,4 volts GX680 mod1 and the GX680III. Much softer on the model 1.

Ixpressraf, I'm extremely interested in this topic, since I have a gx680iii and arriving in the mail tomorrow is a flexframe 3020.  I assume you mean 6 "nicad" batteries (1.4 volts each) in the clip on battery holder?  I'm not sure if I can find nicads anymore, but I will at least try 6 x 1.2 volts NIMH batteries.

Can I ask what tripod setup you use?  I'll be using a berlebach report 3042 with a tensioned bungee cord to give it a bit of extra "weight".  

Have you used it outside at all?  I can see that if a tripod leg sinks into the ground even 0.1 mm's, there could be problems.

The seller used it predominantly on a gx680 and gushed about the quality with multi-shot and micro-step, so I'll be a bit perturbed if this doesn't work out.  

[ixpressraf]

Ixpressraf, I'm extremely interested in this topic, since I have a gx680iii and arriving in the mail tomorrow is a flexframe 3020.  I assume you mean 6 "nicad" batteries (1.4 volts each) in the clip on battery holder?  I'm not sure if I can find nicads anymore, but I will at least try 6 x 1.2 volts NIMH batteries.

Can I ask what tripod setup you use?  I'll be using a berlebach report 3042 with a tensioned bungee cord to give it a bit of extra "weight".  

Have you used it outside at all?  I can see that if a tripod leg sinks into the ground even 0.1 mm's, there could be problems.

The seller used it predominantly on a gx680 and gushed about the quality with multi-shot and micro-step, so I'll be a bit perturbed if this doesn't work out.

No, one 9volt battey( 8,4 Nicad)