Hah! Glad to see there are some other crazies out there. As I see it, it's
all got to happen in one smooth, fairly simutaneous motion, or you might as
well use a view camera. That means mirror up, aperture stopped, and exposure
with flash, all in less than a second or so.
I, too, thought about using a speed graphic for the back end, till I found a
series D on ebay cheap eonugh. But it's basically the same back there, so it
will be relevant.
First problem is flash synch, and that should be easy enough. Enlarge the
curtain aperture to full frame, and add a contact. Thought about using an
electic eye (infrared) and even a magnetic tape head, but I think the
contact is still the best. Worked 50 yrs ago.... Sure, the synched speed
will be slowww, but maybe we can deal with that later. Motorize it?
Next is mirror slam. On RB's, a spring launches the mirror up with a deciced
thwack. I'ts a 10 minute operation to reverse that spring to hold the mirror
down, intead, which means the shutter release actuator (what ever that turns
out to be) must force the mirror up to release the shutter (that part is
automatic with RB's). This also cures one of the RB's weaknesses�a tendency
to develop light leaks around the mirror as the release trigger wears or
loosens.
Auto aperture: Oh boy. Super D's are outrageously expensive in 4x5, and the
3x4's are too tight inside to allow use with long lenses. You'd have to add
an ungainly extension onto the back. And, as far as I know, you're limited
to the 4.5 152mm and 5.6 190 Ektars. Nice lenses, but still too short. I
wanna use nice long barrel lenses I can maybe afford.
Nuff for now. But the rest involves springs, thin wire cables, and sleeved
piano wire ala model airplane control linkage. I'll keep you posted.
Roger Stevens
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