Wood
and alloy, early postwar. This is often with a geared
pan-and-tilt head. This is best used for 6x6 and home
movie cameras- it is scarcely heavy enough for 5x4in
but was suggested for them
Tripod
11
This
was an alloy centre pillar tripod, for moderate
weight cameras. It was made in the MKV11 period, for
4-5ft extension, weight 6lb, using stove enamelled
die castings, but seems to have gone by the early
1970's. Many have the same red vynide as the red
MkVII camera, which suggests 1950's manufacture
Tripod
111
Alloy
centre pillar, 57mm dia.pillar, for heavy cameras
such as the Monorails. This was often supplied
originally as a services item, and is not too common.
It is a fairly stiff item to handle.
Canvas
case
for the early tripod.£2.20+£0.85 P.Tax in 1956
approx.
N.B.The first of these
tripods may in fact have gone back into World War 11
or there may have been another type without Celestion
or MPP's name on it.
LENS PANELS AND CONES
For Large Format Cameras
No
Pictures
See
also the Lens Boards page in the Large Format
Technical Section.
Lens
Panels
Several
types of lens panels can be recognized over the
years, and there may be others not listed here!
It is best to look at the size as well as the
finish here.
(a)
4in
(101mm) square, with sharp corners, for MPP
Mk1-V11. These are about 1/4in thick with a half
thickness rebate 1/4in wide all round. The early
one were made from dark brown or black insulating
board, with the MPP logo engraved, and often have
a colour spot to indicate the focal length of
lens fitted. This matched codings on the finders
and focus scales. Later they were made from grey
faced engraving board, eg for Studio cameras and
the MkV111. Occasionally, these were only 1/8in
thick, for display only perhaps, eg on red MkVII
cameras. At least one was in 1/4in aluminium to
match a red MkVII. Finally, they were made with a
brushed matt front surface. The dimensions are
near those for the Anniversary Speed Graphic
panels.
(b) 95mm square
with rounded corners, still 1/4in thick. These
are for MkV111. These were normally grey faced.
(c) Metal, 93x94mm,
with the edges dished back, in alloy bent at
about 45°. These are for MicroPress, and may
interchange with Speed Graphic panels, but the
latter have walls bent back at nearer 90° and
raised pips on the front, and do no always fit
though it is normally fitting MPP panels on
Graphic which is difficult.
(d)
Monorail panels are essentially
early Sinar panels, in alloy, with a dished back
edge and were 140mm square. Normally early Sinar
panels are an excellent fit. The MPP ones seem to
be finished in a grey Hammmerite finish and
stick-on MPP logo. (Note that
"other-brand" panels now sold have
raised areas inside the outer wall are likely to
foul parts on the MPP standards and not easily
usable on the MPP.
Cones.
Extension
cones were used primarily to focus 90mm lenses
with the front standard inside the body-box and
the baseboard dropped out of field. The range
came to encompass MicroTechnical, MicroPress and
Monorail panels and had to suit potentially
Schneider's Angulon 90mm f6.8 and Super Angulon
90mm f8.0 and initially Wray's Wide angle 89mm
f6.3. The bigger Super Angulon 90mm f5.6 could
not be catered for on the folding cameras as the
rear was too big for the hole in the front
standard, but was easily fitted to the Monorail.
Some cone extension sizes and base diameters are:
Normal
type.
This
was for the Schneider Angulon 90mm f6.8
M/Technical and was 21mm deep, and 63mm dia.
MicroPress
type.
This
is less common and was for Angulon 90mm f6.8 for
MicroPress and was 16mm deep and 63mm dia.
