Subject: FS: Wide angle TL120-1 (turn it into a TL120-55)
Date: 2008-09-28 01:13:04
From: John Thurston

Earlier this year when I had lens boards for the TL120-1
built, I had one extra made. I was going to sell it off as a
bare board, but received a couple of inquiries for a finished
board/lens assembly. So here is what I have to offer:

* My last aluminum lens board
* Three Mamiya 55mm f/4.5 lenses
* Two Seiko shutter/diaphragms stripped of their shutter
assemblies but retaining their aperture diaphragms
* Felt and foam light-sealing for the back of the board

With this, you can turn your TL120-1 into an f/22, fixed
focus, wide-angle camera.

I have mounted and taken test shots with all of my 55mm
lenses on one of my TL120s. The lenses I've chosen for this
board were the best of the bunch. My test slide is
available if you would like to see what you're getting before
you buy it.

Be aware that the best images didn't come from the
cosmetically _best looking_ lenses. If you are looking for
pristine glass and rub-free lens bodies these are not the
lenses for you. I can provide pictures if you really care.

Also be aware that the shutters are to two different ages.
The diaphragm adjustment on one is continuous, the other is
stepped. This is the same arrangement as on my TL120-55 and
is, in practice, not a problem. I could have traded out
shutters to put two continuous on one camera and two stepped
on the other, but I really don't feel like ripping my
TL120-55 apart again for such a trivial change.

This is a fixed-focus lens board. If you want a full range
of focus, this is _not for you_.

This lens board does not provide for internal metering. The
meter lights on your TL120-55 will still light up but will be
completely meaningless.

This is not a complete camera! You have to already own a
TL120-1. The conversion to a TL120-55 isn't horribly
difficult. It involves unscrewing four lens board screws,
fitting the new one, and screwing it back in. Unfortunately,
there are enough variations in TL120-1s that I can't
_guarantee_ a drop-in fit. On some later models, you will
have to unsolder three wires from the viewing lens. On some
models you will have to remove the spacer behind the 5th
mounting screw. On some models you may have to file the
edges of the board just a bit. My selling price does not
include installation. I'll be happy to support you in your
conversion but I would really rather not get into tweaking
your camera.

Price: $600

Am I being greedy? I usually say "no" but in this case the
answer is probably "yes". But, I have a lot of time in this
project and I do have other uses for these lenses. If you
think I've overprices this, contact me off-list with what you
think is a more reasonable figure. I'm willing to listen.

80x132 Test image: $20 deposit

I really only have one good test image from each of my lens
combinations. Since only one lens combination was the best,
this means I have only one test image from what I have to
sell. If that image is ruined, I'll have to disassemble one
of my TL120s to re-mount the board, wait for a decent day,
expose film, have it processed and mount a new test image.
I'll pay the postage one way for the image. If you then buy
the lens board, I'll give you $20 credit. If you return the
image, I'll return your $20. If I have to re-shoot my image,
the $20 will cover some of my costs.

Shipping: In north america, I'll include the postage. For
other parts of the world, I'll probably include the postage
but that really depends on where it's going.

References: This lens board has been discussed on this list
quite a bit this year. Check the archives from April, May
and June. Message 1856, for example, contains a discussion
of the the capabilities and limitations of the fixed-focus board.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MF3D-group/message/1856

Again, this is not a complete camera. This is a lens board
with three lenses for use on your TL120.
________________________________________
John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska
http://stereo.thurstons.us