Modern MC Wides For The XL Body
This project disassembles a Graflex XLRF or XLS and replaces the entire lens mounting system with one of the wonderful modern multicoated wide angle lens of the 35mm to 150mm variety, residing in its own helical focusing mount, complete with distance and hyper focal scale. Range finder function is defeated but not needed with wide angle outdoor photography unless the photographer doesn't know anything about depth of field or lens hyper focal scales.

Graflex XL bodies are very available and inexpensive. Other than the XLSW with 47mm f5.6 Super Angulon only the old 58mm Grandagon offers a solution for WA on the XL. The older 58mm Grandagon is not really a solution for WA because there are almost no good ones left. Separation problems and shutter problems shut them out. The XL focusing system is crap too. The wide angle solution using modern multicoated lenses is the bigcamera.com hybrid adapter.

The WA lens and helical focusing mount installs conventionally in the adapter. The adapter replaces the entire XL lens mount. The XL Hybrid adapter, made from tough Derlin, is a separate fit for each lens/mount. No problems have been encountered with light sealing but the photo flat black enamel can be used in final assembly for insurance. 

Lenses with a flange-to-focal-plane distance of 65mm or greater can be used with the XLRF or XLS body. Lenses with flange-to-focal-plane distance less than 67.6 can be used with the XLSW body which is one inch thinner. 

The flange-to-focal-plane distance of factory mounted lenses is a lesser distance because of consideration of the focusing mount distance. for instance, the 35mm APO Grandagon-N F/FD is 43.2 but when in the mount it is 25.2mm, the focusing mount being 18mm of the total F/FD. So there is a lens F/FD and a mount F/FD. Rodenstock publishes the mount F/FD for their Grandagon lenses which we have reproduced below.

Some of the lens candidates:

• Rodenstock Apo Grandagon 35mm f/4.5  (43.2mm  F/FD) *
• Rodenstock Apo Grandagon 45mm f/4.5  (55.5mm  F/FD) *
• Rodenstock Apo Grandagon 55mm f/4.5  (67.6mm  F/FD) *
• Rodenstock Grandagon N 65mm f/4.5  (70.0mm  F/FD)*
• Rodenstock Grandagon N 75mm f/4.5  (82.0mm  F/FD)*
• Rodenstock Grandagon N 75mm f/6.8  (79.0mm  F/FD)*
• Rodenstock Grandagon N 90mm f/4.5  (88.5mm  F/FD)
• Rodenstock Grandagon N 90mm f/6.8  (94.00mm  F/FD)*
• Rodenstock Sironar-N 100mm f5.6, (82.7mm  F/FD)
• Rodenstock Sironar-N 120mm 5.6, (115.7mm F/FD)
• Rodenstock Sironar-N 135mm f5.6, (130.0mm F/FD)
• Rodenstock Sironar-N 150mm f5.6, (147.0mm  F/FD) 

• Schneider Super Angulon XL 47mm Lens f/5.6  (59.1mm  F/FD) *
• Schneider Super Angulon 47mm Lens f/5.6  (52.2mm  F/FD) *
• Schneider Super Angulon 47mm Lens f/8.0  (50.9mm  F/FD) *
• Schneider Super Angulon XL 58mm f5.6  (69.3mm  F/FD) *
• Schneider Super Angulon 65mm f/5.6, Late (72.5mm  F/FD)*
• Schneider Super Angulon XL 72mm f/5.6, Late (82.2mm  F/FD)*
• Schneider Super Angulon 75mm f/5.6, Late (84.8mm  F/FD)*
• Schneider Super Symmar 80mm f5.6 late (84.7mm F?FD)*
• Schneider APO Symmar 100mm f5.6 (95.5 F/FD)*
• Schneider APO Symmar 110mm f5.6 (117.2 F/FD)*
• Schneider APO Symmar 120mm f5.6 (117.9 F/FD)*
• Schneider APO Symmar 135mm f5.6 (128.2 F/FD)*
• Schneider APO Symmar 150mm f5.6 (144.2 F/FD)*
  
• Nikkor SW 65mm f/4.0  (70.8mm  F/FD) **
• Nikkor SW 75mm f/4.5  (81.3mm  F/FD) **
• Nikon W 100mm f5.6 (100.0mm F/FD) **
• Nikon W 105mm f5.6 (103.2mm F/FD) **
• Nikon W 120mm f5.6 (115.9mm F/FD) **
• Nikon W 135mm f5.6 (133.8mmF/FD) **
• Nikon W 150mm f5.6 (146.8mm F/FD) **

Older Lenses

• Schneider Super Angulon 65mm f/5.6, Older (71.4mm  F/FD)
• Schneider Super Angulon 65mm f/8.0, Older (70.5mm  F/FD)
• Schneider Super Angulon 75mm f/5.6, Older (82.8mm  F/FD)
• Schneider Super Angulon 75mm f/8.0, Older (82.7mm  F/FD)
• Schneider  Angulon 65mm f/6.8, Older (63.5mm  F/FD)

Schneider. More info to follow.