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Can anybody suggest some good references and resources for early brass lenses? I'm new to large format and was hoping to get started by dedicating a 4x5 to a couple of these lenses. I'm finding that there are a lot out there but I'm struggling for information and just what I should be looking for.
Any recommendations for getting my feet wet (landscape and portrait) would be welcome.
Thanks for any help you can give
Dave
You'll find a lot of info here. This isn't really a one-stop website, nor few books. Your answer depends on many, many things that you don't state. Like how early? A "brass lens" could have been made from the 1830s to the 1930s, and there are hundreds of makers and dozens of designs. You have to study, and learn what you might want. Otherwise it's like asking "I want to take a vacation, where should I go?"
That's right, the Kingslake books, and writings, are a good place for pretty deep overview. I'd start there. Though they didn't categorize lenses by "Brass" or "not brass" back then. Everything was brass, except for the rare, exotic aluminum ones.
I'd categorize by "pre Jena glass" and "after/anastigmats", myself.
The first 11 sections of this page give a quick and easy summary of various lenses and designs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...ic_lens_design
It helped me to get a better handle on some of the terminology that's bandied about in lens discussions.
Thanks for the links - especially to the Kingslake pdf and the Jena/anastigmat" pointer - I need to look into that more.
It's been a bit of a struggle for exactly the reasons mentioned - lots of makers and lots of designs and not a lot of readily available information. One example I'll throw out is a lens I was looking at turned out to be quarter plate (after a lot of digging around) but the only distinction to differentiate from it's half-plate sibling was an obscure ending on the model number (I forget the lens). Turned out another one wouldn't focus to infinity on my camera. Information is key and I appreciate your help finding some good sources.
I was kind of hoping that there were a few early landscape lenses that are more common and therefore more readily available ( and hopefully at reasonable prices) that I could start out with. I know there are some who feel that's the wrong approach but I figure I'll end up with several before I'm done so I'm okay starting low-key and working my way up. At some point, my plan is to move into dry plate but not for a while.
Anyway, thanks again for your help
Dave
Remember the shutter problem! You will have to decide this before you start your jaunt through early brass lenses.
A start with landscape lenses is historically the right choice. Unfortunately, the early landscape lenses have very expensive names on them. But the design was the same ,right until they became the bargain lenses of the early 20th Century. Anon. landscape lenses are very reasonable in price, but if you want a maker's name then Lancaster (from about 1880) who produced thousands of these, is a good buy.
Note that UK makers were very true to the plate, half-plate. and quarter plate formats, so these landscape lenses will be a little long for 4x5.
I am quite sure that a WTD ad posted here would give you quite a selection of choices!
Thanks for the help.
Dave