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Focal Point Optics, in, I think, Boulder. Also try Steve Grimes, www.skgrimes.com. Sorry I don't have Focal Point's URL ready to hand, but if you do a web search (also look for John Van Stelten,...

Midwest Photo Exchange, Columbus, OH. No cigars, though.

Flew out of PHL early last month, observed a small group of people with 4x5 gear, 4x5 film in boxes, some sealed, some not, and 120 film, some exposed, some still in the box. They tried to be...

Depends on the barrel lens. Check S.K.Grimes' site (www.skgrimes.com) for info on mounting barrel lenses in front of shutters.

Used Ilex #3s and #5s are not that expensive to get and have...

There's a mind-numbing discussion of 'micro' lenses at http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/microlen.htm . It discusses lenses known to the contributors, but doesn't have much on technique. The list...

Yes, what you want to do is very feasible, just difficult to do well.

Luminars are supposed to be wonderful, ditto Photars, but my 100/6.3 Luminar isn't that great.

FWIW, I've been facing the...

Can't answer questions 2 or 3, can answer 1.

"Macro" means designed for best performance at near focusing distances. A lens can perform best at only one distance. Choose your distance, near or...

Um, er, ah surely it depends a little on what you mean by MF and what you mean by LF. Coupla years ago one of my pals stepped up from 25 mm to 6x4.5, or as we americans say, 2 1/4 x 2 3/4. Got...

Well, the 100/6.3 Zeiss Luminar, a macro lens if ever there was one, is threaded at both ends so it can be mounted on shutter as best suits the working magnification. Its useful range is 0.8:1 to...

Get an Adapt-A-Roll 620. Read about them at www.graflex.org

I take it that y'r MPP press camera has a spring, not a Graflok (= International) back. If it has a Graflok, well, there are Graflex roll holders that make 2 1/4 x 2 1/4, 2 1/4 x 2 3/4, and 2 1/4 x...

In principle Heliars are better than ok. A couple of Voigtlaender folding cameras, fitted with Heliars, are long out of production but still command high prices. Kodak used the Heliar formula in a...

If the camera has a Graflok back (NOT a spring back, with the focusing panel permanently attached) it will accept 6x7 backs as used on the Mamiya RB 67, Horseman backs, and, oh yes, roll backs (2 1/4...

Interesting thread, but ...

I'm astonished none of you mentioned that the Speed Graphic is a rangefinder camera. A giant Leica. Made to be used like one. Faster working, actually. I've seen...

FWIW, ages ago (late '60s? '70s) Agfa bought Staeble, a Munich lens manufacturer. The lenses you're talking about have been sold badged as Staeble Ultragon, Eskofot Ultragon, and Repromaster...

It is a relay lens from a fluoroscope machine, used to image the screen on film. Very specialized, useless for most general photographic purposes. There seems to be a company in Ohio that's...

No. Older US-made shutters don't conform to modern size conventions. That said, if your Supermatic (is isn't in a Graphex, is it?) is dead, it may be resurrectable. If not, MAYBE Mr. Grimes can...

<Question: If I found another 162mm Raptar with a good rear element, could I just unscrew it and replace the "bad" rear element on the one I have now? >

Don't see why not.

They're better because they're better.

More seriously, a lens can give best performance at only one magnification ratio. A lens designed to give best image quality focused at infinity...

Those four bright spots, and the vague smudge that runs through them? Dirt. Crud. Unscrew the rear cell and see if you can clean them off. Don't do anything heroic.

Not fungus, lacks the...

Well, if you want cheap, cheap is readily available. Look into Tominon macro lenses as made for the Polaroid MP4 and MP4+ systems. These lenses are supplied in barrel mount, to screw into Copal #1...

I have one of those abortions. When Graflex shut down, SubSea bought the roll holder tooling. Mine, represented as new and unused, had the wrong gears, broken springs, ... Armatos in NYC fixed it...