Portrait lens options for5x7

[DrTang]

I'd like a 240 heliar, but sadly, Heliars are probably outside my budget, hence my interest in the Pentac, which is similar to a Heliar of course and AM Pentacs are pretty common here



B&L and Wolly lenses don't turn up too often over here in England, but there are plenty of English equivalents.

pick up a couple of them Pentacs and sell them on the US ebay - also shop on the US ebay for B&L and Wolly lenses - they are pretty common here and most people would ship to you

turn a couple of those pentacs over and you'd have your heliar

wait..you don't need a shutter?..I have a 240 I am going to sell w/o a shutter - in my quest for a shuttered one

let me know if you are interested

[ScottPhotoCo]

Personally, I love a longer lens for portraits. I'm loving the 36cm Schneider Tele-Xenar on 5x7 right now. Here are two portrait examples. These are purposely overexposed for this look. Both 1 second exposures wide open.


Xenia_Portrait_052513_wm by ScottPhoto.co, on Flickr


Anton_Portrait_052513_wm by ScottPhoto.co, on Flickr

Here is an example of how sharp is can be. 5x7 tintype:


John Fluevog womens shoe by ScottPhoto.co, on Flickr

Other than that I do like my 12" Commercial Ektar though I'm looking forward to trying a 12" Dagor as well.

Hope this helps.


Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

[Bernice Loui]

Depends on the type of portrait. For head/shoulder consider a focal length of no less than 240mm and up to 360mm or more (classic formula, adding the two edge dimensions of the film format. The resulting sum equals the "ideal" focal lenght. 5"+7" = 12") . For environmental portrait, focal lengths of 210mm or less may fit the need.

Try the current inventory first for focal length. Once this has been settled, then consider lens type.

IMO, good values are tessar types like the Xenar, Ektar and etc.. The Heliar is nice, but given the current market value they might not be a great value. Beyond this, there is an entire group of soft focus lenses.


Here are some images and ideas to consider:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/portrait-lenses/


Bernice

[jp]

Tessar will be the cheap and safe choice. Probably get a 300 ish /4.5 tessar

An old imperfect triplet would be ideal. I have a 12" aerostigmat I picked up for <$100 recently and want to try it. My most used triplet is the Trioplan and I notice there are at least one on Ebay in the mid 200mm range. A fuji soft focus lens is also an imperfect triplet that gets pretty normal stopped down a little bit.

Heliars are a proven choice, but I haven't shot one yet.

Kodak Portrait 305 is a pretty versatile too, wildly soft wide open, sharp stopped down, usually with a shutter.

[Ian Greenhalgh]

Thanks for all the info and tips guy, very useful.

I spotted this incredibly badly described Pentac and grabbed it for a song:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-VINTA...vip=true&rt=nc

I'll keep my eye out for a longer tessar or triplet as well.

Still got a hankering for a Petzval too...

[Jim Galli]

A fine look on a low budget for 5X7, contact me about some really cheap triplet fast projection lenses. I think I have 12" and 15" laying around. No aperture. Use them wide open. Also consider a 9" enlarging Raptar or better still same, but 12" for portraits. I'd want to be around 12" for portraiture on a 5X7 ideally.

Any projection petzval that covers 5X7 is going to be expensive. We sort of blew that possibility wide open a while back. Cat's out of the bag so to speak.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

You may want to look for 'Emil Busch Bis-Telar ser II f/7' lovely look to them wide open, a few are listed on ebay.
Wollensak 'Tele-Raptar' 15"/5.6 works well on 5x7.
If you remove the rear elements from your petzvals you'll almost double the FL, very soft wide open.

Have fun with the hunt

[Ian Greenhalgh]

I've just dug out that 14" Anastigmat, it's an Air Ministry one with a UU code, so will be made by Dallmeyer. It's a tessar type, so I wonder, is it a Serrac? The glass is in fine shape but the aperture blades are missing, sadly.

[Pete Watkins]

Hi again,
I bought one of those 14a UU 14" lenses recently, mine has the aperture blades. I tested it recently on 4x5 for infinity and it's a bit on the soft side. Might be ideal for portrait. I have no idea wether it's a Tessar or a Serrac. It's just not as sharp as most of my other lenses.
Before you ask I have a Sinar 4x5 / 8x10 with a Sinar shutter but I have used step up/step down rings on the front of the lens in the past to enable me to front mount a Copal 3.
I also have a Dallmeyer / Packard shutter that works as it should that I was going to put on the Bay in the near future. PM me if you're interested.
Pete.

[Roger Hesketh]

I think the 14a UU AM lens is an Aviar. I know Dallmeyer made it but I think to an Aviar design. Make a good doorstop it's a heavy brute. Pete the Serrac is one of Dallmeyer's versions of the Tessar.

Correction sorry just checked mine it's made by TTH TT code so may differ from yours.