Kodak 305mm f/2.5 Aero-Ektar, what do I do with this doorstop?

[Pere Casals]

The 305mm isn't gonna mount to no Speed Graphic at least not without extensive use of black PVC pipe perhaps??

Yes... bellows extension issue has to be solved.

[LabRat]

Astronomical telescope, and/or astrocam...

Steve K

[goamules]

Shoot wetplate with it, at ISO 1-3, you won't need a shutter in medium light.

[Eric Woodbury]

And it has radioactive thorium in it. {reminds me of Doc Strangelove movie, "You've obviously never heard of cobalt thorium G"} Maybe I can make it into a nightlight.

[Jody_S]

You could probably make a 10+ stop ND filter for it from welder's helmet glass. Then your hat would work. Given the stated resolution, I don't imagine image quality would suffer too much from not using $big money Lee filters.

I have a 300mm f2 lens sitting in a cabinet for similar reasons. I have no idea what I might mount it to, unless I got a very sturdy studio camera and decided to do indoor wet plate. Seems like a lot of bother (for me) just to use a lens that's probably garbage anyway.

[Dan Fromm]

Sell it via ebay. Look at sold listings to get an idea of how much they've brought.

[Corran]

Yep, sell it and buy something actually useful.

I had one as well. When I received it the FedEx man complained about the weight. I opened the package, took one look at it, and listed it for sale for what I paid for it. A run-of-the-mill 300mm f/4.5 Tessar will be just about the same speed due to the glass in AE lenses darkening from radiation or whatever, and the extra bokeh is not worth the trouble.

I know of one person that got one attached to an 8x10 but I don't think I've actually seen images from such a contraption. And for good reason...

[Pere Casals]

I think the brown darkening can be reverted by long exposing the glass to UV.

I think this glass can make unique photographs, please see again this 178 example

https://www.flickr.com/photos/maciek...ubxQ4n-zeCqpg/


I'd use it for 5x7", for framings like the one of the sample.

300mm with f/2.5 DOF and movements on LF would render a unique look, something very, very scarce.

So that glass has a really huge aesthetic potential, if one wants to exploit that aesthetics, of course.

And of course it requires a DIY effort.

Perhaps I'd mount it in a CAMBO, using a salvaged speed graphic shutter as rear shutter. So it could be useful for 4x5 and 5x7, and also for 8x10 with little vigneting.

[Jockos]

You could mount a packard shutter and some ND filters!

Here's how I mounted my shutter:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...-(3D-printing)

You may also want to design some kind of support for the lens, so that it doesn't ruin your front standard.

[Corran]

I think the brown darkening can be reverted by long exposing the glass to UV.

Yes Pere you are right, but I've only seen one Aero Ektar with almost completely clear glass, and it took a long, long time to bleach it. I've had at least 15 AEs in my hands of various types. Even if they are clear the T-stop is not f/2.5 I can assure you. My f/2.8 Xenotar shoots "faster" for sure.

You are looking at 4x5 images with the 178mm. On 8x10 with a 300mm f/4.5 there would be no real meaningful difference in DOF comparatively. The difference with the big 305mm AE would be slight, and the technical hurdles massive. Not worth the trouble. Not surprising you are gung-ho about it when you haven't held one. Eat your Wheaties!