What lens will work for a 35x35 inch ULF mammoth wet plate camera?

[Arne Croell]

never heard of it, will check into thanks

See
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...F24-Lens-Found!!!

[Dan Fromm]

180 cm Apo Tessar. http://www.westlicht-auction.com/index.php?id=4&L=1 See lot 514.

Stop dreaming, start bidding.

[goamules]

I missed this thread last month. But Monty is right, photographers need to first find the lens, and then decide what size plates they can make. Not the other way around. So many people have contacted me over the years requesting an impossible set of parameters, such as the proverbial Petzval that is Big, Fast, and Cheap (pick any 2). Or needing to cover a size that requires a lens a rare as hen's teeth.

If and when I decide to shoot my 47" Hermagis Aplanat (rapid rectilinear) that's exactly what I will do. Mount it temporarily in a dark room window, or a giant box, and SEE what it covers. Make plate holders accordingly.

[Fr. Mark]

Y'all are amazing. I thought an 18" cooke triplet at f3.6 was huge.

[Dan Fromm]

Y'all are amazing. I thought an 18" cooke triplet at f3.6 was huge.

Tiny little lens of nothing at all. IF you want to see huge, look at: http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/t1524.html. I've seen it, it was being used as a coffee table.

[Taija71A]

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Tyson Yerkes 18 000mm f/18 (1016mm Diameter) Lens:
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Attachment 165911
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[gerry yaum]

Whats the difference? If you know the lens are out there, if you have 5 years to find that 1 lens, what is the big deal? It will happen. If you can get a deal on the camera now, then buy buy buy now. If you can get the lens deal now then buy buy now. It does not matter which comes first. I got the deal on the camera first so went for it! Too many photogs spend too much time waiting and planning, never ever doing what they hoped, you got to jump in head first some time and go all in.

I think the concept of what your doing (35x35 ambrotypes) is more important, the work created with the tools is all that matters. The lens I want is out there (one is enough), are available, I have seen them being used. It does not matter to me if I buy the cart or the horse first. 5 years from now both will be trotting down the creative road together.

[gerry yaum]

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Tyson Yerkes 18 000mm f/18 (1016mm Diameter) Lens:
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Attachment 165911
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Wow now that's a lens!

[Mark Sampson]

It's the largest refracting (lens) telescope ever made. At the Yerkes Observatory (in Wisconsin? it's a long time since I thought about it.)

[Fr. Mark]

They took the iris and shutter off? This is almost as bad as those people who cut huge logs into standard lengths instead of leaving them for major building beams for timber framing!

Why wet plate instead of dry plate? Wet plate is much more dangerous, difficult (I think) and I believe one could get the same look if you used the right emulsion making techniques. I'm speculating, not typing from experience. It's a free country in a limited sense, do what you want. I thought I might do wet plate. It was a major justification for the big (to me) Cooke triplet lens. But when I think about the materials involved, and the requirements for taking a darkroom with you, and a look that could be duplicated with hand made gelatin emulsions, or even sensitive blue X-ray film, I am mystified by the appeal.