Brand New Lenses

[pepeguitarra]

Is there a place where we can buy BRAND new lenses for LR, or do we have to live buying used or faulty lenses? Also, can we buy shutters by themselves, who manufactures them? Do they only sell to the lens makers? I cannot believe a used shutter is sold for more than what a lens cost. I am glad at least someone is building brand new cameras, but what about lenses? Thanks, Pepe

[Leigh]

Is there a place where we can buy BRAND new lenses for LR...

What's "LR"?

- Leigh

[Doremus Scudder]

What's "LR"? Leigh

"R" is pretty close to "F" on the keyboard, so I'm guessing LF (especially since this is an LF forum...)

@OP,

Most LF lenses are no longer made, especially those for film cameras. Rodenstock and Schneider have limited offerings aimed at the digital market. Nikkor and Fujinon no longer make LF lenses. Mechanical shutters for LF lenses are also no longer manufactured; electronic shutters are made for some applications still. Add to that the there are now more limited resources for film holders (Toyo and Chamonix are among the few makers left), filters for black-and-white applications, etc., etc. and you see why the used market is where we turn to for many of our needs.

Best,

Doremus

[photog_ed]

Cooke Optics is still making their Triple Convertible Lens as well as a 4x5 portrait lens. Badger Graphics lists several “analog” Rodenstock lenses available by special order.

[pepeguitarra]

LR is wrong, I should have typed LF. Thanks for the answer, it is sad. I was at a local photographic store in my area looking for some used film stuff and when asked the owner if he had some 35mm film stuff, he said that everyday he is getting stuff from people moving to digital, or people who died (and their kids see this stuff as trash). Then, he pulled at least 14 Leicas valued from $15K to $25K, new collectables that people are cashing in, Thanks to that, I can get good prices sometimes. However, when asked about Large Format, he said the LF has few years left, especially 8x10. He said, he has seen the trend showing 8x10 dying during the last 20 years. He gave me hope with 4x5, he said he has seen that one on the rise, but not by much.
I am happy to see couple of young guys in England that started a small company manufacturing wooden 4x5 film cameras (The Intrepid). I just wish there would be a way to convince someone to keep the dream alive.

[Pere Casals]

I cannot believe a used shutter is sold for more than what a lens cost.

This because the Law of Supply and Demand in the used market.

In the past photographers had been upgrading their gear by replacing cells and reusing the shutter, so at the end there are more glass circulating around than shutters. The glass in excess even overruns the amount of shutters killed by mechanical failure.


Law of Supply and Demand:

[Sal Santamaura]

Is there a place where we can buy BRAND new lenses...

Yes. Here are a few off the top of my head:

http://www.linhofstudio.com/products...Lens-Schneider
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ar_S_Lens.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...5mm_f_4_5.html

There are probably others. All, to the best of my knowledge, are selling new, unused lenses produced in the past.

...Also, can we buy shutters by themselves...

Yes. See here:

http://www.skgrimes.com/products/new...standardcopals

Again, new, unused products that are no longer in production.

[paulbarden]

As was pointed out, Cooke still makes an excellent 8x10 lens. Its not cheap, but it’s a beautiful lens.

That said, I own several “period” lenses, including a Schneider Symmar-S 240mm and a Kodak Ektar 12” f6.8 and both are in excellent shape and perform beautifully. The Schneider cost me $350, and the Ektar can be had for around $500-$1000 depending on condition. There is absolutely no reason for you to avoid purchasing a lens that maybe 20-60 years old as long as it’s in reasonable condition and affordable. These lenses are excellent investments and will likely serve you well for the next 40 years.

It’s fair to say that 4x5 has always been the more popular format than 8x10 (or larger) for cost reasons, and that is no different now. I think the salesman you talked with was being especially cynical, since I know Blue Moon in Portland always has 8x10 equipment available and all the film supplies you could want, and they are thriving. 8x10 isn’t a huge part of their business, but it’s as healthy as it ever was.

[Dhuiting]

LR is wrong, I should have typed LF. Thanks for the answer, it is sad. I was at a local photographic store in my area looking for some used film stuff and when asked the owner if he had some 35mm film stuff, he said that everyday he is getting stuff from people moving to digital, or people who died (and their kids see this stuff as trash). Then, he pulled at least 14 Leicas valued from $15K to $25K, new collectables that people are cashing in, Thanks to that, I can get good prices sometimes. However, when asked about Large Format, he said the LF has few years left, especially 8x10. He said, he has seen the trend showing 8x10 dying during the last 20 years. He gave me hope with 4x5, he said he has seen that one on the rise, but not by much.
I am happy to see couple of young guys in England that started a small company manufacturing wooden 4x5 film cameras (The Intrepid). I just wish there would be a way to convince someone to keep the dream alive.

I’m a 30-something LF photographer who moved to 8x10 after experimenting with 35, then medium format, then 4x5. I know other younger folks that are doing the same. There’s definitely a resurgence happening.

Case in point, the Intrepid camera company put out a Kickstarter for an 8x10 camera and made their goal more than 10 times over. (Goal was £18,000 and they got £220,722). If that’s not evidence that 8 x 10 is not dying, I don’t know what is.

379 people ordered 8x10 cameras. Pretty cool. They started going out around the beginning of the year (still waiting for mine) and all those people are going to be looking for film, lenses, YouTube content, and hopefully joining forums like this to keep film alive.

It’s inspiring to see for sure.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dan Fromm]

This because the Law of Supply and Demand in the used market.

Growing demand (demand curve shifts outwards) or falling supply (supply curve shifts inwards)? We can't tell which without good data and statistical analysis.

I've always believed that, in alphabetical order, Fuji, Nikon, Rodenstock and Schneider stopped making lenses for LF because of falling demand and because used lenses that were competitive with new production came to market in relatively large numbers at prices below the cost of making new ones. Production of mechanical leaf shutters died with production of LF lenses. Remember, we users weren't shutter manufacturers' customers, lens makers were.

I'm all for solidarity among Dans and would like to share Dan Huiting's belief in a resurgence of LF camera manufacturers, but I just can't. 379 buyers for a new 8x10 camera that's price competitive with used ones doesn't seem like many. Niche product, and 4x5s too, both for small niches, I fear.

A propos of supply and demand, I track offerings of a couple of obscure makes of lenses. Listing on the various eBays must be very inexpensive. How else to explain the same old lenses being offered over and over and over .... again? The lenses are there in smaller numbers than a casual observer would think. Asking prices (opening bids or BIN prices) could be too high or, equally likely, very few people want the things.

Last year I went shopping for a couple of Fujinons on eBay.com and saw the same. Decent lenses at low prices offered many times.