I believe that the 12" Ilex Paragon you mention is a Tessar-formula lens that will not cover 11x14 at infinity... can't comment on the 12" Dagor, but they are supposed to cover very well when stopped down. An Ilex Acme shutter that has been serviced in the last decade should be just fine.
There's a great deal of LF lens information on the front page of this site, if you want to wander around over there.
Last edited by Mark Sampson; 30-Nov-2023 at 09:40.
12inch Dagor covers 11x14, at least mine does. Of course, there are many flavors of Dagors.
Is the Kang Rinpoche S 600 F11.5 still being sold?
Lachlan.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky
thread:Originally Posted by Lachlan 717
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...inon-C-600mm-)
My best guess is that a few dozen of them were offered FS years ago. Possibly the mfg. acquired a batch of OEM Copal #3 shutters and mounted reproductions of the 600mm Fujinon-C in them. The one I acquired definitely was mounted in an original OEM Copal. I did hear years ago that a stash/batch of OEM Copals were sold by a NYC dealer to an overseas buyer... coincidental???
Brett Weston used a 19 inch Dagor on his 11 x 14. I've seen a photograph of him with that camera in which that detail was discernible. His was mounted in a No. 5 Compound; they also came in the No. 5 Ilex Universal. This focal length would be roughly equivalent to 13 inch on 8 x 10. Not sure when Goerz discontinued the 19, 16 1/2, and 14 inch Dagors. They are in their 1951 catalog on the cameraeccentric website. A circa 1955 photographic supply house catalog I have shows 12 inch as the longest Dagor.
Of course finding one of these will be a bit difficult and the asking price is sure to be eye-watering.
David
While I'd mentioned the 305 G-Claron that I still own...my very first lens for 11x14 was a 19.5 inch Eastman Anastigmat - very reasonably priced in a barrel, and quite nice!
I then moved on to an old 12" Berlin Dagor (series 3 I think?) mounted in a compound shutter, then later still a 14" Blue Dot Trigor - latest Kern-built version in a Copal #3 shutter...the cat's pajamas!
(Just prior to that Trigor...I'd taken "on trial" a 14" Kern-built Dagor - fantastic for 8x10 but for 11x14 the curvature of field was visible. So that lens went back to Lens and Repro, who'd then sent me the Trigor - which was flat, breathtakingly sharp, and had a nice signature (and wonderful for doing 4x5 color chromes!)
Another option for an 11x14 is a 14" Commercial Ektar or the 355mm Caltar (a Commercial Ektar clone). Will Whitaker and I did a head-to-head test of the Caltar, a Commercial Ektar, and the Schneider Kern gold dot Dagor, and found that while the Kern had the highest contrast of the three, it had the ugliest out of focus areas. The Caltar had the best bokeh, but the least contrast, and the Commercial Ektar was the happy medium - slightly less smooth bokeh than the Caltar, but better contrast overall. I kept my CE and I think Will bought either a Caltar or the CE, and returned the Kern.
Well I have searched what I can on-line and it seems the only 300mm lens I currently own that may cover 11x14 is that Dagor. Fortunately I do have some time to test it and find out if it works.
I have the 300mm Dagor, the Paragon Anastigmat (which seems to be a Tessar formula) and a Fuji 300 C.
The Viewfinder is the Soul of the Camera
If you don't believe it, look into an 8x10 viewfinder!
Dan
A few years ago, I asked a question about the Schneider 165mm SA’s ability to cover 7x17 (circa same IC as 11x14”) as there was some speculation that it might; however, there was no definitive answer.
Guess I’ll pose it here as well, given the similarities in IC.
Lachlan.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky
I don't see it working -
https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/02156/02156.pdf
Image circle 393mm , enough to cover 10x12" with a little bit of wiggle room.
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