Hi,
I'm in the market for a petzval lens of some description to take a portrait or two on 4x5. I would like to have it in shutter with a diaphragm and be multicoated .... but I'll have to compromise ...
I've got the shutter thing covered. One uses a 'Packard' shutter on the front. But the aperture diaphram thing? I've been watching EBay and reading some of the old catalogues at cameraecentric and I can't remember seeing a production lens with an aperture diaphram. As I understand it the aperture diaphragm appeared sometime around 1900? And the Petzval style of lens was made in fewer numbers from that time on as well.
Can someone enlighten me to the name/s of lenses suitable to the task? I've got a 4 inch lensboard limit (Shen Hao 5x7). I really don't want to fiddle with waterhouse stops and one EBay dealer told me to use a card with a hole in it!! (I don't even know whether this would work. Isn't the position of the aperture important?)
There is a lens dealer here in Aust on EBay who, in my opinion, doesn't give very good descriptions nor photos and I'm thinking they might be copy lenses?!? (is this possible?). They do not have any markings apparently?!? No names nor serial nums ...
Its a bit of a minefield this vintage stuff isn't it!
Cheers,
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