Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

[Mark Sawyer]

#230743807588
A steal!

Was that lens equipped with a diffusion device? There was a numbered ring, but it was farther back than it should be if this were a clone of the Velostigmat. That the seller said he thought it was a process lens may have driven down the price, and he may have been right...

[Jon Wilson]

It did appear to have the diffusion device and is like one I have one the same lens except for the fact mine has its cells installed in a large ilex shutter. I agree, it was a steal and IMO that was due to the Seller wrongly describing it.

[Lachlan 717]

I had a bid ready on that one and pulled it at the last minute when I discovered it had no actuator for the shutter. Parts for those shutters are just a huge problem. Wish someone would go in production. even if they were pricey, at least you could factor that. The fact that there just are NONE is trouble. Makes it worth quite a bit less than the same lens in a barrel.

Sinar shutter might make this a good option?

[Mark Sawyer]

12 inch f/ 4.5 Dallmeyer Portrait Anastigmat, looked like a nice example of an unusual later soft focus lens. $910 + $60 s&h.

250992341027

[cdholden]

Sinar shutter might make this a good option?

In theory it sounds good, but you have to get it on a lens board first. The factory flange will not fit a Sinar board.
S. K. Grimes has manufactured a thinner, more compact flange. It allows the lens to mount on a Sinar board. I have the barrel version of this lens (and custom flange from a previous owner). The factory barrel mount shares the same diameter/threads as a Studio #4 Shutter flange. I've only used this with front mounted Packard a couple of times, before I got the Sinar shutter.

[Lachlan 717]

In theory it sounds good, but you have to get it on a lens board first. The factory flange will not fit a Sinar board.
S. K. Grimes has manufactured a thinner, more compact flange. It allows the lens to mount on a Sinar board. I have the barrel version of this lens (and custom flange from a previous owner). The factory barrel mount shares the same diameter/threads as a Studio #4 Shutter flange. I've only used this with front mounted Packard a couple of times, before I got the Sinar shutter.

Thanks, Chris.

in general, do you find the Sinar boards "strong" enough to bear the weight of these big lenses?

[Lachlan 717]

In theory it sounds good, but you have to get it on a lens board first. The factory flange will not fit a Sinar board.
S. K. Grimes has manufactured a thinner, more compact flange. It allows the lens to mount on a Sinar board. I have the barrel version of this lens (and custom flange from a previous owner). The factory barrel mount shares the same diameter/threads as a Studio #4 Shutter flange. I've only used this with front mounted Packard a couple of times, before I got the Sinar shutter.

Thanks, Chris.

in general, do you find the Sinar boards "strong" enough to bear the weight of these big lenses?

[cdholden]

The board? No question. It's thick metal.
It's the bearers and carriers I would worry about. This lens is no problem, but if you want to try to mount telescopes and go nuts with custom mounts, at some point you have to consider the torque a heavy lens puts on the system. I don't know if something internally would strip and/or the self-arresting function would just start to slip. I've never pushed the limit. I think this is probably my largest lens (size and weight) that I have mounted on a Sinar board. It's no problem with a Sinar P setup. Another forum member managed to mount a 16" Vitax on a pair of boards in a "custom" fashion with 2 boards, standoffs and some other stuff. He was using it on a Norma and was concerned with the torque. The Norma is lighter and the 16" Vitax is heavier.
I would like to see a 16" Kodak Portrait lens mounted on a Sinar board, but I've not tried to make it work... yet. The 12" works well for that purpose.

[Ramiro Elena]

What's life without a little risk anyway!?

Stephan uses all those heavy lenses on a Sinar afaik.

[cdholden]

What's life without a little risk anyway!?

Stephan uses all those heavy lenses on a Sinar afaik.

Not just a Sinar, but a Norma. HMMMMMMM.....