Are additional lens elements made and kept as stock?

[StoneNYC]

The title of this is probably confusing, what I'm asking is simple, the fact is they aren't making any more large-format lenses in general, the lenses that I plan to use for a very long time will include the full fujinon C lineup (300, 450, 600) and possibly the Nikon 150 sw.

In preparation for shooting these for many many years, I was thinking perhaps it would be prudent to purchase an additional front lens element and rear lens element just in case they were to get severely scratched somehow.

I do not think it makes sense to actually buy a whole lens, as by the time that I'm going to be scratching one of these lenses I probably will need to send it out for a CLA anyway. So why not just pick up just the front lens element and rear lens element pieces and store them "just in case".

Do stock of these kinds of lens elements exist somewhere? That's my question.

I think it would be a waste to have to buy a double set of each lens just to be sure I could use them for the next 80 years (yep I plan to live a long life and hope ilford will be around then hah!

Anyone know?

[Bob Salomon]

No. In fact, while Rodenstock will sell front and rear elements as a set they will not ship them without having first also mounted them into a shutter or a lens mount as that is the only way that they can be sure that the lens performs to factory spec. Factory spec performance is not a DIY job.

And largwe format lenses are still in production, just not very many are. In Rodenstock's case the 135, 150 and 210mm Apo Sironar S and the 120 APO MAcro Sironar are current production lenses.

[vinny]

I dropped a lens in Convict lake once. We fished it out with two ski poles. Good as new once dried out. I keep step up rings on all my lenses which don't have 82mm threads. Lens falls, step up ring hits fiirst. I don't have a uv filter on any lens I own and I've never scratched one. I RARELY clean a lens. A lens needs a pretty severe scratch to ruin an image in most cases if it's wearing the proper shade. Even if these extra elements were available, how much do you have to spend? Have you seen factory prices on brand new lenses in shutters? That'll give you an idea. Kinda like buying a car, piece by piece.
Stock up on velvia instead.

[StoneNYC]

So basically I should plan to stock up and buy duplicates of everything for the long haul haha. Good to know!

[Bob Salomon]

So basically I should plan to stock up and buy duplicates of everything for the long haul haha. Good to know!

Or take care of what you do have and get a full replacement insurance policy for them just in case.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Don't stock up now. Demand will continue to drop and prices will follow accordingly. Buy when needed.

Better to stock up on film and paper.
.

[Noah A]

If you buy an extra backup lens then you'll get a backup shutter too. Barring impact damage, the shutter is likely to fail before the lens elements.

[StoneNYC]

If you buy an extra backup lens then you'll get a backup shutter too. Barring impact damage, the shutter is likely to fail before the lens elements.

That's something that I was thinking as well.

Also to the demand and supply comment, I think certain lenses will become more expensive as they are "better" in unique ways, the ones I've chosen are all special lenses and I would guess "future classics" and that's my concern, having to find them when others will not let them go. I mean, I still haven't ever actually seen the 600mm C lens anywhere ... I can't even find a picture of it, it's so rare in my eyes. I'm worried about even being able to find one.

[William Whitaker]

Hell, just give up photography.

[vinny]

Hell, just give up photography.
That's ridiculous. I guess you could take up drawing then:http://raquelokyay.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/cart-before-horse-2.jpg

[StoneNYC]

I'll make my own emulsions when it's no longer available from ilford.

[BrianShaw]

Anyone know?

Nobody really knows.

[StoneNYC]

Nobody really knows.

Does anybody really know what time it is?... Does anybody care?

[Tony Lakin]

How about purchasing 2 Cooke XVa convertibles, one in shutter one without, will cover all 3 focal length Fujinons you mention give or take a few mm, take up less space in your bag and as a plus you can combine two front cells or two rear cells giving a couple of extra in between focal lengths.

[StoneNYC]

How about purchasing 2 Cooke XVa convertibles, one in shutter one without, will cover all 3 focal length Fujinons you mention give or take a few mm, take up less space in your bag and as a plus you can combine two front cells or two rear cells giving a couple of extra in between focal lengths.

Weight? Image quality? X-sync capability? Shutter speed? Shutter performance and reliability and repairability? Color APO lens?

I'm asking, I don't know their qualities.

[Mark Sawyer]

That's ridiculous. I guess you could take up drawing then...

Haven't you heard? So many artists have switched to digital graphic design that no one is making pencils and paper any more. Better stock up now...

[goamules]

Weight? Image quality? X-sync capability? Shutter speed? Shutter performance and reliability and repairability? Color APO lens?

I'm asking, I don't know their qualities.

Research, read, learn?

[cowanw]

here's for a start
http://www.cookeoptics.com/l/xva.html

[StoneNYC]

Haven't you heard? So many artists have switched to digital graphic design that no one is making pencils and paper any more. Better stock up now...

I just found out kids aren't being taught cursive anymore because no one writes anymore...

So you might be partially right...

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I just found out kids aren't being taught cursive anymore because no one writes anymore...

In some schools perhaps, but this is hardly universal. The sky isn't falling, and kids still learn how to write and read.

Before you buy double stock of everything, you might want to use what you have for more than a few years. My current set up is very different then the one I had 20 years ago or even 10 years ago. I wouldn't go back to either, although the quality of the lenses I am using hasn't changed much.

[Mark Sawyer]

I just found out kids aren't being taught cursive anymore because no one writes anymore...

But they still speak cursive very fluently...

[StoneNYC]

But they still speak cursive very fluently...

You mean curseING ;)

[EdSawyer]

I think in time good spare shutters will be just as valuable/rare as good spare lens elements. So, if you really need a 2nd copy of a lens, get a whole lens with shutter. Much easier to sell that way if you ever needed to, than to sell a set of elements. Prices are incredibly low for some lenses now (e.g. everything other than brass/soft focus lenses and certain others), and likely won't go much lower, say for 210 plasmats or stuff like that.

[StoneNYC]

I think in time good spare shutters will be just as valuable/rare as good spare lens elements. So, if you really need a 2nd copy of a lens, get a whole lens with shutter. Much easier to sell that way if you ever needed to, than to sell a set of elements. Prices are incredibly low for some lenses now (e.g. everything other than brass/soft focus lenses and certain others), and likely won't go much lower, say for 210 plasmats or stuff like that.

Yea... Why did I have to choose the expensive ones...