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Mick Fagan
29-Sep-2016, 23:21
Some time ago I received a phone call from a friend, he was helping a widow with her late husband’s photographic equipment.
He came across an unknown (to me) lens, it is an Apo-Nikkor 600 f/9 which as I see it, is a process camera lens, although I could be wrong.

Regardless, it was hooked up to what we initially thought was an 8x10” camera, however, when inspecting the actual camera, the film gate size looked a tad small. A quick check of the film holder, turns out it was being used with whole plate film.

It is my understanding that the camera, lens and other stuff, hasn’t been used for 20 + years at the least.

My question mainly is about the possibility of getting a shutter for this, or would it be better to use a hat as a shutter as has probably been used in the past. I’m assuming it was used for portrait type of work in the late photographer’s studio.

I have searched the forum and come up with some interesting bits and pieces of information about this lens, any thoughts or comments are welcome.

Mick.

Mick Fagan
29-Sep-2016, 23:23
155672155673155674155675More pictures.

Mick Fagan
29-Sep-2016, 23:24
155676155677155678Last lot of pictures.

Dan Fromm
30-Sep-2016, 05:33
http://www.galerie-photo.com/apo-process-nikkors-en.html

Hang it in front of a shutter or hang a shutter in front of it.

Tracy Storer
30-Sep-2016, 07:14
I use mine with a front mounted Packard shutter, but if you really WANT a "regular" shutter, I believe SKGrimes can finesse it into an Ilex 5.

Tin Can
30-Sep-2016, 07:19
155676155677155678Last lot of pictures.

If that's the camera you will use the 600 on, it's easy to put a Packard inside behind the lens board mount. Maybe an inch spacer to give room for different lenses.

Luis-F-S
30-Sep-2016, 07:42
SKG fitted both a 24 & 30" Artars into a #3 Copal, so I would think a #5 Ilex should be doable. L

tgtaylor
30-Sep-2016, 09:27
I have the 610mm version of this lens which is newer and coated. I had the lens mounted into an Ilex#5 shutter which I supplied by SK Grimes in 2013/2014. He charged me $400 to mount the lens and $100 for a shutter CLA which he said it needed. I supplied the shutter and the lensboard.

Thomas

Tin Can
30-Sep-2016, 09:31
What f-Stop did you end up with?



I have the 610mm version of this lens which is newer and coated. I had the lens mounted into an Ilex#5 shutter which I supplied by SK Grimes in 2013/2014. He charged me $400 to mount the lens and $100 for a shutter CLA which he said it needed. I supplied the shutter and the lensboard.

Thomas

Peter De Smidt
30-Sep-2016, 09:31
I use mine in front of a Sinar shutter.

Drew Wiley
30-Sep-2016, 09:32
In any event it's a wonderful optic IF you want something extremely sharp and superbly color corrected usable over a wide focus range (clear to infinity), having a substantial image circle when stopped down a bit. BUT it's not the best choice if you want smooth out-of-focus rendition ("bokeh") for classic shallow-field portraiture. You can accommodate that shortcoming somewhat by using smudged studio backdrops devoid of hard lines. I recently found myself in a similar predicament deciding whether or not to engage the extra weight and expense or putting a favorite process lens in shutter. With a bit of practice, I was shocked that
I could actually make truly sharp long exposures using the lens-cap-only method.

tgtaylor
30-Sep-2016, 09:46
What f-Stop did you end up with?

f9 to f128.

Thomas

Tin Can
30-Sep-2016, 09:53
Great I thought you might lose wide open. I use my 610 with a Packard behind it.

Thx for the info.



f9 to f128.

Thomas

tgtaylor
30-Sep-2016, 10:01
There's a wealth of info on the Grimes website but Adam also answers the phone and responds to email. He did a good job on my lens.

Thomaas

Eric Woodbury
30-Sep-2016, 10:34
Slow film, stop down a bit, and use your hat for a shutter.

Drew Wiley
30-Sep-2016, 13:16
Has to be at least a XXX Stetson, and preferably a XXXXX; otherwise, the hat leaks light. Wasn't that information somewhere in AA's how-to book, The Negative?

Mick Fagan
2-Oct-2016, 02:14
http://www.galerie-photo.com/apo-process-nikkors-en.html

Hang it in front of a shutter or hang a shutter in front of it.

Many thanks for the link, most interesting. So it is a Tessar design, and yep, it would easily weigh 860g it feels really heavy in the hand.

If I do get this I would probably put a shutter in front of it.

Mick.

Mick Fagan
2-Oct-2016, 02:16
If that's the camera you will use the 600 on, it's easy to put a Packard inside behind the lens board mount. Maybe an inch spacer to give room for different lenses.

I would probably do just that if I do pick this up. Been looking at Packard shutters now, there seems to be some interesting units out there.

Many thanks.

Mick.

Mick Fagan
2-Oct-2016, 02:18
I use mine with a front mounted Packard shutter, but if you really WANT a "regular" shutter, I believe SKGrimes can finesse it into an Ilex 5.

It would seem the cost of something like an Ilex 5 would be prohibitive, considering I and the lens are based in Australia.

Many thanks.

Mick.

Mick Fagan
2-Oct-2016, 02:21
I have the 610mm version of this lens which is newer and coated. I had the lens mounted into an Ilex#5 shutter which I supplied by SK Grimes in 2013/2014. He charged me $400 to mount the lens and $100 for a shutter CLA which he said it needed. I supplied the shutter and the lensboard.

Thomas

A rather sobering amount of dosh, I have priced it somewhere north of $1,000 AUD when taking everything into consideration.

Many thanks.

Mick.

Mick Fagan
2-Oct-2016, 02:27
Is anyone able to explain why there are three, seemingly identical, f/stops in the box?

Mick.