Kodak No.36 12" Anastigmat 4.5 shutter mounting question.

[robertraymer]

I was curious if anyone has ever had one of these lenses mounted in a shutter. I have been looking for one forever since I love how my No. 33 Anastigmat looks and finally found a very nice deal on one that is in great condition, so I am hoping to have it mounted into a shutter. My understanding was that these lenses were supplied by Kodak either in barrel or mounted in an Ilex #5 Universal shutter (at least according to the Kodak Reference Handbook from 1946), but when I emailed SK Grimes to ask about more information they gave me a reasonable quote, but said their records showed them previously mounting it in a Betax #5. I have no reason to doubt them, but I also imagine that the Kodak Handbook is accurate as well. I would not care so much if I was just sending them the lens and having them mount it to whichever one fit, but since I have buy the shutter and send it in with the lens for mounting I would hate to buy the wrong one and ship them both only to find out that it doesn't work and be out time, shipping, and labor.

Any help or clarification would be appreciated.

[BrianShaw]

I can’t answer the question... sorry. The Kodak Anastigmat is one of my favorite lenses, though. My suggestion is to contact a second opinion, and maybe a second source for the job to consider:

https://alphaxbetax.com/

[robertraymer]

@BrianShaw thanks. I came across them when I was looking into a BeTax #5 that SK Grimes recommended. I will send them an email and see if they happen to know which one will fit properly.

[Ari]

I had the 12" Anastigmat in a Compound shutter, looked great in that shutter!

[Bernice Loui]

Might be more cost effective to find a 12" f4.5 Kodak Ektar in Ilex# 5 than to do the mount barrel lens into shutter thing..


Bernice

[robertraymer]

@Ari what size compound was it? Im hoping to use something with flash sync, but depending knowing all my options would be good.

@Bernice I actually had the 12" 4.5 Ektar in an Ilex #5 and sold it a while ago. I had always heard great things about it and it came with a camera I bought a while ago, but I was never happy with it. Maybe it was personal preference or maybe I had a bad copy, but it never performed the way I had imagined it would. I had been looking for the 12" 4.5 Anastigmat forever and never thought I would actually find one. If I had known that I would and that it would need an Ilex #5 I probably would have kept the Ektar.

[Louis Pacilla]

The Kodak No36 Anastigmat 12"f4.5 is the same Tessar Ic formula as the 12" f4.5 Ektar. What am I missing?

[robertraymer]

A quick follow up question. I know that some Ilex shutters, at least #5's, were made specifically for Kodak and that they were threaded and/or measured different than the non-kodak versions. If I get an Ilex #5 for Kodak will I even need to get it mounted by a professional, or would the lens just screw right into the shutter?

[robertraymer]

The Kodak No36 Anastigmat 12"f4.5 is the same Tessar Ic formula as the 12" f4.5 Ektar. What am I missing?


I don't know. I thought the same thing. I did not have the 12" No.36 Anastigmat to compare it directly to at the time, but the Ektar looked very different to me than my No.33 Anastigmat that I have on my Series D Graflex. The sharpness, contrast, and falloff looked very different to me. Maybe I had a bad copy or maybe it was all in my head. Either way I ended up selling the Ektar.

[Bernice Loui]

Compound# 5 shutters (would be needed for a 12" f4.5) are way under rated and appreciated. Long as the air cylinder is in GOOD condition, they work. X flash sync.

Owned (to this day) a 12" f4.5 Ektar for decades, it remains one of the all time faves. Possible the example used was made wrong in some way before it happened your way. What was un-desierable about the 12" f4.5 Ektar?

Kodak Ilex# 5 shutters have different thread sizes than the normal Ilex# 5 shutter. They are NOT interchangeable. Shutter opening diameter is the same.


Bernice



@Ari what size compound was it? Im hoping to use something with flash sync, but depending knowing all my options would be good.

@Bernice I actually had the 12" 4.5 Ektar in an Ilex #5 and sold it a while ago. I had always heard great things about it and it came with a camera I bought a while ago, but I was never happy with it. Maybe it was personal preference or maybe I had a bad copy, but it never performed the way I had imagined it would. I had been looking for the 12" 4.5 Anastigmat forever and never thought I would actually find one. If I had known that I would and that it would need an Ilex #5 I probably would have kept the Ektar.

[robertraymer]

Compound# 5 shutters (would be needed for a 12" f4.5) are way under rated and appreciated. Long as the air cylinder is in GOOD condition, they work. X flash sync.

Owned (to this day) a 12" f4.5 Ektar for decades, it remains one of the all time faves. Possible the example used was made wrong in some way before it happened your way. What was un-desierable about the 12" f4.5 Ektar?

Kodak Ilex# 5 shutters have different thread sizes than the normal Ilex# 5 shutter. They are NOT interchangeable. Shutter opening diameter is the same.


Bernice

I know the Ilex and Kodak Ilex are not interchangeable. I was wondering more if I would be able to simply screw the No. 36 directly into a Kodak Ilex #5 myself without needing any modification or if I would still have to send it out to have someone mount it professionally as I would for a non-Kodak Ilex #5.

As for the Ektar I never found it as sharp or as contrasty as the Anastigmat, and the falloff from the in focus to out of focus areas did not seem as smooth. Like I said, I only had the No 33 to compare it to, but being the same formula I had imagined that the results would have been quite similar. It did not look "bad" by any means, I just preferred the Anastigmat.

[Bernice Loui]

Direct "screw in" from barrel to shutter will not happen. Not just threading, the lens cell spacing on these vintage lenses are often specific to the lens cell set. Having micrometer measured a number of Kodak Ektars and other, the cell spacing was never identical between same focal length lenses. The most apparent reason or this has to do with how these lenses were made back in the day. Each lens cell set was specifically calibrated and set to the lens barrel or shutter adapters during lens production and testing.

Seems the choice would be to get the Anastigmat mounted into a# 5 shutter or get something like a Sinar shutter, packard shutter, dropping guillotine shutter, Galli double sheet shutter or similar shutter on to the camera used. If the exposure is long enough, lens cap works too.


Bernice



I know the Ilex and Kodak Ilex are not interchangeable. I was wondering more if I would be able to simply screw the No. 36 directly into a Kodak Ilex #5 myself without needing any modification or if I would still have to send it out to have someone mount it professionally as I would for a non-Kodak Ilex #5.

As for the Ektar I never found it as sharp or as contrasty as the Anastigmat, and the falloff from the in focus to out of focus areas did not seem as smooth. Like I said, I only had the No 33 to compare it to, but being the same formula I had imagined that the results would have been quite similar. It did not look "bad" by any means, I just preferred the Anastigmat.

[fuegocito]

Having played with various versions of Wollensak's Velostigmat II lenses(both fitting in different shutters and barrel lens), and having both Kodak 12" F/4.5 Ektar and Anastigmat in different shutter, and non of them are interchangeable, I would say it's more than likely the barrel form will not simply screw into a No#5 shutter. It might be just easier, or more economical to look for the same lens in a shutter.

[robertraymer]

Direct "screw in" from barrel to shutter will not happen. Not just threading, the lens cell spacing on these vintage lenses are often specific to the lens cell set. Having micrometer measured a number of Kodak Ektars and other, the cell spacing was never identical between same focal length lenses. The most apparent reason or this has to do with how these lenses were made back in the day. Each lens cell set was specifically calibrated and set to the lens barrel or shutter adapters during lens production and testing.

Seems the choice would be to get the Anastigmat mounted into a# 5 shutter or get something like a Sinar shutter, packard shutter, dropping guillotine shutter, Galli double sheet shutter or similar shutter on to the camera used. If the exposure is long enough, lens cap works too.


Bernice

Thanks for all the help. I assumed that it would require more than just screwing in, but Im glad I now know that for sure. Looks like its time to see which one of these options will work best and most economically for what I need.

[paulbarden]

In my experience, the Kodak Anastigmats are beautiful lenses, and extremely sharp when you want them to be. Well worth investing in.
Here is a recent photograph (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51102092114_d71d8cbf88_3k.jpg) made on home-made 5x7 dry plate (Foma emulsion, hand coated), using a 6&3/8" Kodak Anastigmat lens at f8.0.

[robertraymer]

In my experience, the Kodak Anastigmats are beautiful lenses, and extremely sharp when you want them to be. Well worth investing in.
Here is a recent photograph (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51102092114_d71d8cbf88_3k.jpg) made on home-made 5x7 dry plate (Foma emulsion, hand coated), using a 6&3/8" Kodak Anastigmat lens at f8.0.

Absolutely agree. One of my favorites. The reason I started this thread was that my No. 33 I often use with my Series D Graflex is one of my favorite portrait lenses, so much so that I have been looking for a No. 36 for the last 4 years or so to use on 8x10. I finally found one I was actually able to get my hands on and now Im Looking for a good way to mount it so I can use it on my Cambo.