Chamonix 8x10: choose 1 multi purpose barrel lens

[Steven Ferson]

Hello,

After almost 1 year using my Chamonix with a Fuji 250 and Fuji 360, I have an idea of what my lenses are capable of and what not. Most of all I m aware of the weight limitations of the camera and effects of bellow extension.

This has kept my GAS for more lenses under control :-). In the future I will probably add a 210, a leightweight Fuji 300 A or C for hiking and a Nikkor 450 in modern shutters.

Meanwhile I keep my eyes open for a barrel lens. From what I have seen I prefer the Tessar or Heliar rendering, and not so much the petzval swirls or soft focus stuff. There are probably other options out there.

I would opt for a f4,5 barrel to keep options open to try an occasional dry or wet plate (I know some folks shooting wet plate on older cams)

What is the better compromise here, geven the limitations of the Chamonix?
- weight
- no sinar shutter
- size of flange limited to sinar board size

I want to buy 1 lens for multiple purposes: portrait (flash, heliar look in stead of Uber sharp plasmat ), long exposures, dry plate or positive paper landscape, wide open shallow dof (flash in darkness), wet plate

Should I limit myself to the 300 mm f4,5 Tessars (and clones), due to size and weight. I know a 300 is probably not covering, but this seems no problem at portrait distance. Does it cover at infinity for landscape when stopped down?

A 360 Tessar covers with margin, but might be to big/heavy.

Is there anyone with first hand experience on the Chamonix or recommendations for a good Tessar style f4 lens in the 300mm range are welcome!

Steven

[Hugo Zhang]

Steven,

A Heliar 30cm f/4.5 lens in a compound shutter will work with your camera based upon my personal experience. I use a similar Apo-Lanthar 30cm lens with mine all the time.

Hugo

[CreationBear]

You might check out the Schneider Xenar 300/4.5–definitely a more manageable package than, say, the Kodak Portrait 305/4.5 or the like. :)

[MartyNL]

The Hugo Meyer Görlitz Trioplan may be a good option as I believe many were made of aluminium.
I only have the 260mm f4.5 red V for 4x5 but it's 'as light as a feather' compared to just about all of my other barrel lenses. There's also a 300 and 360mm.

There's a well-known pdf. by Arne Cröll about these lenses and more, available for download.

[Mark Sawyer]

Any 300mm f/4.5 Tessar will cover 8x10 at infinity, and as the Tessar is a very forgiving design to make, most any will be fine. Coated or not is up to you, possibilities include the Zeiss Tessar, Russian Industar (only in a barrel), Kodak Ektar (not the Commercial Ektar, that's f/6.3), Schneider Kreuznach Xenar, or Dallmeyer Serrac. If you like the Heliar, you might also consider the Meyer Trioplan, as both are variations of the Cooke Triplet, which would be my first choice, but will also break the bank.

[Steven Ferson]

Your first choice Cooke lens that will break the bank is it the modern Cooke XVa in shutter ? Or the older Taylor Hobson Cooke anastigmats in barrel?

[drew.saunders]

I see three 300/4.5 Fujinar lenses in barrel on eBay right now, all seem to have flanges. The Fujinar is another Tessar clone. I have the 210/4.5 in Copal 3S and 250/4.7 in a Copal 3S, and they’re two of my favorite lenses. At least from the photos, all 3 look like they’re made post-1970, possibly even newer. If I could accommodate barrel lenses, I’d buy one of them happily vs a more expensive and/or much older Tessar or Xenar (and I have one of each! You could say I’m quite fond of single coated Tessar-types!)

[Mark Sawyer]

Your first choice Cooke lens that will break the bank is it the modern Cooke XVa in shutter ? Or the older Taylor Hobson Cooke anastigmats in barrel?

The Cooke Triplet (three single uncemented elements), which is either the Cooke Portrait Lens (there are several variations) or the Cooke Aviar. The Cooke XVa is a triple convertible, but definitely NOT a triplet design, having eight elements in four cemented groups.

[Steven Ferson]

Good to know that the fujinars are fine.
However importing to EU from Japan costs 30% customs and taxes. Prices with taxes go in the direction of a heliar…, but the Fuji,s are in much better shape than the low price heliars. One might show up in the EU in the coming months.

[Vaidotas]

Boyer Saphir - another tessar clone
What cames in mind to me as universal barrels -
Goerz Dagor f.6.8 or its clones
Berthiot Olor f5.7
Not so fast as you wish but very suitable for portraiture wide open at least to my taste.
Maybe few barrels for different applications is an answer?

[drew.saunders]

Good to know that the fujinars are fine.
However importing to EU from Japan costs 30% customs and taxes. Prices with taxes go in the direction of a heliar…, but the Fuji,s are in much better shape than the low price heliars. One might show up in the EU in the coming months.

The one from "The Rangefinder" is in Quebec. Does that reduce customs and fees? It also looks nearly new. I presume poutine is not included...

I'm tempted, don't need it yet, not sure if I have space for it, but...

[Mark Sawyer]

I'm tempted, don't need it yet, not sure if I have space for it, but...

You need it. You probably need two or three of them...

[peter brooks]

The Cooke Triplet (three single uncemented elements), which is either the Cooke Portrait Lens (there are several variations) or the Cooke Aviar...

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think the Aviar is a dialyt - four elements in a symmetrical arrangement (two groups). Great lenses though.

[Steven Ferson]

The one from "The Rangefinder" is in Quebec. Does that reduce customs and fees? It also looks nearly new. I presume poutine is not included...

I'm tempted, don't need it yet, not sure if I have space for it, but...

Importing from overseas to EU involves customs. If there is a work around, it probably involves a declaration of a very low value of the parcel…

May be worth the risk for an almost for free barrel, but not forth this fujinar.
Steven

[mhayashi]

Other than lenses mentioned above,
There are
Late xenar sc 30cm f5.6 in copal 3 shutter
Xenar 30cm f4.5 in compound V shutter
Cooke portrait Series II and variant 12” f3.5 and f4.5 in barrels
Heliar 30cm f3.5 in barrel
Zeiss Jena Planar Ia 300mm f4.5
and so on.

[Mark Sawyer]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think the Aviar is a dialyt - four elements in a symmetrical arrangement (two groups). Great lenses though.

My understanding is that the Aviar was developed by Cooke/TTH during WWI, independently of the Dialyt, and used different glass but a similar layout to the Dialyt. I could be wrong too, there is conflicting information out there.

[mdarnton]

I have a 36cm Heliar. At f/8, where I usually use it, it's kind of painfully sharp.

I prefer tessars, generally. If you want to cheap out in that category, Russian tessars: the Industar 37, specifically.