Using Barrel lenses

[Craig Griffiths]

Perhaps a silly question, but I havent seen too many answers. What are the options to control exposure time when using barrel lenses. I am aware of the options regarding Packard shutters and using lens caps, but are there any other methods that people use.

Thanks in advance

Craig Griffiths

[Ole Tjugen]

Speed Graphic, Thornton-Pickard shutters, Jim Galli's "double darkslide shutter"...

[Craig Griffiths]

Thanks Ole.

So just what is Jim Galli's "Double Darkslide shutter"? Is that as simple as sliding the darkslide out and then back in, or is it more complicated than that? I would imagine that it would only be practical for fairly long exposures.

[rwyoung]

Two darkslides held in your hand. Hold like two cards, spread as a "V". The "V" becomes the exposure slit as you gracefully slide from the lower to the upper slide blocking the lens.

Search over at APUG (and probably here too). For a better description and a few example photo/diagrams if I remember correctly.

[Jim Galli]

The original thread was over at APUG. (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum44/22200-jim-galli-shutter-barrel-lenses-drum-roll-please.html?highlight=Galli+Shutter) Any of these schemes requuires some film with latitude. Slide film and barrel lenses are generally a poor combination. Efke 25 asa film works well. I do many many pictures with my antique barrel lenses where the soft effect only works with the lens wide open. For instance a shot of the Amargosa Opera House on 8X10 with a 14 1/2" Verito at f4. Light meter is calling for 1/250 but the packard can do about 1/30. I'll do the shot and not worry about it. I develop in Pyrocat HD at about half my normal time and get negs that print very easily.


http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/AmargosaDreams.jpg
Amargosa Dreams

[Ole Tjugen]

If you want to use slide film with barrel lenses a reliable shutter is very nice to have. I've done some with my Speed Graphic, which is fitted out with a special lens board with a small universal iris lens mount.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=289797&postcount=4

There's a picture of my camera with that contraption on it somewhere too, but I can't find it now.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=243730&postcount=8

[Mark Sawyer]

Slow film and neutral density filters also come in quite handy with barrel lenses, especially if one is using them at wider apertures in brighter light.

[Sanjay Sen]

I have only used barrel lenses with B&W films, with exposures >= 5 seconds. I shoot FP4+ at EI 100, and with reasonable stopping down, I can easily get to those exposure times. For the actual exposure, I use a plain piece of cardboard (from a packing box): place the cardboard piece in front of the lens, withdraw the dark slide, move the cardboard to "open" the lens, start the countdown using a stopwatch, "close" the lens at the end of the exposure, and put the dark slide back in. Pretty simple, and I am satisfied with the negatives. You could use a lens cap instead of a cardboard piece, but I don't have a cap for my lens.

[jss]

i've used a black kitchen towell. attached it to the front standard with a bungee cord and draped over the end of the barrel. i can flip it up and down at about 1/8 sec. i do this on long barrels where the inside is black. probably not best for the smaller lenses :)

[gbogatko]

Amargosa Dreams

JIM: Well.... I dunno know if this one worked with the verito. Verito's give an overall glow, and with a subject like this one, the overall glow can vier towards just looking like focusing problems. I would not have used a Verito here. IMHO, one of Wolly's modified petzvals like the Focus 5 (which is better at the edges, no streaking) would have done better, or perhaps you could center the middle of the verito on the chairs and then shift the frame to the current composition. This is a hard shot.

George

[Daniel_Buck]

I've used my hat, only works for longer exposures though, for obvious reasons :D

[David Vickery]

If you have any film holders that have slides that are hard to remove with one hand without moving the camera around, as I do, then you will have to use something that will stay over the lens while you remove the dark slide. I found that an old, unused patersen roll film developing tank was large enough to cover even my largest barrel lenses. I lined it with a black velvet-like material to guarantee that it is dark and Black Gaffers tape works good to secure it to the camera.

[Pete Watkins]

Old LUC shutters are somtimes available on G.B. and European E-Bay sites. They come in various sizes and have grub screws that fix the shutter to the lens. You get about 1/25th and they're a dammned sight lighter than Packards.
Best wishes,
Pete

[Ken Lee]

I use a Sinar Shutter (http://www.sinar.ch/site/index__gast-e-1835-50-1962.html), which I purchased second-hand, for my second-hand Sinar P.

It lets you shoot with barrel and regular lenses. Speeds go from 8 seconds to 1/60. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. It is self-cocking, too, so you never have to wonder if you cocked the shutter.

Lately I have been shooting with it indoors (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/heliar.htm), mostly with vintage lenses, but I have used it outdoors (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/portraits/0012a.htm)in full sun also.

See further info here (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/tech.html#Shutter).

[Ernest Purdum]

There is an article on this subject amongst those listed at the bottom of the homepage of this forum.