PDA

View Full Version : Old lenses, and new shutters?



hnaa
30-Nov-2008, 15:46
Hello,
I have a question in the camera forum as well, about old cameras. I have a question about lenses as well. I'm new to large format, so please bear with me. It is important for the project I'm preparing for, to use old equipment, with history. If I get an old brass lens, for example, how will I mount it onto a shutter, and which kind of shutter should I use?

Gordon Moat
30-Nov-2008, 15:59
One of the easiest solutions is a Packard shutter, which you can still buy new, or even find many good used examples. You would need a diameter that matches or exceeds the diameter of the lens. Then mounting could be done with woodworking tools.

Larger circular multi-speed shutters are another option. Unfortunately some of the largest are nearly as expensive as more modern lenses, due to collectors or simply rarity. A Compound 5 could work for many old lenses, yet these go for quite a bit of money, unless you are lucky. Some of the Betax and Alphax shutters can be found at lower cost, though the size 4 or bigger are not very common. Expect any of these to need service or cleaning.

A really rare item would be a roller blind shutter, such as those made by Thornton Pickard and others. These appear to be a box, with speed setting, and a focal plane cloth shutter, that operates much like a window shade. Good luck finding one that is in working condition and light tight.

You might also consider dedicating a camera to your brass lens, such as a Speed Graphic. Old press cameras with a large focal plane shutter built into the body might be functionally better than trying to find an old large shutter. Then all you need is a lens board for your brass lens.

Last is simply using a lens cap. With practice, you can probably do 2 seconds exposures very reliably. Longer exposures would also be simple to do. Recall that in the golden age of photography, people would sit for nearly 30 seconds or so for a portrait, so this is still a valid technique.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

Ken Lee
30-Nov-2008, 16:46
Another option is to get a Sinar camera and a Sinar shutter (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/tech.html#SinarShutter). It lets you use almost any barrel lens, and it also lets you use lenses that are already in a shutter.

Because it is a modern shutter, you get very precise control of exposure, down to 8 seconds, even if your lens is from the year 1888.

Used Sinar cameras and accessories are widely available and affordable, because many studio photographers for whom Sinar was the professional work horse, have gone over to a digital workflow.

I got mine, for less than you would pay for entry-level digital SLR which would be obsolete before you paid if off.

There is a whole world (http://www.igorcamera.com/lenses_in_barrel.htm) of barrel-mounted lenses, and they are generally much cheaper than their in-shutter counterparts.

This combination gives you the best of both worlds, old and new.

Ken Lee
30-Nov-2008, 17:00
There have been many threads and postings on this forum, featuring vintage lenses and their special qualities.

One of the great champions and experimenters in this line, is Jim Galli.

You should definitely have a look at his site (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/). Just scroll down on his home page. Each link will point you to... something else you will want to explore.

Ole Tjugen
30-Nov-2008, 23:13
A Speed Graphic with an universal iris lens mount is just perfect:

Jim Galli
30-Nov-2008, 23:41
Thanks Ken Lee. Ole's suggestion is a very sound one. I have 2 speed graphic's with curtain shutter, a 4X5 and a 5X7. Then I have my most used camera, and 8X10 Kodak 2D with a Packard Shutter built in. The Packard (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Article_About_Packard_Shutters.html) is capable of speeds from roughly 1/25th on down to bulb. Old lenses don't lend themselves very well to modern shutters. It's remarkably freeing to be able to cobble any antique lens I can dredge up onto the 2D and instantly make pictures.

Bjorn Nilsson
1-Dec-2008, 00:04
Jim Galli, humble as always. :)
Please do a search for the patented "Jim Galli shutter". It's a good working solution, which comes in very handy and it's camera and brand independent. (Feel free to add smilies whereever you want them.)

//Björn

Andrew
1-Dec-2008, 01:15
always sk grimes for those with $$$
http://www.skgrimes.com/lensmount/index.htm

Steve Hamley
1-Dec-2008, 07:25
S.K. Grimes is expensive, but the work is top notch and custom mounting lenses into shutters, especially when they weren't designed to fit, has never been cheap.

The solutions discussed are good ones, and one should never just throw money at ordinary glass to put it in a shutter, but for those lenses whose cost, rarity, or purpose are such that shutter mounting is viable or desirable, it's nice to have those options.

Cheers,

Steve

venchka
1-Dec-2008, 12:26
At the moment, I have two old lenses:

1. Early 20th century Voigtlander & Sohn Collinear II No. 4 7 7/8" f/5.4 barrel lens mounted on a Speed Graphic board attached to my 1953 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. The focal plane shutter works fine from 1/30 to 1/1000 sec. Naturally it also has a T setting.

2. Early 20th century Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear lens cells screwed into a 1953 Kodak Supermatic (X) shutter. focal length approximately 6". I'm working on figuring out the apertures relative to the Kodak shutters f/stop scale.

Both lens+shutter arrangements work for me.

Good luck.

hnaa
1-Dec-2008, 16:44
Wow, thanx for the swift help guys. Do you know any stores, with a webpage, that specialize in old large format lenses, or at least stock them? There is always the 'Bay ofcourse, where someone with a store called "igorcamera", among others, seem to stock a selection of old lenses. Has anyone dealt with this person/store? But I wouldn't mind paying a bit extra if it came from a regular store. I'm thinking of getting a cheap body, maybe a Shenhao or Taschihara, and then a great, ooold lens. Maybe I've been stung by the Sally Mann bug (without the wetplate collodion process, though). Saw a collection of her work on display, here in Copenhagen, that simply blew me away (and keeps doing so, in retrospect).

venchka
1-Dec-2008, 16:48
Igor gets good reviews on most forums. I would shop in the for sale area right here. Good lenses from good folks at fair prices. Also shop KEH online. I don't know how they handle foreign sales. ebay is a gamble. Roll the dice. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you don't.

Shop here first. I know the two cameras you mention come up for sale here often. Mounting old lenses on one of them may be a different story. It's hard to beat a Speed Graphic with a working focal plane shutter for versatility with barrel lenses.

Jim Galli
1-Dec-2008, 16:51
Wow, thanx for the swift help guys. Do you know any stores, with a webpage, that specialize in old large format lenses, or at least stock them? There is always the 'Bay ofcourse, where someone with a store called "igorcamera", among others, seem to stock a selection of old lenses. Has anyone dealt with this person/store? But I wouldn't mind paying a bit extra if it came from a regular store. I'm thinking of getting a cheap body, maybe a Shenhao or Taschihara, and then a great, ooold lens. Maybe I've been stung by the Sally Mann bug (without the wetplate collodion process, though). Saw a collection of her work on display, here in Copenhagen, that simply blew me away (and keeps doing so, in retrospect).


Can you describe the effect you are looking for? Many old lenses are indistinguishable from their new counterparts in most pictures. I seem to always have a few around. What format will you be shooting?

Gordon Moat
1-Dec-2008, 17:07
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/

Really informative website, and sometimes has a few lenses for sale. Click on the Information link, and you can find many old brochures.

http://www.lensandrepro.com/USED/used-lgf.htm

Scroll way down on this list, and you can find a few old lenses, though many are somewhat high priced. They change inventory often.

Also, as others have noted, this forum is a good resource for finding old lenses. Be patient, do some research, and you might find something interesting to try out.

On EBAY, do a search for an old Tessar, if you want a bargain old lens. There are many of these only in barrel mount, that are quite nice. Try to get a flange with any old lens, and it will make mounting the lens much easier.

KEH and MPEX rarely have old lenses, but they do have good deals on lens boards. You will need one in order to mount a lens onto whatever camera you get. Be aware that some old lenses are too big to fit on a Technika lens board.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)