I plead temporary GAS insanity

[Monty McCutchen]

Feel free to show your significant other that you are indeed quite sane in comparison.

I don't post here much except on other people's fine work, or in response to those afflicted who might want to get into 20 x 24, which is my own poison of choice, but I thought some here my get a kick out of my little geekdom of ULF.

I've been looking for a petzval for some time that would cover my 20 x 24 Wet Plate work so that meant the dallmeyer 7D and 8D have been on the radar for years now. Lo and behold the lens god's put one up on ebay right before christmas. I mean really the cruelty is palatable but who amongst us could say no. Alas I could not. I bid hard, in many ways too hard but alas I won the damn thing. It recently arrived. Santa lives on, although his fat ass could barely lift it he somehow got it to my house. 18.3 lbs of ever lovin' joy. Big. Really Big. Look for much of the gear I have accumulated over the years that I am not using much to start appearing in the for sale section as I definitely need to soften my landing a bit from the perch I launched myself from without looking to see the jumping conditions.

I'll post results next week as I have an opening for shooting all next week. I've posted a picture here of my daughter (a frequent sitter and who will be the first to sit next week for the 8D) holding the gianormous hunk o' glass.

Moderators; it is not a LF shot, but instead LF related so if I have overstepped my bounds and the guidelines of this fine site please feel free to delete.

best

Monty

[Kirk Gittings]

No problem, the shot references LF equipment. BUT......sanity not aside.......

What are you going to mount that beast on? Certainly not anything you are taking into the field?

[BarryS]

Now, *that's* a lens. Kudos to your daughter for humoring you and clutching daddy's lens for dear life. :) I'm glad the lens went to a working photographer and look forward to seeing your images.

[Monty McCutchen]

No problem, the shot references LF equipment. BUT......sanity not aside.......

What are you going to mount that beast on? Certainly not anything you are taking into the field?

It would be nice if I could answer that in the affirmative that yes I am smart enough not to go into the field. Alas I am unable to claim even that last refuge of sanity. I go into the field often. You probably don't remember Kirk but we met in Rockford at the view camera conference. I had my 20 x 24 Ebony there. That's what it will go on. The lens just fits inside 9 inch lensboards which is what my camera takes but I am having a local machine shop make up some aluminum lensboards that will allow for clearance into the camera when mounted, extra strength etc. If you're out east come on out and play around with it--it would be good to cross paths again.

best,

Monty

[Robert Hughes]

Oh, you kid. That's a Photoshop'ed picture if ever I saw one. :rolleyes:

[Kirk Gittings]

Yes I do remember. I would love to get out that way. I'll be at the NELFPC (http://www.steve-sherman.com/workshops.cfm) shindig in April.

[Monty McCutchen]

Yes I do remember. I would love to get out that way. I'll be at the NELFPC (http://www.steve-sherman.com/workshops.cfm) shindig in April.


Steve is an incredible man and the work he, Gene and all the others are doing with the NELFPC is really inspiring. I am hoping to be out there but work will more than likely make it difficult. One can hope anyway. Have a great time and make sure you demand to have some Dumante, in fact it should be part of your contract!

monty

[fuegocito]

That puppy needs its own brace mount, stand/cart with wheels, something like this:D

http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/14924/wm/pd629621.jpg

Oh I finally picked up the wetplate from Marie, thanks a bunch, will we see you this April at Steve's.

Robert

[jim kitchen]

That puppy needs its own brace mount, stand/cart with wheels, something like this:D

Robert

Dear Robert,

Now that is funny... :)

jim k

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Damn, and I thought my 5A was big...

[Diane Maher]

It would be nice if I could answer that in the affirmative that yes I am smart enough not to go into the field. Alas I am unable to claim even that last refuge of sanity. I go into the field often. You probably don't remember Kirk but we met in Rockford at the view camera conference. I had my 20 x 24 Ebony there. That's what it will go on. The lens just fits inside 9 inch lensboards which is what my camera takes but I am having a local machine shop make up some aluminum lensboards that will allow for clearance into the camera when mounted, extra strength etc. If you're out east come on out and play around with it--it would be good to cross paths again.

best,

Monty

Of course he'll take it into the field! I was in Rockford and watched Monty set up his 20x24 (still can't believe I saw the beast, but I have a picture of it (and from it) at home :D )

My studio 8x10 takes 9 inch lensboards, so I know that lens is freaking huge! Glad to see you back here, Monty. Been busy lately? :D

[venchka]

Monty,

My daughter is in the planning stage of a relocation to Boone, N.C. I visited N.C. over the holidays and will be returning. I would be pleased to admire your lens and camera in person. I was most taken with N.C. on our brief visit Dec. 26. I will be back with my wee 4x5 cameras. Perhaps long term even. I'll be picking your brain for good places to drop a camera.

Enjoy!

[Mike1234]

Holy shite!!

[venchka]

Holy shite!!

Is that good? Remember folks, he's from Texas.

[Mike1234]

Is that good? Remember folks, he's from Texas.

Yes, it's good... meaning I'm extremely impressed and awed... ya'll!! :D

[Tracy Storer]

Monty,



wow.

[Walter Calahan]

Holy cow!

[Monty McCutchen]

Monty,

My daughter is in the planning stage of a relocation to Boone, N.C. I visited N.C. over the holidays and will be returning. I would be pleased to admire your lens and camera in person. I was most taken with N.C. on our brief visit Dec. 26. I will be back with my wee 4x5 cameras. Perhaps long term even. I'll be picking your brain for good places to drop a camera.

Enjoy!


Asheville is a great town. I hear Boone is as well. I moved from Bandera Texas to here 4 and 1/2 years ago and it's been a good move. Different but good. The geography is what has been the biggest adjustment. You give up a lot of sky when you come out to the land of hollar's. Give me a ring when you know when you are coming. It would be good to meet up. I travel too much so I'm not sure I will be home when you come but if so we'll definitely get together.

monty

[percepts]

Do you really expect anyone to take you seriously? I mean there is no way that bout of GAS is temporary:D

[8x10 user]

I was the first to bid on that lens. I hoped noone else would see the auction.

[eddie]

I was the first to bid on that lens. I hoped noone else would see the auction.

now that is funny!

[Mike1234]

Yes, for those hoping to make a quiet profit. :D

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I see on the ebay page that it has the Burke & James label on it--was it coated by them? They often did this to the lenses they sold. Also, it is interesting that this lens is f5, not the normal f6 for a D-series.

[evan clarke]

It would be nice if I could answer that in the affirmative that yes I am smart enough not to go into the field. Alas I am unable to claim even that last refuge of sanity. I go into the field often. You probably don't remember Kirk but we met in Rockford at the view camera conference. I had my 20 x 24 Ebony there. That's what it will go on. The lens just fits inside 9 inch lensboards which is what my camera takes but I am having a local machine shop make up some aluminum lensboards that will allow for clearance into the camera when mounted, extra strength etc. If you're out east come on out and play around with it--it would be good to cross paths again.

best,

Monty

I remember fondling your 20x24 in Rockford. I am glad you posted this, I just bought an 11x14 Cahamonix and was having GAS pains..this has softened them:) ..Evan Clarke

[wfwhitaker]

I seem to recall something about a kidney...
How's the dialysis going Monty?

[JosephBurke]

.....I watched that auction as well.... I assumed it was headed for Japan or China....
....a gem of a lens.......only the second 8 D I've seen at auction.....
Great catch Monty.......but does "she" know what it really cost or did you tell her a "couple hundred bucks" ?
...you're sleeping where?

[Monty McCutchen]

.....I watched that auction as well.... I assumed it was headed for Japan or China....
....a gem of a lens.......only the second 8 D I've seen at auction.....
Great catch Monty.......but does "she" know what it really cost or did you tell her a "couple hundred bucks" ?
...you're sleeping where?


Yeah she knows. There was a large gulp when I told her what it was probably going to go for in range but she knows how I've been looking for it for quite some time. She also knows that I had accumlated a small army of lenses that I wasn't using much and would be placing up for sale to try and cut into the cost's a bit. How much we will have to see!

Jason, it doesn't appear to have been recoated by Burke and James and the lettering 'looks' original. My knowledge or more to the point lack there of about how to determine whether it was recoated is limited though. I'm not sure how to tell definitively, help maybe??? I know it does not look like the coating on my claron's or my schnieider lenses that are modern coated. That's really the only way I know to check. My ignorance is showing but it looks like it is all original. The lettering from f5 to f45 also looks to be the same as the Dallmeyer lettering but once again I can't make any claims to expert here. Any help would be appreciated but regardless of what Burke and James might have done to it they come around so infrequently that it fell into beggars can't be choosy territory for me and my camera so I leapt at the chance.

If anyone wants to pay premium prices for average run of the mill lenses--I'm your guy!:)

best all,

Monty

[Jim Galli]

ha ha ha ha...........gorgeous. My lens GAS has subsided but a worse malady has taken it's place temporarily. I bought a 1929 Model A Phaeton today :eek:

Feel better now??

[Renato Tonelli]

You are all lunatics!

P.S. That's what I like about you and it makes me look just a little less crazy.:)

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

... regardless of what Burke and James might have done to it they come around so infrequently that it fell into beggars can't be choosy territory for me and my camera so I leapt at the chance...

I completely agree; and if I had need I too would have paid more for the lens than I could afford. There have been a few rare lenses sold on eBay which I kick myself for not bidding further on, even if at the time the final price seemed absurd. So enjoy the lens.

The B&J recoating was (as I recall) a nice blue color, so if your glass has a blue reflection it has been coated, if it has a colorless (icy?) reflection it has not. Dallmeyer didn't paint their brassies until the 1920s or 30s, so I guess that B&J painted the barrel of your lens black (from a lacquered brass), but they didn't change the lettering. Anyhow congratulations, and we look forward to some images!

jason

ps; will the lens it even fit on a 9x9 lensboard?

[Dave Aharonian]

I like it!! Go big or go home.

[civich]

For the sake of those of us existing far outside of ULF and antique lens exotica - what was this monster originally designed for? What type of camera, shooting situation or subject would have called for a lens the size of a small child?

[Jim Galli]

18X22 Mammoth plate has been around for a century and a half. The 1931 Dallmeyer catalog states it will cover 20X22 plate. Portraits for the wealthy?

[domaz]

I would like to use this lens for 4x5 bird photography. Is that crazy? Just hack up a light-tight box to fix-focus it at infinity- find something to use as a viewer, and use a graphic focal plane shutter for the back and you are done.