a little help with lens choice??

[DrTang]

well..after hanging out in the forum..it happened..I'm getting sucked into the' old glass' fanaticism.. I want me some OLD GLASS NOW!!!

it's particularly vexing when I remember back these last 20 or so years at all the cool glass I let go without a thought - eh..old lenses..who wants them???


anyway..I shoot 4x5, 5x7 and heck..8x10 is not out of consideration

and mostly portraits..or that's the plan anyway..I've been too busy gathering cameras and stuff to actually go and take photos

BUT.. I do like the softish background concept of...I'm thinking 20's hollywood and dancehall girls photography

so.. what lens or lenses .. might I look for??

mostly 5x7..but also maybe for ..oh landscape 8x10..or group shots??


I'd like to have a shutter with synch..but I have a box of packard shutters and I bet I can get one working

also..no breaking the bank

[Mark Sawyer]

For soft focus, I'd say a Kodak Portrait 305mm, an Imagon 300mm, or a Veritar 10-inch. All three come in synch'd shutters.

For something sharp-but-smooth, I'd say an uncoated Tessar, but uncoated lenses are rare in synch'd shutters. Old B&L Tessars are lovely lenses, often unloved and undervalued, but usually come in barrels, so you'd have to dig out a synchd Packard...

[CCHarrison]

Older Heliar in a shutter.

Dan

[Gem Singer]

The Wollensak Verito was the lens of choice for portraits of famous Hollywood movie stars.