cyberjunkie
7-Oct-2012, 01:51
Diaphragm lens holders are going for crazy prices these days.
This one just sold for 790 USD!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251158256949
Payed mine (identical - max diameter 122mm, min diameter 30mm, IIRC), in like new conditions, for about 1/3 of the price... and i thought that i was overpaying!
Of course the price is proportional to size, this is the largest i have seen, but smaller sizes go for good money as well.
I guess that the popularity of large size brass lenses (Petzvals, faster Aplanats, portrait and soft focus optics), often sold without flange, makes this kind of accessory a very desiderable item.
I wonder if there could be a market for chinese made flanges, at least in the most common sizes (metric and in inches).
I've read somewhere that the majority of non-metric threads in early UK lenses used just 12 sizes.
I don't know about USA-made lenses, but i think that the metric threads used in large lenses are not that many.
I purchased a chinese-made flange for an Ilex No.5 for a decent price, and there are cheap rings for 00, 0 and 1 standard shutters (now also for No.3, but no distancer ring..)
Probably there are too many flange sizes, and too small a market, but the prices of diaphragm lens holders (and of custom made brass flanges) makes me wonder if another cheaper option could be possible, at least in the most common (and larger) sizes.
I realized that some chinese vendors are willing to meet the requests of large format amateurs, even if it's a niche market.
Until very recently there were just a couple of models of chinese-made bellows, now you can get 11x14" bellows, made to customer's specs.
Not long ago i asked for a Compur No.3 ring, and i found that he didn't have the measures (which can be easily found on the Web).
I found a ring and i didn't reply, but somebody must have done it, because now the rings are available, from the same vendor :)
Sometimes you have just to ask...
This one just sold for 790 USD!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251158256949
Payed mine (identical - max diameter 122mm, min diameter 30mm, IIRC), in like new conditions, for about 1/3 of the price... and i thought that i was overpaying!
Of course the price is proportional to size, this is the largest i have seen, but smaller sizes go for good money as well.
I guess that the popularity of large size brass lenses (Petzvals, faster Aplanats, portrait and soft focus optics), often sold without flange, makes this kind of accessory a very desiderable item.
I wonder if there could be a market for chinese made flanges, at least in the most common sizes (metric and in inches).
I've read somewhere that the majority of non-metric threads in early UK lenses used just 12 sizes.
I don't know about USA-made lenses, but i think that the metric threads used in large lenses are not that many.
I purchased a chinese-made flange for an Ilex No.5 for a decent price, and there are cheap rings for 00, 0 and 1 standard shutters (now also for No.3, but no distancer ring..)
Probably there are too many flange sizes, and too small a market, but the prices of diaphragm lens holders (and of custom made brass flanges) makes me wonder if another cheaper option could be possible, at least in the most common (and larger) sizes.
I realized that some chinese vendors are willing to meet the requests of large format amateurs, even if it's a niche market.
Until very recently there were just a couple of models of chinese-made bellows, now you can get 11x14" bellows, made to customer's specs.
Not long ago i asked for a Compur No.3 ring, and i found that he didn't have the measures (which can be easily found on the Web).
I found a ring and i didn't reply, but somebody must have done it, because now the rings are available, from the same vendor :)
Sometimes you have just to ask...