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I have a new Buhl 7.5in. f3.7 lens mounted and ready to go on my Pacemaker Graphic! Covers 4x5 well. I have adapted front ring to accept 67mm filters and I have a 6 stop neutral density filter so I can use a lens cap for exposures. Looks sharp on the ground glass, but anyone have experience with this lens? Would love to see images made with this lens! Thanks!
Several years ago acquired two Buhl projection lenses: an 8.5" f/3.4 and a 9.0" f/2.5. Used them on my whole plate camera to photograph an abandoned factory building. Sinar shutter with serious ND filters to make the exposures. The bright images on the GG were am absolute pleasure view, BUT I was very disappointed with my images, so shelved the two lenses. Earlier this year saw some portraits and figure shots that were made with similar Buhl lenses and was very impressed... so it was me and not the optics. In my opinion, subject matter is the key to successfully using these lenses. For my type of photography the Buhl projection lenses just don't work. Have read posts on the WEB that they are similar to Petzval optics... no wheres near, totally different Bokeh, you get what you pay for. If you reconfigure the arrangement of the optics on these lenses (easily done), you will only get uselessly unsharp results, a waste of time, trust me. I think that they are bargain gems for a portrait or figure photographer, but since I am neither, will probably put them up FS on the FORUM for another member to use... I am more of the Group f/64 mentality.
Good luck with your 7.5" Buhl lens.
Thanks! I think you may have summed up my expectations. I will shoot and see what happens.