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Thread: 11x14 on the cheap side

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Greece
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    11x14 on the cheap side

    Hello,

    i plan on building my own large format camera soon and my main concern is the available lenses for the format i chose (11x14). Through google and forum search i ended up with Nikkor 480 and Rodenstock 480mm f9 as some of the cheapest solutions. I'm not looking for ultra high quality, just a decent lens to get started. Any suggestions? Will those two cover 11x14?


    Thank you very much!

  2. #2
    Lachlan 717
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    2,591

    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    The Nikkor's a great lens. How are you going to expose with it, given it's in a barrel?
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

  3. #3

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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    I plan to use a cap as shutter, in the 3-30s range probably
    My concern is whether these are good lenses to start with. I've read that the nikkor is unusable past mid-frame, is it true? I'm not looking for "pixel-peeping" quality but i would like to look elsewhere for a lens if the result image is too blurry

  4. #4

    Join Date
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    Oxfordshire UK
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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    Hi

    take a look at this excellent resource:

    http://www.allenrumme.com/lensdb/DBIntro-1.html

    if you're after a shuttered lens, the convertible Turner-Reich may be worth considering, although there are (I understand) mixed views regarding it's abilities and when found it's not overly expensive.............the larger Nikkor's are very good performers

    regards

    andrew

  5. #5

    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    164

    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    Check out Reinhold: http://www.re-inventedphotoequip.com/Home.html
    He builds nice (cheap) lenses also suitable for ultra large format.
    I bought his new 790 mm lens recently, even good for 24x30" format!!

    Here you'll find the info on what lens to choose for your format:
    http://www.re-inventedphotoequip.com...Coverage-1.pdf
    and
    http://www.re-inventedphotoequip.com/Data.html

  6. #6

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    Feb 2013
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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    I can't thank you enough for all this info. Much obliged!! I'll update this thread every step of the way, thank you!

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Denmark
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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    I think your main concern should be film holders. These are not an easily made item!

  8. #8
    jp's Avatar
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    May 2009
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    Maine
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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    There are cheap hundred year old 40cm/4.5 tessars that show up if you are patient. I've used 14x17 with mine at portrait distances.

    Reinholds lenses stopped down mid-way would be nice too for general use.

  9. #9
    David Vickery
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    Oct 1998
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    Texas, USA
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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    The Nikkor and Rodenstock lenses will be excellent for 11x14--certainly good enough to get started. Also keep an eye out for Artars and Kodak Copying Ektanons. The older Kodak copy lenses may simply be named Ektanon--I can't remember at the moment. All will be excellent, but my first preference for copy lenses on 11x14 would be the Artars. A 19" Artar would be perfect.
    For a shutter on my barrel lenses I use a Patterson film development tank, for two rolls of film I think, lined with black velvet material. Once you get the procedure down it is really easy and you can time shorter exposures than three seconds too.
    Sudek ambled across my mind one day and took his picture. Only he knows where it is.
    David Vickery

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    Santa Barbara
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    Re: 11x14 on the cheap side

    I bet you could get an old barrel dagor cheap enough

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