Fairchild K-38 Operating instructions?

[Emile J Schwarz]

I recently bought a Kodak 36"f8 lens with a Fairchild K-38 shutter on Ebay. There are two protruding shafts that turn and a third that is spring loaded that you can push in about a 1/4". Any idea on how the shutter works and the speeds avaliable?

Anyone out there know any thing about the lens? Looking at the size of the lens/shutter and the shear amount of glass used in the lens elements, it must have been an expensive lens at one point. The front bezel says "Type I Telephoto Lens 36 inch (921 mm) f/8 9X18 RM1182" . Looking at the reflections in the front of the lens, it has three colors reflecting back. Other than a crane, any ideas on how to mount on a board for a process camera?

[Dan Fromm]

Emile, are you sure you want to use the lens on a process camera? I ask because the lens was optimized for infinity, not reasonably close.

A Kodak lens, by the serial number, made in 1953. It was made to cover 9x18. That's inches, not cm or mm.

The camera it was made for was used from aircraft.

I'm not sure about the shutter, be very careful with it. I don't know what yours is in, but the 12"/2.5 Aero Ektar came in a guillotine type shutter that was supposed to be capable of removing fingers.

Good luck,

Dan

[Emile J Schwarz]

In one of the questions under the ULF heading, I'm the one that suggested using an Argyle Stat camera with an alum. frame as a camera. Unbolt the legs and the front stage ( Whole thing, frame, etc, is boltad together) and you get a ULF studio camera (sort of). I have no dought the shutter could remove a finger is you removed the glass. But what shutter speeds are available to make the process less painful? ...

[Alastair Jamieson]

The folk behind the following website may be able to assist - they appear to be using a modified K-38 camera to produce ultra-detailed landscape images: www.gigapixl.org

[Michael Carter]

My brother in law figured out how to fire the shutter. With three winds, it sounds like a gun going off. One wind is slower. Two winds one shot is fast and one slower. Three winds goes fastest but still only two shots. Different speeds.
Is there some way to figure out apertures and shutter speeds?