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Thread: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

  1. #1

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    Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Since I'm going to restore an 8x10 from the early 1900's decades I figure that I should add an appropriate lens to it.

    Any recommendations on something representative for portraits and landscape, which would be moderately wide angle (250mm or so?) and won't break the bank?

    The camera has a 4.5" square lens board and only very basic movements.

    Negatives are going to be contact printed to regular photo paper and maybe carbon if I get to feeling saucy next year.

    TIA

  2. #2

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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Dagor of any vintage, if you can find a 250. Boyer Beryl, likewise.

  3. #3
    Jim Jones's Avatar
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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    The Rapid Rectilinear was becoming obsolete then, but was a decent lens in its day.

  4. #4
    jp's Avatar
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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    What's the budget? I don't know much about vintage wide angles, but normal and portrait I have some practice with.

    Most inexpensive and flexible would be a tessar of some sort since they've been in production since 1902ish. It would not have to be original vintage to be functionally similar. I think any pre-WWII tessar is going to look about the same.

    A triplet of similar length could range from inexpensive to something exotic and be good for portraits. Soft focus like a verito will also be period correct and mid-priced. Anything with a 1915-ish wollensak studio shutter is quite likely to have a minimally functioning or not functioning shutter as well. http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/ Jim G has some good photos from a variety of vintage lenses of that era.

  5. #5

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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Fortunately there's a functional Packard shutter involved, minus the rubber bits of course.
    Which makes some things simpler I suppose.

  6. #6

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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Lots of double protars fall in the 230 - 250 mm range.

  7. #7

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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    I have a RR with a set of Waterhouse stops. Surprisingly nice lens for landscapes. I have a small iris clamp mounted on a Technika board so I can use the RR on 4 x 5.

  8. #8
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Go to: http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html and have fun browsing catalogues from around then. May I suggest: http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/...llensak_1.html
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  9. #9
    Foamer
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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Another vote for a 240mm Dagor. I have one I use on 5x7 and love it. It dates to about 1912. My second choice would be a Velostigmat. They have a gorgeous rendering! I have one of those from early 1920s, 12 inch in Betax 5 shutter. Impressive looking lens!


    Kent in SD
    In contento ed allegria
    Notte e di vogliam passar!

  10. #10

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    Re: Period lens suggestions for 1915-ish 8x10?

    Quote Originally Posted by Two23 View Post
    Another vote for a 240mm Dagor. I have one I use on 5x7 and love it.
    Kent in SD
    ++1! Easily covers 8x10.

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