Process lenses

[Mark Sawyer]

(Uh oh, those seem to be red dot Artars; this one is not. Does that matter?)

The red dot indicates it's coated. Yours probably won't be, and as its dialyte design has eight air-glass surfaces, expect a bit of flare and lower contrast.

[Michael Jones]

Nearly all ... and many process lenses will screw into a shutter without modification other than perhaps correcting the aperture scale...

That has not been my experience except with G-Clarons. While I have been told some Doctor Optic and Kowas are direct screw in to modern Copal shutters (and these are scare lenses), and assuming we are not talking Packard shutters or Sinar DB lens mounts, a machinist will need to both mount the lens in a modern shutter and re-calibrate the aperture. Even the few direct mounts will require the aperture to be re-calibrated (and its not as easy to be accurate).

Mike

[Paul Kinzer]

The red dot indicates it's coated. Yours probably won't be, and as its dialyte design has eight air-glass surfaces, expect a bit of flare and lower contrast.

Thanks, Mark. That's what I thought from some of my reading, but someone else wrote something different that made me wonder. I'm excited! Even if I never get into ULF, it's another lens for 5x7, (and smaller formats) and fills a gap at the long end. And at the price, I can feel justified in knowing I can sell it on if it is not something I decide to keep.

[Dan Fromm]

Tim, your profile says you shoot 4x5 and 8x10. There's no reason to replace any of your 4x5 lenses with a process lens. If you want to extend your reach, well, a long process lens is a good way to do it if you can get the extension needed. Shouldn't be a problem with your Cambo, I have a 900/10 Apo Saphir for mine.

I shoot process lenses up to very long indeed on, mainly, 2x3. I've been happy with most of the ones I've tried out and, of course, with the ones I regard as good enough to use.

FWIW, I'd avoid uncoated dialytes, also Wray Apo-Process Lustrars (all dialytes, I think). Its hard to make a mistake with, in alphabetical order, coated Apo-Artars, dialyte type Apo-Nikkors, Apo-Ronars and Repro-Clarons. Not all Apo-Ronars are equally desirable. My former 600/9 Klimsch Apo-Ronar is a case in point. Mounted in brass, weighed 3.3 kg. I never tried it out, replaced it with a much lighter 610/9 Apo-Nikkor (1.45 kg).

Shutters will indeed be a problem for long process lenses. The longest G-Claron is the 355, whose cells should go into a Compur #3. Apo-Nikkors' cells don't, in general, go directly into shutters. Some Apo-Ronars' cells do, others don't. My 150/9's cells don't fit anything. I'm a partisan of Apo-Saphirs 'cos I got mine for very good prices but if you want to shoot wider than f/16 Apo-Nikkors are better. From f/16 down, it doesn't matter. Boyer claims that Apo-Saphirs' cells (up to and including 480 mm) are direct fits in standard shutters but they lie; none of mine fit standard shutters. Similarly, not all Repro-Clarons' cells will go into standard shutters. I have a small mistake of a 210 ...

I've never looked into using a Packard shutter behind a 4x5 Cambo's front shutter. Doesn't look easy. But adapters to hang a Packard in front of a lens shouldn't be impossibly expensive. Similarly for adapters to hang a Compound or Ilex #5 (both scarce, the Compound probably more expensive) in front a shutter aren't out of sight. Some years back I had Grimes make one to hang a Compound 5 (industrial shutter, no diaphragm, so not too dear) in front of my big Apo-Saphir.

For what I do front mounting (cup shaped adapter that screws into the front of a shutter and accepts a lens) is a good solution for longer lenses. Mechanical vignetting can be a problem with this approach, but think about using a relatively inexpensive Ilex #3 ...

[Mark Sawyer]

That has not been my experience except with G-Clarons. While I have been told some Doctor Optic and Kowas are direct screw in to modern Copal shutters (and these are scare lenses), and assuming we are not talking Packard shutters or Sinar DB lens mounts, a machinist will need to both mount the lens in a modern shutter and re-calibrate the aperture. Even the few direct mounts will require the aperture to be re-calibrated (and its not as easy to be accurate).

Mike

The Apo-Ronars fit into shutters, as do many of the Wollensak and Ilexes. Here's a long list of process lenses noting which do and don't fit shutters. (BTW, I have a 25-inch Wollensak process lens factory mounted in a shutter which this list says doesn't go in a shutter.) It also notes the 19-inch Red Dot Artar goes in a shutter, so there's at least some hope for Paul Kinzer's pre-Red Dot.

http://www.allenrumme.com/lensdb/Process.html

Regarding the accuracy of the aperture scale, simple measurements are very likely to be more accurate and consistent than the shutter speeds of even modern shutters.

But if one is going to use process or other barrel lenses, perhaps an in-camera shutter like the Sinar or Mentor cameras have is a better solution.

[Michael Jones]

I can only speak from my experiences, and notwithstanding factory mounted process lenses, let me assure you fitting a barrel lens into a shutter and directly screwing its elements into a shutter are very different. I have never seen a barrel mounted 19" Artar that will directly screw into an Ilex 4 (its "usual" factory mount), let alone a Copal 3.

And lenses that list states do not fit into a shutter is not 100% accurate. I have a 42" App Ronar in an Ilex 5 and an 18" Wide Field Ektar in a Copal 3. SK Grimes can work wonders.

Take a look at this page:

http://www.skgrimes.com/lens-mountin...ed-to-shutters

I agree a Sinar shutter or Packard shutter make using a barrel mounted lens much simpler.

Mike

[Dan Fromm]

The Apo-Ronars fit into shutters

My little 150/9 Apo-Ronar regrets to inform you that you are mistaken.

[Drew Wiley]

I have a number of process lenses, mostly Apo Nikkors, and mostly obtained free by cannibalizing retired process cameras. They are optically SUPERB for both enlarger and camera use, with ample image circles. But I haven't mounted any in shutter yet, so have to resort to the lens cap method with long exposures. My ordinary view camera lenses tend to be more compact anyway.

[David Lindquist]

I can only speak from my experiences, and notwithstanding factory mounted process lenses, let me assure you fitting a barrel lens into a shutter and directly screwing its elements into a shutter are very different. I have never seen a barrel mounted 19" Artar that will directly screw into an Ilex 4 (its "usual" factory mount), let alone a Copal 3.

And lenses that list states do not fit into a shutter is not 100% accurate. I have a 42" App Ronar in an Ilex 5 and an 18" Wide Field Ektar in a Copal 3. SK Grimes can work wonders.

Take a look at this page:

http://www.skgrimes.com/lens-mountin...ed-to-shutters

I agree a Sinar shutter or Packard shutter make using a barrel mounted lens much simpler.

Mike

Mike, I think you mis-typed and meant "10" Wide Field Ektar" not "18" Wide Field Ektar". Pretty nice having one of these in a Copal rather than a No. 5 Ilex, I'd think. Does it still have the maximum aperture of f/6.3?
David

[Mark Sawyer]

My little 150/9 Apo-Ronar regrets to inform you that you are mistaken.

Well, some came from the factory in Copal 0 shutters. I guess some do and some don't...