No One Making New Lenses?

[William Whitaker]

The last new lens I bought was in 1985 (and that was my first lens), so I haven't helped things much. Like I'm driving the market. Yeah, right....

[linhofbiker]

The last new lens I bought was in 1985 (and that was my first lens), so I haven't helped things much. Like I'm driving the market. Yeah, right....

I can beat that. I bought a new 90mm f/6.8 Angulon in Compur shutter in 1975 (I think) from the camera store in Dominion Square, Montreal. I have bought and sold many LF lenses, now concentrating on those that will cover both 5x7 and 4x10. Wanting to trade my 165 Angulon for the Super Angulon version.

[Tin Can]

A Stutz Bearcat?

I was a mechanic, not owner, making $5 hour in a 60 hour 6 day week. Cash, which was often days late. I liked working on odd cars. We had a Facel Vega blocking the middle of the shop for years. What a junk. I worked on many XKE some with Chevy engines. I did school bus brakes on a creeper in the street. All new lines, etc. Our best paying customer was a drug dealer. One day he says put this Olds engine in a Ford in 12 hours. Done. Welded it in and made a custom drive shaft.

We also did rare car estimates for $50 as the shop was recognized by insurance co. Hemmings was our cheat sheet.

Helped restore a Scenicruiser then a cruise to the Kentucky Derby with drunken frat boys. It was stripped of all interior by then. The boys were fine going down, but coming back the driver took the scenic route. They puked the whole way back. We hosed it out.

Then I got a phone call...

Damn Randy, I know what I want for Christmas!

[Oren Grad]

Please take the car-talk to the Lounge.

[Bruce Watson]

When the professionals abandoned ship and went to digital, the markets were flooded with superb professional used lenses. It's still flooded. Prices you can get on ebay compared to what it would cost to produce new things would be about 10:1 or more. Meanwhile, no one can afford to make shutters any more cheaply enough to be profitable, even if there were new lenses from the manufacturers. These cameras are like flathead V8's. There's lots and lots of them but nobody's gonna make new ones.

A swing and a hit. Going, going... it's out a here! You won't get a better or more concise explanation that Mr. Galli's.

[Jim Galli]

A swing and a hit. Going, going... it's out a here! You won't get a better or more concise explanation that Mr. Galli's.

Well thank you Mr. Watson. But . . . it was also my fault that the discussion got off the rails. Mr. Grad gets nervous and upset when people start enjoying the conversation.

[Peter De Smidt]

Tri Tan is making new lenses. Maybe Cooke? Wollaston? Jason certainly could make some if there was enough interest.

[Drew Wiley]

Brass radiators and brass lens barrels go together. I have neither. Mr Galli might have both. ... so back to "brass tacks" lens talk, I guess, which brings all kinds of barrel lenses into the mix of options, not just old brass ones. I got a number of Apo Nikkors downright free; and they're better corrected than most official view camera lenses; but today I was using one on an enlarger. Most of those kinds of lenses still being made have been modified to fixed aperture for various technology uses.

[Jim Galli]

Well I'll be dipped. Learned something today. And a mere $3400 bucks.

[klw]

The shortage is no new shutters and shutter repair is losing techs monthly.

Shutter parts have been scarce for a while.

You might like to see this: https://youtu.be/dcIusrw50PM