I know this type of question has been asked quite a bit, I've been searching and reading but still having a hard time getting a clear idea in my head. Hoping some of you wouldn't mind helping me try and sort it out.

Shooting 4x5 (Toyo 45E). I have a Nikkor W 210mm f/5.6, want to try something more "vintage", around 240mm f/4.5. I'd like to have a shutter with sync port for strobes.

I've read the article on the main page and the Heliar sounds appealing, but above 210 seems to be only barrel (or barrel adapted to a shutter). I've found out about the Packard shutters (never heard of them till I started researching this), that's an option but would prefer something more convenient if possible (though being able to use the Packard with a variety of barrel lenses might be nice for future flexibility.

This also lead me to the question of aperture. As I understand it, part of the appeal of the Heliar is the round aperture achieved with a high number of curved blades. The aperture is obviously implemented in the barrel lens, but what about the lenses that are normally mounted in a shutter? Is the aperture part of the lens or part of the shutter? If I find one in a shutter, how can I be assured that it will have the same round aperture as the barrel version?

Tessars seem to be another option in the realm of what I'm looking for, though I've read they have a more abrupt transition to OOF whereas the Heliar is more gentle, I thought this would make the Heliar a little more appealing to me.

Hope that's enough information to get some useful feedback. Appreciate your thoughts.