Rather than hijack the other thread (since I'm after different results,) I'll start my own. I've been shooting a Kodak 2D 8x10 for a month now and feel I have it dialed in reasonably well. One surprise I'm having is how much I enjoy taking portraits of strangers. On the weekends I'll drive hundreds (and hundreds) of miles on the Northern Plains looking for something to photo. I meet a lot of "local" people doing this; most are active outdoorsmen like me of one stripe or another. These are rural people who hunt ducks, ice fish, run farm equipment, work for the railroad, race motorcycles on frozen lakes, etc. I've sometimes taken photos of these folks with my 4x5 in the past, but I have to say the 8x10 has really come into its own here. I'm the sort who can walk up to just about anybody and start a conversation--easy enough on the Great Plains. I've been finding that people are so fascinated by the big 8x10 that they actually want their photo taken! I usually either give them a print later or send an 8x10 to their nearest Walmart to pick up after I've uploaded it there from home. I've met a lot of interesting people over the years. So far I just post the photos on Facebook or Flickr, but some day after I retire I might get ambitious and write articles for South Dakota Magazine, something like, "Faces of South Dakota." I don't know. In the past portraits have not been a high priority for me but I'm finding that the 8x10 (along with wet plate) is pulling me in that direction. (So far only shooting FP4+ but am in the final stage of getting my portable dark lab done.)
So now I come to my question, for those of you still awake. For wet plate I have a few great lenses 1840s--1860s that cover 8x10 well. My longest 20th C. lens is a 300mm Velostigmat, which I love, and my longest modern lens is a Nikon 300mm f9 M, another great lens. However, I think I want something longer yet. Since I have the wet plate lenses covered, I need something from the 20th C. I'm thinking of 14 to 16 inch and must be in shutter. And, not over $1,000. (I've already spent a lot gearing up for 8x10 collodion!) Some lenses I've been thinking of are: (1) Kodak Commercial 14 inch. These are plentiful and very reasonable. I'm thinking it would be similar to a Velostigmat. Would prefer a coated one I think. (2) 16 inch Velostigmat. Downside is these only seem to come i Studio shutter, which I don't think will work well with FP4+. (3) Ilex Acutar. These are coated and in shutter. I'd really like a 14 inch Heliar in shutter, but those are really big money! Not right now. Also deciding if I want to go with 14 inch or 16. Probably won't be doing head & shoulders shots as I like "environmental" portraits, to show what my subjects are doing. Thinking about it more, the lens I've used the most so far is actually my c.1910 Dagor 240mm in Compound, and one with the Nikon 300mm M. Have to be careful with the Dagor since it's uncoated though.
Any thoughts?
Below photos: Open class ice racer Micah Scheilemann, 250cc class racer Jacob, ice fisher Shawn, ice fishers Bob & Kate. (All of these photos taken on frozen lakes. )
Kent in SD
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