Equipment needs, cameras and lenses. Making, buying, adapting

[Ari]

Paul:
This portrait is exceptional!
I love everything about it!
I posted a copy of this photo in my work room at the top of my display board ... setting the bar very high!
Thank you for the direction & inspiration.
Drew

2X, Paul. Aesthetically and technically superior.

[Ari]

This poor, ragged stray arrived today, gonna shoot some film with it until my chemicals arrive.
B&L Zeiss Tessar Series 1C

[paulbarden]

This poor, ragged stray arrived today, gonna shoot some film with it until my chemicals arrive.
B&L Zeiss Tessar Series 1C

As long as the glass is okay, it will make good images.

[Ari]

The glass is pretty rough, worse than it looks in the photo, but that's part of the reason I bought it.
I wanted something less than perfect, and probably went too far!

[paulbarden]

The glass is pretty rough, worse than it looks in the photo, but that's part of the reason I bought it.
I wanted something less than perfect, and probably went too far!

I have a Schneider Xenotar lens I used on 4x5 (Its meant for something smaller, so it vignettes), and it has a front element that looks like its been "polished" with steel wool. And yet, it delivers very nice images if used wisely. I can give a very nice "soft focus" look. So don't judge it till you've made some photographs with it, it might turn out to be a treasure! (See: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ca53845a_h.jpg and https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...379beec0_h.jpg)

[Ari]

Sweet photo, Paul. Over the years, I've found that it's damn hard to ruin a lens' picture-making ability, or image quality.
This B&L isn't even the worst-looking lens I own. All of my "ugly" lenses are excellent performers.
A petzval lens I sold in 2015 had a 1-inch long chip on the rear element. It was missing a chunk of glass.
I covered the chip in black marker, and you'd never know from the photos it made that anything was amiss.

[paulbarden]

A petzval lens I sold in 2015 had a 1-inch long chip on the rear element. It was missing a chunk of glass.
I covered the chip in black marker, and you'd never know from the photos it made that anything was amiss.

I'm not surprised! You have to do some serious damage to a lens to make it unusable, in my experience.

[LabRat]

I have one of these, untested until I make a new board for it... Has some issues on the front, but inital tests don't seem to care about the issues...

At the same time, I had a board for a 305mm WWII Aerostigmat (that looks like it spent a lot of time outside in the elements) that also had about the same amount of "issues", but it's been shooting very well despite...

I think with big glass, that there is also a lot more clear lens area that transmits more rays, so less affected by small stuff on glass...

Shoot it!!!

Steve K

[Two23]

I had a "pick up" slip on my door today, so I went down to the post office. I opened the package without looking at who it was from. I was expecting an 8x10 film holder today. I opened it up and started taking off the shrink wrap and wondered, "What the heck is this?" It didn't look like a Riteway holder at all and at first I was thinking the guy sent the wrong thing. Then I remembered: it's the plate holder from Anton! Sure enough.

It looks really nice. Very solid and everything works as it should. If it wasn't so hot out at the moment (90 F) I would put on my old clothes and try shooting an 8x10 tin. I'll knock off work early tomorrow.🙂 For those of you still waiting, yes they are coming!


Kent in SD

[paulbarden]

I had a "pick up" slip on my door today, so I went down to the post office. I opened the package without looking at who it was from. I was expecting an 8x10 film holder today. I opened it up and started taking off the shrink wrap and wondered, "What the heck is this?" It didn't look like a Riteway holder at all and at first I was thinking the guy sent the wrong thing. Then I remembered: it's the plate holder from Anton! Sure enough.

It looks really nice. Very solid and everything works as it should. If it wasn't so hot out at the moment (90 F) I would put on my old clothes and try shooting an 8x10 tin. I'll knock off work early tomorrow.�� For those of you still waiting, yes they are coming!


Kent in SD

Can we see photos of it? I'm curious how its constructed.

PS: did that 8x10 wet plate holder really cost $395??