I have a Kodak 2D with extension rail and a tripod block. I've mostly been shooting wet plate with the camera, sometimes FP4+, and just a few portraits. I already have a 12 inch Voigtlander Petzval, 14 inch Darlot Petzval, and a 375mm Iliex Accutar in Ilex shutter. I'm thinking of doing more portrait work now that I've gotten decent with wet plate and braver with film. I've been looking at: 36cm standard Heliar, 14.25 in. Verito, 375mm Eidoscope. I don't want to spend more than $1,500--just don't take enough portraits to justify that. Verito--looks like it will do what I want and I like the look. What about the 18 inch lens on a 2D? Heliar--love them and already have a 15cm and 240cm prewar uncoated. I note these aren't true soft focus and don't want to spring for Universal 36cm. Eidoscope--have the image quality I'm after, just not sure if they have a diffusion control and apertures. Right now I'm leaning toward the Verito 14.24 in. but would likely be happy with any of them.

I mostly photo outdoors but do have some high powered monolights. Using wet plate I don't need a shutter, but with film or dry plate I probably do. Don't have a Packard shutter for the 2D and really don't want to install one permanently in it. My big Petzvals won't fit through them and to balance them on the front standard I crank them back into the bellows as far as I can. Might be a way to mount a Packard to a lens board, don't know. Or I could just shoot wet plate with these barrel lenses.


Kent in SD