shutter choice for a newbie

[danielha]

Thanks for the detailed advice Bernice !

Daniel

[Bernice Loui]

If the lens in question could be shipped to your receiving address, package can be shipped out from that same location/address lens testing is absolutely possible. It comes down to right to return, shipping cost, film, time and related resources required to test-check out the lens for ownership.

Loaner lens might not have the same optical performance or mechanical performance as the lens for purchase.

All that said, there appears to be a set of Foto habits carried over from digital or 35mm/120 roll film foto gear habits that do not apply to this view camera stuff. Vast majority of view camera stuff was never designed, made or intended for "hobbyist" photographers. The view camera market was majority working photographers, creative artist and image makers very serious about their work. This is due to the nature of view camera as a photographic method and practice.

View camera lenses are simple compared to roll film or digital camera lenses. This innate simplicity greatly reduces the demands on much touted marketing Toots like "electro" beam uber multi-coating using exotic rare earth materials that makes little if any difference or have any advantage over single magnesium fluorite coating from circa 1940's. This fact is due to the number of optical elements involved with view camera lenses compared to the modern digital or roll film camera lens. Add to this, typical magnification ratio or enlargement for sheet film to print size is typically lower than roll film reducing the optical performance demands lens and film materials.

There is zero budget or "bottom end" about a 90mm f8 Super Angulon. A good example will trounce any 35mm roll film lens of similar angle of view for image making performance. It goes back to the fact and reality view camera lenses were never designs for "hobbyist" market or do not be deceived by the current overly discounted market price as they were not low cost back in the times when these lenses were new.

Know the odds of acquiring a extremely fine view camera lens goes up if the creative image maker stays with a modern lens design like the 90mm f8 Super Angulon, or view camera lens from any of the big four Fujinon, Schneider, Nikkor, Rodenstock. These are typically produced in a modern Copal, Seiko, Compur, Prontor shutter. As previously written, the shutter has more possibility of being an issue due to it's mechanical nature, lens cells less so but quite possible.

Most common focal length set for 5x4:

~90mm wide angle.

~150mm <-> 210mm "Normal".

~270mm <-> 360mm "Tele Photo".


That is essentially it. Decided on lens focal length needed to achieve your image goals, then decide on what camera meets the needs of the lens choices. Lens drives camera's ability. This is opposite from the digital-roll film camera universe. It is due to the non-fixed light tight box nature of a view camera and the lenses designed to a given focal length without a fixed back focal distance.


Bernice

While I can certainly understand Bernice's desire to test lenses prior to ownership, in many cases its just not practical. In my case, since beginning playing with 4x5, two years ago, I have never seen another person shooting a LF camera and the only camera shop in my city of 200k is Best Buy. I'm sure there are some other LF shooter here, but I've never met them.

So to test I'd need to do a mail order rental or something like that--or a private person loaning me their by mail. If I was buying a $2000 lens, hell yeah, I'd want to do that. But I bought a 90mm ƒ8 SA sight unseen from KEH recently for $100.* It was listed as "Ugly" but I'd call it immaculate. You can find the SA 90/8 for $1000 on ebay, but the vast majority of them are well under $300.

The point is that beginners (which I'd still definitely consider myself) are mostly shopping at the bottom end of the market and much of that thourough detailed approach is better done after purchase, and for that reason getting other's feedback optical qualities, and using proxies such as cosmetic condition are a tried and true approaches.

* I think it was this cheap because it was listed as "24MT", i.e. a 24mm mount, or Copal 00. But the one then sent me was in a copal 0 shutter. Even so, these are mostly inexpensive lenses.

[danielha]

Abruzzi,

Thanks for sharing your point of view !

Bernice,

The only concern I do have about buying abroad from ebay is simple as that : If I need to send the lens back, I'm still loosing 25% tax (I'm pretty sure I won't get that back). This is something that just hit me last night.

Anyway, thanks for your last message, there is much to consider in it :-)

Daniel

[ridax]

I am for Compurs and Compaunds.... And my reasons are not about durability:-

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...Picture-BEAUTY

That said, I actually use my Packard more often.

[danielha]

Thanks for joining the conversation Ridax !

I will need to read your thread a couple of time before I am able to fully grab all the information :-)

Daniel