lens and shutter questions

[e. a. smith]

Can anyone send me to a really complete list that gives coverage areas for older lenses and data as to what lens fit in what shutters.

I've spent a fair bit of time searching this but seem to keep coming back to the same pages.

Thanks

EA Smith

[Jim Rice]

The coverage issues are generally covered in the articles section here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/ . As a rule though, the coverage numbers are from the manufacturers, so tend to be very conservative. If a particular design catches your eye, do a search on the forum on it's name to try get the real skinny.
As for shutter compatibility, the S K Grimes site reigns supreme. You've got to peck around a bit to find the chart. It may be here: http://www.skgrimes.com/fits/index.htm
Other than that, you're in the same boat as the rest of us, unless someone enlightens me, which I wouldn't mind at all.

[Jim Galli]

First of all if you're talking pre-1970's Copal shutters, nothing fits in anything. Every lens mfr made a series of bushings to adapt their lenses to the different shutters. For instance you can find factory mounted Wollensak Velostigmats in both ILEX and Betax shutters. Same lens in 2 different size and thread shutters and with different bushings to get them in. Goerz made the bushings to put the artar's in the Ilex shutters etc. So unless you're a damn good machinist with a lathe that will cut both metric and US threads, nothing fits inta anything.

Second, the Lens Vade Mecum available on line is of some help but mostly experience and wasted $$ is what teaches you. I know without looking at anything that such and such is a tessar or a dialyte and what the coverage angles of those 2 types are and therefore what image circle and degradation to expect. I'm rarely surprised. There really isn't much written down. Good luck. Have some fun while you're at it.

[Ole Tjugen]

From about 1930 and on the European lenses were "standardised" to fit in a limited number of shutters.

Basically any rim-set Compur 0 has the same threads as a new Copal 0, same for #1.

But there were other sizes too which are no longer made: 00, 01 and 2.

Then there were the big Compound shutters - 3, 4 (two versions) and 5 (two versions). None of these will fit directly into anything modern.