[LargeFormat] Barrel lenses

[Les Newcomer]

There are a couple of ways.

The first is to use a Packard shutter.

Packard shutters are usually mounted on the back of the lensboard or
sometimes mounted inside the camera itself. These shutters have no set
shutter speeds but most of the time one bulb and some black hose connecting
to it.

When you squeeze the bulb you open the shutter, when you release you close
the shutter.

A second model has a brass pin located near the top. When the pin is pushed
in, it allows the shutter to fire at an "instantaneous" speed, someting
around 1/15th of a second when the bulb is squeezed vigorously.

In rare instances you can find a double hose model. These were used almost
exclusively on large studio cameras, one bulb had the instantaeneous
exposure, the other a "bulb' exposure.


The most common way a barrel lens was used in the early 20th century was to
employ the boler hat that was invariably on your head as a shutter. Hang the
hat on the lens, pull the dark slide move the hat away and back, thus
exposing the plate.  The lens cap can be used the same way.  A  Third and
modern variation to this is the "country shutter" It's nothing more than a
small box, usually a 4x5 film box taped to the end of a stick, usually a
ruler. This allows a quicker exposure with a "flick of the wrist". Also used
when you want to do multiple pops of the flash.

some alternatives are to buy a Thornton Picard shutter. This press fits on
the front of the lens, is a focal plane shutter with a variety of times on
it. Finding one in usable condition is difficult as the shutter material is
usually full of holes.

The other is a Luc shutter. Hard to find but it too fits on the front of the
lens with threaded screws with rubber tips.  It's a bladed iris type shutter
that gives T B and I only.


Lastly is to have the barrel lens front mounted to a shutter. In this case
the lens threads to a modern shutter that threads to the lensboard. The
disadvantage to this is the shutter usually needs to be fairly large so it
doesn't vignette the image.

les



> From: "Guy Glorieux" <guy.glorieux@sympatico.ca>
> Reply-To: largeformat@f32.net
> Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 15:12:15 -0500
> To: "LargeFormat List" <largeformat@f32.net>
> Subject: [LargeFormat] Barrel lenses
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I've been intrigued for quite some time now about how to use flanged
> barrel lenses with a lens plate.  I've seen quite a lot for sale on
> eBay, some old some newer, but I can't figure how one installs a shutter
> with the lens if the lens is to be mounted directly on the lens plate?
> What kind of shutter does one use with such lenses and where does it fit
> in the lens/shutter/lensplate set-up?
> 
> Guy
> 
> 
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