[LargeFormat] Old Glass

[Clive Warren]

At 19:09 11/06/02 -0400, FlaFaces1@aol.com wrote:
Clive, I have the old Graphic 2, and the non-super schnieder lenses.  I was
beginning to get a complex, thinking my stuff was garbage.   Yes, my shots so
far, are not perfect, but I like what I see.  I was beginning to believe i
had inferior lenses to do 4x5.  Thank you for your encouragement on using the
lenses that came with it, in the 1940's ..  I will soon, have my 8 images to
put on my site in the room...  Don Mason

Don,

Old glass can rival or even beat new glass - it's also cheaper and usually 
lighter.  No coatings or single coatings is not usually a problem with the 
older lens designs, although contrast can suffer depending on the design of 
the lens.

One of the real sleeper older lens is the Schneider Xenar 150mm - very 
sharp little lens although not a lot of coverage. I have one of these in a 
Linhof Compur Shutter and it seems to perform well. The favorite lens in my 
4x5 kit is a 1947 Kodak 203mm Ektar - loads of coverage on 4x5 and does a 
wonderful job with colour. Check out the f32 Discussion Forum at 
http://www,f32.net/discus/ for an example of its performance and 
enlargement from a trannie.

Recently picked up an 8x10  lens made in 1903 for a camera made in 1902 
which will be used as a lightweight field outfit. If people express 
surprise at the age of your kit, laugh in their faces, sweep the focusing 
cloth around you like a cape and say "nobody expects the antiques roadshow..."

With the money you save on buying new lenses, keep yourself in film and 
processing for the rest of the year.

Cheers,
            Clive