[LargeFormat] Old Glass

[Eve Girard]

I think we sometimes suffer from "lens envy," a condition that entices us to
become gadgeteers rather than photographers.  Always striving for the best
and the latest.  I've never bothered to investigate the dates on my Protars
and Dagors but I think it's safe to say that the turn of the LAST century is
closer than is the turn of the present.  I do believe that my latest vintage
lens is a mid-60's Schneider 210.  Are the images good?  You betcha!  Will
they compare line by line with the very latest computer-engineered  lens?
Probably not.  BUT . . .  Do they produce satisfying images that fit my
vision?  Most emphatically a "YES."  I guess it boils down to who we are and
what we want.
Eve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clive Warren" <Clive.Warren@megacycle.co.uk>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 6:06 AM
Subject: [LargeFormat] Old Glass


> 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
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> LargeFormat mailing list
> LargeFormat@f32.net
> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/largeformat