Take care when wishing.

<p>You might get what you wish for, and then what will you do?</p>

<p>My ship came in today, in the form of 3.9 kg of 900/10 Apo Saphir. Now that I have it in, um, lap I wonder slightly what I was thinking when I bought it. It passes light and forms an image and its diaphragm works. Much better, on the whole, than that 36"/8 B&H tele I offered to JDM for the cost of postage. Prettier and lighter, too, and in a spiffy wooden box. The B&H would, though, do better as an anchor.</p>

<p>After the shock wears off I'll get on with putting my new monster to use. I fear, though, that I may need stronger tripod and head to support it properly.</p>

<p>On a seemingly unrelated topic, this Sunday I bought a Horseman 2x LF Teleconverter at our local camera show. This little beastie is made to be used with a 150 mm lens in #0 shutter. It can be modified to attach to a #1. And then I can try it behind a long lens hung in front of a #1. It just might get the long focal length I think I want with a lot less weight than 3.9 kg. More winter fiddling with equipment ... 480/9 + 2x = 960/18, dim but usable and it will all weigh less than 1 kg.</p>

<p>3.9kg is probably going to be more of a strain on the camera itself more than the tripod and head. Maybe try one of those extra lens leg things that attach to the tripod legs and support long lenses? Also, any porn of it? ;)</p>

<p>Chuk, I know it needs a crutch. I'm putting it on a 2x3 Cambo SC, have a spare 4x5 Cambo front standard to sacrifice. The 4x5 standard fits the same size rail as the 2x3s. </p>

<p>The alternative, which I haven't ruled out yet, is to make a crutch that will attach to the monorail in front of the camera's front standard. 900 mm is a little over 35", the rail will have to be around 48". I may have to support the long rail on two tripods, would rather not because that will really slow down set up. I now have a 30" rail, its ok on one tripod with the 2x3 Cambo and a 610 Apo Nikkor. But the Apo Nikkor weighs less than half as much as the 900 Apo Saphir.</p>

<p>You're thinking small format. Ain't no way I can hang a 35 mm or 6x6 camera on the beast, its flange to film distance at infinity is 870 mm. It wants to be on a monorail view camera with extra standards and bellows. Or on a "Big Bertha" SLR. If there's a small format camera in this rig's future, it will attach to the back of the view camera. Perhaps via a "T-mount" tube on a lens board ... The Bertha with 610 on a 21" rail (not the best setup but that's what I tried first) isn't too heavy for my strongest tripod/head.</p>

<p>Sorry, I'm not a pornographer. And I don't have a digital camera. Sooner or later I'll take a shot of the lens on color negative film and have the film scanned, but that will have to wait until I've set up a camera for it. </p>

<p>Two cameras in mind for it. Stretched 2x3 Cambo (plain, relatively, vanilla) and the same plus a 2x3 Graflex RB Series B ("Baby Bertha."). The RB module is complete and functions. It needs a crutch too, also some shutter work.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I confess, Dan, that I didn't think you were serious or I might have taken you up on it. :|</p>

<p>Sounds pretty impressive all right. I really look forward to seeing it when you can. :)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Nono, I was thinking 4x5 or even 8x10 if it covers. At 3.9kgs, you will need some serious chunky tubing for the focus rails. I have a 4x5 monorail, a 4x5 Ebony non-folder and a 8x10 bender and I don't think any of those will come anywhere near supporting a 3.9kg lens even without the extension.<br>

OK, no photos of the lens, but I'll settle for photos from the lens :)</p>

<p>Chuk, older Cambos (all sizes, 2x3, 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10) use the same rail stock, 1" x 1" extrusion. Not cheap, even used. 1" x 1" T-slotted aluminum extrusion, for example 80/20 brand, works as well and is much less expensive. Very stiff, I don't think rail flex will be a problem.</p>

<p>Standard flex may be a problem and so will supporting the lens. The 610/9 Apo Nikkor is light enough that I can screw it (in its adapter) into a #1 without risk of breaking the shutter. But the 900 Apo Saphir is more than the shutter will bear. As I said, I have a spare 4x5 Cambo standard that can be made into a crutch. </p>

<p>I've checked, the 900 Apo Saphir will cover more than 2x3 when a couple of inches in front of a #1 so front-mounting it on a #1 is the way to go. An alternative is to have the Compound #5 in the closet overhauled and have adapters made to hold the lens on a 2x3 Cambo board and hold the #5 in front of the lens. Feasible but much more expensive than just one adapter. I addition, the #1 I use behind my front-mounted lenses has a much higher top speed than the Compound #5; 1/400, vs 1/50.</p>

<p>Re coverage, Boyer rates it at 40 degrees. At infinity, that means 655 mm. It should be good for 16x20 with minimal movements.</p>

<p>JDM, I wasn't joking. My wife's told me that the B&H tele has to go, so I offered it yesterday on the LF forum. Two takers so far, all being well it will go to the first. If you want it you're third in line.</p>

<p>Dan, keep it, treasure it, sell it on again.</p>

<p>Colin, I think that my medium-sized Apo Saphir (there were three longer ones, 1200, 1500, and 2500, all f/12.5) is a rare treasure to be kept whether I use it or not. In the same class as my 100/2 TTH Anastigmat (2 1/4 x 2 1/4), 38/4.5 Biogon, and a few others. If I sold any of them I'd never be able to replace it.</p>

<p>On the other hand, selling my 60/1.4 Saphir netted enough to buy a 35/4.5 Apo Grandagon, center filter, and then some.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you want it you're third in line</p>

</blockquote>

<p>sob... That will teach me to turn the irony meter up too high. :(<br>

On the other hand, I still remember my wife's constant injunction" "Where will you put it?"<br>

(I think she always had a particular place to put it in mind.....)</p>

 

<p>I recently had a Boyer taking lens, a Topaz 105mm f4.5, on an Alsaphot D'Assas. I took a few shots with it around town, and immediately put the camera up for sale.... ;)</p>

<p>The only advice I can give you is (especially since the APO-Saphir is a process lens): Don't even think about shooting this into the sun, or within about 100 degrees of the sun. Make yourself a big-ass cardboard lens hood too. Then put the whole thing, camera, lens and all, into a giant black velvet bag. If you follow this advice, you may find the center of your images tack-sharp and quite contrasty. Well, advice... don't forget to make a hole in that giant velvet bag for the front of the lens.</p>

<p>If I were to try and use that beast, it would be indoors on a studio 11x17 or some old wooden contraption on a wheeled tripod, to do studio portraits. Some of the old ones have enough bellows to shoot this, and still focus down to a few feet. Or mount it on the end of a 3 ft-long 6" (8"?) black plastic sewage pipe, with it's own collar and tripod mount (maybe attached to an angle iron with a slot for a camera tripod screw, and a hole in the gravitational center for the actual tripod?), and stick a lens board on the end for whatever 4x5 camera you want to try. If you could get 2 sizes of pipe that fit inside one another snugly, you might even be able to focus without bringing along a hacksaw.</p>

<p>Jody, you have at least two bad qualities. Poor reading comprehension, little knowledge.</p>

<p>If you'd read this thread from the top you'd have realized that I know what I'm doing and have the gear needed to use my new (to me) 900. Yes, I have to acquire or modify a few bits before I can use the lens. I have a shopping list, am saving my pennies to have a mount adapter made for the lens; the adapter will probably cost more than it did. Nothing I haven't done before. </p>

<p>My new (to me) 900/10 Apo Saphir isn't my first process lens or even my first Apo Saphir. The Apo Saphir is a heliar type. According to my friend and co-author Eric Beltrando's calculations -- see his site www.dioptrique.info -- it is one of the best corrected lenses ever made. All of the Apo Saphirs I've had for a while (135, 180, 240, 300, 360) shoot very well at distance and in all lighting conditions. Mine, including the 900, are all post-WWII and coated.</p>

<p>You're right, some process lenses can be flary. I've had three that had flare problems, more than three that didn't. The flary three are a 14"/10 Wray Process Lustrar Ser. II that I've marked "do not use" and very sharp 150/9 and 210/9 Konica Hexanon GRIIs. GRIIs need lens hoods when pointed near the sun, with them are fine lenses. No flare problems with dialyte type Apo Nikkors, of which I have 305/9, 420/9, 480/9, and 610/9. These are superb lenses out-of-doors. No flare issues with my TTH tessar type process lenses either.</p>

<p>If you want to learn something about Boyer lenses, read http://www.galerie-photo.com/boyer-optique-objectif.html (in French) or http://www.galerie-photo.com/boyer-lens-optic.html (English). Boyer made a number of lens types. Some are very good, others aren't. You shouldn't tar them all with the same brush. As I said, you don't seem to know very much.</p>

<p>I've never had or used a Topaz. Triplet, not necessarily a horrible lens. I have no idea what yours did that offended, wonder whether a cleaning would have helped it perform better. I wonder whether you used your Alsaphot correctly. The D'Assas lens mount is collapsible, has to be extended before taking a shot. Finally, I wonder how well the lens tube is blackened inside. I mention this last because I have a friend who once blamed a flare problem that had been caused by a mount adapter with shiny interior on an innocent lens.</p>

<p>I have a similar lens, a Kodak Process Ektar, 30", that weighs 7.5 pounds (3.4 Kg). I use it on an 11x14 view camera. It makes great prints, if you're willing to carry it.</p>

<p>OK, well, have fun. </p>