Jump to content

mark_sampson

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    818

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by mark_sampson

    Old G-Clarons vs. Kern Dagors

    in Large Format

    Posted

    <p>The Dagor-type Schneider Symmars are f/6.8. There are relatively few of them out there. The first plasmat-design Symmars are f/5.6 and are single-convertible; by removing the front group you get a longer f.l. These are easily identified by the converted f.l. marked in green on the nameplate ring and the 2nd set of f/stop markings. They were made until 1972 or so, when they were replaced by the Symmar-S seies. The brochure at the time stated that Schneider had given up the convertible feature in order to improve the performance of the combined cells. The only G-Claron I've actually used is a modern (c.1988) 150/9; it was very sharp close up and fine at longer distances.</p>

    Strange Muddy Fixer

    in Black & White Practice

    Posted

    If it's a liquid-concentrate rapid fixer, it's almost certain that what you see is sulfur precipitating out of the mix, rendering the fixer useless. This happens with age and alkaline contamination (from developer). It's most often seen in bottles of concentrate that are years past their sell-by date, where it appears pale yellow. Perhaps the mud you see is dark because the fixer has seen some use? in any case, discard and mix fresh.

    Urgent Question - Crown Graphic

    in Large Format

    Posted

    If the shutter has a bi-post flash connection you can just get a Bi-post to PC sync cable. Set your shutter to "X" and you'll be good to go. Don't worry about replacing the Optar right away, it's a better lens than its reputation. If you do want something else, look for a 203mm f/7.7 Kodak Ektar- or its clone, the 203mm f/7.5 Optar. One of those would give you a nice 'classic' 2-lens setup for not much money.

    7x17 camera?

    in Large Format

    Posted

    Mr. Cahn's answer is correct. Realize as well that most banquet cameras are adaptations of existing flatbed camera designs... stretched 8x10s if you will. An original design is Richard Ritter's: www.lg4mat.net. Also check the "ULF cameras" and "camera building" forums at apug.org and www.largeformatphotography.info.

    Need Help Old Goerz Dagor Lens

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    I have a similar Dagor in the original (broken) shutter. I tried it out as a barrel lens and it's quite sharp but (not surprisingly)lower in contrast than a modern lens. If the shutter worked I'd be using mine. I think it's significant that, some time back, a previous owner thought it worthwhile to have your lens re-mounted into a modern shutter. I'd call it a fine lens for b/w in 4x5 or 5x7. Dagors were made for about 90 years, by many manufacturers, and prices are all over the map, depending on the exact type, but all of them have some value- even at 100 years old.

    12" Velostigmat f4.5

    in Large Format

    Posted

    If you shoot the same scene with both lenses you'll see the differences between the 1920s and the 1980s. The G-claron lens will have much more contrast- while the uncoated Wollensak suffers from flare in backlit conditions. The Velo is a Tessar-formula lens and quite capable of sharp images if you don't turn down the soft-focus ring.

    Hunting for a #10 Cirkut Camera

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    I'd look on the panoramic photography sites. There's an associaton of Cirkut photographers as well. And Douglas Chadwick does, or did, group portraits of vintage race cars with a Cirkut. I have several of his prints that I bought 10+ years ago at Watkins Glen- from the inscription on the prints he's in Hillsboro WV.

    Schneider Symmar 5,6/150 usable at 265/12?

    in Large Format

    Posted

    Actually you remove the front group, using the rear half only. That's what the green f/stop markings on the shutter are for. Image quality is said to suffer some, Schneider and most users suggest this setup for portraiture. My tests some time back with a 180/315 version suggest that quality is "acceptable". It will definitely be better at 150mm than 265mm. You'll have to try it yourself to see if it's good enough. (The convertible Symmars were replaced by the non-convertible Symmar-S series around 1972.)

    Caltar II-N 360mm

    in Large Format

    Posted

    It's a fine lens but BIG. Not a real problem on a sturdy camera like yours. $300 is a great price. Outdoors I'd use a bellows lenshood, that lens throws a huge image circle, which can lead to camera flare.

    large fast lenses for shallow dof?

    in Large Format

    Posted

    I believe the night aerial photographs during WWII were lit by huge flash bombs... but I have no data to back that up. I've also read that

    Dr. Harold Edgerton devised an electronic flash unit that filled up a B-25 medium bomber. Don't know if that one ever went operational but it must have been one hell of a pop.

    pan-f with technidol

    in Black & White Practice

    Posted

    Here's how I look at it. Technidol was designed to produce a low-contrast result from a high contrast film (Technical Pan). Used with normal films, it will give a low-contrast ( or very long scale)result, with perhaps a speed loss. However, Pan-F+ is one of the more contrasty films available today, and a low-contrast developer like Technidol might provide interesting results. Specifically I would try that combination with extremely contrasty subject matter. Bracket your exposures, especially on the "over" side, develop in Technidol, and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised. That said, I don't imagine that this film/dev combination would be best for general-purpose photography. In any case, post your results. BTW, underexposing Pan-F won't "maximize contrast".
×
×
  • Create New...