12" f6.3 Ilex Paragon Anastigmat Series S

[buze]

I have one of these in the post, courtesy of a friend who find it in his grandfather stuff.

Anyone know if this is a good lens ? It's mounted on a Graflex lensboard, and from my reading it won't be able to focus very close on my crown... But I've been wondering if it's a good lens, and would be worth the effort of making a "reverse recessed" lens mount of some sort... for portraiture ?

The lens is in an enormous Ilex shutter, bigger than the lensboard !

 

[glennfromwy]

It was regarded as a good quality lens in it's day. The only way you're going to find out if it suits your needs/style is go out and shoot with it. You will be just about maxxed out on bellows at infinity with it. It was more of a 5X7 to 8X10 lens. If it's on a 4X4 Graflex wood board, it was likely used on a 5X7 Speed Graphic, which has 16 inches of bellows draw.

 

[buze]

I received it, it's on a graflex metal board for Pacemaker. When on the Crown Graphic I can focus it down to about 3.5 meters at full extension of the bellows, could make a nice portrait lens, but only on landscape orientation.
The lens is heavy, and the camera becomes quite front-heavy with it so I'll never try to set it up on portrait orientation, I'd be afraid to warp the rails.

Shutter works great (Ilex #4 ACME), and the glass is clear, ready to go for some testing !

 

[buze]

Here's a scan of a test shot, wide open. Only the black & white point ajusted, no sharpening. Film is Shanghai 100 souped in Barry Thornton (metol) 2 bath.

I focused on her rings (obvious spot on the GG) and the DoF is ridiculously small ! This is at full extension on the Crown. Otherwise it's nice and contrasty overall, but has a nice softness ("glow"?) about it that will surely help a lot with portraits.