4x5 Value

[Alan Gales]

Alan, thanks for the compliment. The obscure and arcane information I collect doesn't make me a better photographer. In the early days of eBay, when few people knew what was what, it helped me buy good lenses at low prices and finance my lens collection by buying and later selling, um, buried treasure. Those days are gone forever.

About y'r 90/8 Ilex. It was a good grade of 90/8 Super Angulon. Not quite up to the latest most best faster and heavier 90s but still a very usable lens.

Dan, I came into large format later than you. I did get in on the flight from film to digital. I used to buy people's whole film camera kits and then part them out and sell for a profit. I mostly sold medium format gear but also some large format. It helped me to afford what I have plus the film I shot. I'm not near as knowledgable as you but I knew enough about common gear to make some money.

Thanks for all the info on the 90mm Ilex. At least the person who bought it from me was very happy!

 

[Kilgallb]

My 90mm Super-Angulon is at its most sharp at f16 or f11. I use it at f22 or less but only sparingly as the visual acuity is affected.

I shoot my 210mm at f5.6 for best visual acuity.

Look up the data sheets, if you can find them and they usually list the focus specification in line pairs per millimetre at a specific f-stop. This is probably the best f-stop to use for best visual-acuity.

 

[Neil Poulsen]

Yup- I would agree. Schneider Glass branded for sale through Calumet in Chicago.

I think this is likely earlier than the Schneider branded glass. For one thing, it's 8 1/2", versus 8 1/4". The first Caltar lenses were Tessar designs, and I think this fits into that category. (But, can't be positive.)

Either way, this would be a nice lens for 4x5.

 

[Neil Poulsen]

If all works well, then you have a very nice camera. (For example, do the frames slide easily up and down on the vertical posts?) It's a precision instrument. It also has independent locks for all the different movements.

This camera will pack relatively well. You can slide the camera (including the clamp) onto the 6" (short) extension, and then disconnect that combination from the longer rail by turning the red knob.

There are many inexpensive, yet capable accessories available for this camera. A "bag" bellows (about $50) would be nice for wide angle lenses. The accessory on the front will hold the rear end of a standard Sinar bellows that can be used as a lens shade. (You would also need an accessory standard to hold the front end of the bellows.) A little more expensively, you can get a binocular viewer that will show the image right-side-up. (I think the viewer could work on this camera; it depends on the g.g. holder that you have.) Etc.

I have one of these cameras, and it's 8x10 big brother. I know of a first-rate photographer who has used Norma cameras all his life. The famous architectural photographer, Julius Shulman used a Norma 4x5. If you wanted a camera that folds into a smaller package, or is lighter-weight, then you might be prompted to get something different. But, you would never need to sell this camera for lack of its versatility or its capability.

 

[Dan Fromm]

I think this is likely earlier than the Schneider branded glass. For one thing, it's 8 1/2", versus 8 1/4". The first Caltar lenses were Tessar designs, and I think this fits into that category. (But, can't be positive.)

Either way, this would be a nice lens for 4x5.

To expand a little on post #12 in this discussion, towards the end Ilex made several lines of lenses. Ilex sold them, so did Calumet as Ilex-Caltars.

They're not likely earlier than Calumet's rebadged Schneider lenses, they are earlier. The 210/5.6 Ilex-Caltar S whose picture the OP posted is a 6/4 convertible plasmat. Ilex sold their convertible plasmats as Acutons. Ilex also made commercial Ektar (f/6.3 tessar types) clones, sold them as Acutars. f/8 Super Angulon clones, too, sold under a variety of names including Acugon.

Calumet was phasing out Ilex plasmats by 1970. The 1970 Calumet catalog on cameraeccentric.com shows three Schneider Caltar-S lenses and one Ilex. No wonder we're all confused about them

 

[TareqPhoto]

OP, did you sell your gear or you still waiting for answers?