Ilex #5 on a 5x7 Kodak 2-D?

Gentle Readers,

I've decided I need a short-tele/portrait-length lens for my 5x7, but I don't need it enough to justify spending huge amounts of money. Thus I'm looking at some lower-cost alternatives, a number of which (the 375/6.3 Caltar, for instance) come in the monstrous Ilex #5 shutter.

On paper, it looks like it should be possible to put together a lensboard that will mount the monster; it'd probably be easiest to make a "top hat" lensboard with a little forward projection to clear the front of the camera, since the outer diameter of the shutter is actually significantly larger than the size of the lensboard. But I'm worried about the size and weight of such a setup in practice; the 2-D is already a beast, of course, so maybe a few extra tons from the lens and shutter wouldn't make a big difference.

Has anyone used one of these titan shutters with a 2-D? Does it work OK, or do the two giant objects together set up a gravitational system that collapses into a black hole or something like that?

Thanks

-NT

I have a 5x7 Century #2 (nearly identical to the Eastman 2D) and I think an Ilex #5 would be a mismatch for the camera. The size of a camera's lens board pretty much tells you what to mount on the camera, and the lenses you're considering were all meant for 8x10 cameras or studio cameras. How about a nice 12" Commercial Ektar (in an Ilex #4) or a 12" rapid rectilinear lens? Those seem like more reasonable options for a 5x7 field camera.

It should work--I looked at the dimensioning of my 5x7 2D with exactly the same thoughts in mind; 5x7 is such a nice format for portraits. The 375 Caltar is actually not all that big and heavy, as lenses go, and the weight will be fairly close to the front standard (which reduces the tendency to pull the standard out of line). However, a 14-3/4" lens is a bit on the longish side for 5x7, and the 12" Commercial Ektar mentioned by Barry S would indeed be a fine alternative.

I guess that I'd have to disagree, mildly, about the relationship between the lensboard size and appropriateness of lenses---I also have an 11x14 2D, and it's lensboard is almost the same size as the one for the 5x7!

Take a gander at old Wollensak WA and EWAs. Small and inexpensive (and slow)they ususally come in Alphax or Raptar shutters--- it's dwarfed by a #5!

Well, I bought it---the price was just too tempting to resist, and if the giant shutter causes a gravitational implosion, I can't say I wasn't warned. It'll be here in a week or so, I'll give my Guid Wyfe the Woodworker some prompting to make a top-hat lensboard, and we'll see how it works out.

Thanks for the assistance, everyone.

-NT

If you find that it is too big I might be interested in buying the shutter from you.