So in a moment of insanity (or maybe because they were buying the drinks), I agreed to shoot a few photos at a friend's wedding. I know it's something I said I'd never do, but I know them well enough to believe them when they said it was me or noone. The bride is also an artist and said she'd be perfectly happy with whatever I got, even if I only took one shot on my 16x20" pinhole boxcam (I may very well do this anyway).
But I thought I'd take some proper shots anyway, and it's an excuse to feed my GAS. I've got a few lenses spanning usable lengths on 8x10, but none that I'd call a dedicated portrait lens.
So what I've got is:
Meyer Görlitz Weitwinkel Aristostigmat 160/6.3 - Too wide (and doesn't have a shutter yet).
Fujinon W 210mm, the older style that covers 8x10 - Beautiful but again too wide.
Convertible Symmar 300/5.6 / 500/12 - A decent normal.
Convertible Turner Reich Series II f/6.8 Anastigmat 12/21/28" - Shutter is slightly borken, only T, B, and 1/50s.
Also 14" and 18" elements for the above, they just cover 8x10" by themselves but no aperture scales.
Apo-Ronar 425/9 - Razor sharp at 1:1
Apo Tessar 600/9 - Rather old and uncoated, nice and tarnished for a softer-contrast look.
Lomo O2 600/10 - Better shape than the Apo-Tessar.
For the last 3 process lenses I've got a Gitzo Front-mount shutter that gives bulb-only and I've 3d-printed an adapter to hold it on. I'm actually a bit concerned that these process lenses would be too sharp, and the 600mm ones are probably too long to get into portrait extensions (my monorail is only 750mm long and the bellows probably not even that).
The Convertible Symmar seems to be the best bet, it's got a strong Copal Electronic shutter and I'll probably take some full-body shots with this anyway. I've never actually used it as 500mm-only, I know even their own catalogues say that it's "softer" than the unconverted 300mm, but is that in a good 'soft focus' or 'character' way or in a bad 'it's just soft and ugly' kind of way?
The Turner Reich is also decent, I've hacked it to take Cokin A filters so a few NDs can make up for only having 1/50s. Contact-printed it looks ok, but it's nothing too special (inasmuch as I've used it).
So what I would really like is to use it as an excuse to get something new (to me). Either in the Soft-Focus vein, or in the old-style fast-lens with lots of 'character', ie aberrations (think Petzval et al). But the ones I do know about are fairly rare and almost always too expensive, especially in 8x10 covering range (300-500mm).
Apo Lanthars and Heliars are just out on price alone, ditto anything with 'Petzval' or 'Darlot' in the name. Come to think of it, almost anything named as 'fast' or 'portrait' or even just 'long' in any catalogue at cameraeccentric are just damned expensive or don't exist.
I've got enough process lenses. Razor-sharp is not the look I'm after anyway.
Rodenstock brochures say that a minimum Imagon for 8x10 is 360 or 420mm, all I've ever seen are 200-300mm versions (except that 420mm one currently on fleabay for the price of a small car).
Fujinon seem to think that their 250mm Fujinon-SF covers 8x10. It may well do but it's probably a bit short for a tight portrait, so it'll be either full-body on 8x10 or headshots on 4x5. They're certainly the cheapest out of anything I've looked at so far though (and most come without sieves but I can always mill my own).
I'd love a Series II Velostigmat but very very rarely see them above 8" (again except the 12" currently on fleabay for over a grand).
Or that 5 grand 14" Veritar on fleabay. Beautiful but no freaking way until it's 1/10th of that price.
Barrel lenses are fine, I can mount my Gitzo shutter to almost anything (or I could fix that Packard on my shelf).
So for the advice-part of this question, what else can I be keeping a lookout for? Throw some names at me that aren't so expensive (I'm thinking less than $400, I know it's a rare lens that covers 8x10 that's this cheap, but this is what I'm budgeting).
Or has anyone got some samples of anything from the converted 500mm Symmar or Turner Reich to convince me to just use them?
Or for the WTB part of this thread, anyone got anything in this vein they're looking to sell?
But I thought I'd take some proper shots anyway, and it's an excuse to feed my GAS. I've got a few lenses spanning usable lengths on 8x10, but none that I'd call a dedicated portrait lens.
So what I've got is:
Meyer Görlitz Weitwinkel Aristostigmat 160/6.3 - Too wide (and doesn't have a shutter yet).
Fujinon W 210mm, the older style that covers 8x10 - Beautiful but again too wide.
Convertible Symmar 300/5.6 / 500/12 - A decent normal.
Convertible Turner Reich Series II f/6.8 Anastigmat 12/21/28" - Shutter is slightly borken, only T, B, and 1/50s.
Also 14" and 18" elements for the above, they just cover 8x10" by themselves but no aperture scales.
Apo-Ronar 425/9 - Razor sharp at 1:1
Apo Tessar 600/9 - Rather old and uncoated, nice and tarnished for a softer-contrast look.
Lomo O2 600/10 - Better shape than the Apo-Tessar.
For the last 3 process lenses I've got a Gitzo Front-mount shutter that gives bulb-only and I've 3d-printed an adapter to hold it on. I'm actually a bit concerned that these process lenses would be too sharp, and the 600mm ones are probably too long to get into portrait extensions (my monorail is only 750mm long and the bellows probably not even that).
The Convertible Symmar seems to be the best bet, it's got a strong Copal Electronic shutter and I'll probably take some full-body shots with this anyway. I've never actually used it as 500mm-only, I know even their own catalogues say that it's "softer" than the unconverted 300mm, but is that in a good 'soft focus' or 'character' way or in a bad 'it's just soft and ugly' kind of way?
The Turner Reich is also decent, I've hacked it to take Cokin A filters so a few NDs can make up for only having 1/50s. Contact-printed it looks ok, but it's nothing too special (inasmuch as I've used it).
So what I would really like is to use it as an excuse to get something new (to me). Either in the Soft-Focus vein, or in the old-style fast-lens with lots of 'character', ie aberrations (think Petzval et al). But the ones I do know about are fairly rare and almost always too expensive, especially in 8x10 covering range (300-500mm).
Apo Lanthars and Heliars are just out on price alone, ditto anything with 'Petzval' or 'Darlot' in the name. Come to think of it, almost anything named as 'fast' or 'portrait' or even just 'long' in any catalogue at cameraeccentric are just damned expensive or don't exist.
I've got enough process lenses. Razor-sharp is not the look I'm after anyway.
Rodenstock brochures say that a minimum Imagon for 8x10 is 360 or 420mm, all I've ever seen are 200-300mm versions (except that 420mm one currently on fleabay for the price of a small car).
Fujinon seem to think that their 250mm Fujinon-SF covers 8x10. It may well do but it's probably a bit short for a tight portrait, so it'll be either full-body on 8x10 or headshots on 4x5. They're certainly the cheapest out of anything I've looked at so far though (and most come without sieves but I can always mill my own).
I'd love a Series II Velostigmat but very very rarely see them above 8" (again except the 12" currently on fleabay for over a grand).
Or that 5 grand 14" Veritar on fleabay. Beautiful but no freaking way until it's 1/10th of that price.
Barrel lenses are fine, I can mount my Gitzo shutter to almost anything (or I could fix that Packard on my shelf).
So for the advice-part of this question, what else can I be keeping a lookout for? Throw some names at me that aren't so expensive (I'm thinking less than $400, I know it's a rare lens that covers 8x10 that's this cheap, but this is what I'm budgeting).
Or has anyone got some samples of anything from the converted 500mm Symmar or Turner Reich to convince me to just use them?
Or for the WTB part of this thread, anyone got anything in this vein they're looking to sell?
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