Saw Jim Galli's images, now need a Petzval-type lens!

I was out shooting late this morning with my Eastman 5x7 and 2 lenses, a 10" B&L Petzval and a 10" B&L Rapid Rectilinear. The RR is in a brass Unicum shutter, the Petzval has a front mounted #8 Packard. I learned (the hard way) that a 100+ year old shutter that works fine in a warm house will give you fits in 30 degree outside air. Needless to say, the shutter is going to Flutot's tomorrow (Carol, you've already been warned! )

I'll soup the negs this evening and post some images in the next day or so.

Also...

I'll be posting yet another page on Packard shutters soon. This one will feature some mods I made to the Petzval as well as the shutter mount. Link to follow...

i hate to suggest this, but i have used one of these myself - i have 2 of these cameras, and one i harvested the lens from it and have used it as an enlarging lens as well as a taking lens in a speed graphic, and i really can't complain too much

http://cgi.ebay.com/vintage-Butler-...582728346QQcategoryZ11716QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

it is about as cheep as you can get for a meniscus lens that covers a 4x5 sheet

-john

jnanian said:

i hate to suggest this, but i have used one of these myself - i have 2 of these cameras, and one i harvested the lens from it and have used it as an enlarging lens as well as a taking lens in a speed graphic, and i really can't complain too much

http://cgi.ebay.com/vintage-Butler-...582728346QQcategoryZ11716QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

it is about as cheep as you can get for a meniscus lens that covers a 4x5 sheet

-john

Click to expand...

THAT is pretty cool!

Bad day at Black Rock

Well, I souped the film from this mornings shooting spree. The stuff shot with the RR was fine, but the Petzval's film was light struck. Seems I need to rework my Packard for this lens. I've never had a problem with a front mount before, but this shutter is giving me trouble.

After souping the negs, I set the camera up in the living room with the Petzval and shutter in place. I removed the back and had my wife shine a flashlight on the front of the lens/shutter to see if that was where the trouble was, or if I had another light leak. Sure enough, the light was leaking through the shutter pretty bad.

At first, I thought it was because the Petzval has such a large front end and I needed a 3.25" opening shutter to make this work. I then took a look at the front mounted Packard on my 305mm Nikkor - it's the same size, and I've never had a problem with it leaking. We then checked the Packard that is behind the 17" Ektanon - no problems. Same with the Packards behind the 14" R.D. Artar, no problems at all.

Anyway, It looks like this shutter is going to have to be replaced. The attached neg scans show the difference between the 10" Rapid Rectilinear (on the left) and the 10" Petzval. Both shot from the same camera position, the RR was exposed 1/50th @ f/16, the Petzval 1/25th @ f/5 with a 3 stop N.D. and a light yellow filter. The RR is quite a nice lens, it'll be even better once Carol CLA's the Unicum shutter.

The RR is pretty good!

bobfowler said:

THAT is pretty cool!

Click to expand...

forgot to mention --- a polaroid back will fit in it too

i've an image in my personal gallery that was shot with one of these cameras ...

David A. Goldfarb said:

The RR is pretty good!

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Thanks! Wait 'til you see the glass on this one, it's pristine...

Petzval MADNESS!

Well, the Petzval saga continues...

I resolved the light leak on the #8 Packard by making a rather large box lensboard. Seems that a shutter that large (3.25" opening) doesn't like being out of doors and hanging in front of the glass - the slightest breeze will move the blades and wham! - light leak.

Anyway, I made this box different from past projects, I made it with a hinged door on the front. The door is 1/2" Baltic Birch Plywood and has a 1/4" wide, 3/8" deep rabbet all around, so it's light tight. So far, the shutter has passed the light tight test - a strong flashlight held about a foot in front of the lens shining straight in. From the back, nothin' but dark! As you can see in the attached pix, I have some more work to do to the lens. I'm going to remove the lens cells and re-blacken the inside of the lens barrel, then blacken the outside of the barrrel where it protrudes into the camera.

I took the doublet out of the front cell and used a gel-type super glue to attach a 72mm filter ring inside the brass hood. Since the Packard has one timed speed, I'll use ND filters for more precise exposure control. The ring and the inside of the hood also need a re-blackening.

The flash sync connections exit the side of the box via #8 machine screws. Wing nuts on the outside of the box allow attachment of a cord with a household plug.

The piece of walnut under the box is temporary. It's just supporting the weight off the front standard until I finish my permanent brace.

Anyway... Jim Galli - you created a monster!

bobfowler said:

Anyway... Jim Galli - you created a monster!

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The old girl never looked so good Bob. She's citified. How do you keep track of all that plumbing. I've seen less piping under the hood of a new Audi.

jimgalli said:

The old girl never looked so good Bob. She's citified. How do you keep track of all that plumbing. I've seen less piping under the hood of a new Audi.

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After seeing your pictures, I wonder if you have ever seen under the hood of a new Audi.

A really old pickup, now, that is a different story...


Matt