Short Lenses on C-1 8x10

[gbenaim]

Hi all,

I find myself shooting mostly my 19 inch lens on the C-1, partly because it's harder to compose on shorter lenses. Even w the 300mm I have a harder time seeing the picture well, and so I was wondering how those of you who use one of these beasts get around this limitation of an otherwise excellent camera. I also find that the shorter lens seem dimmer even for similar aperture lenses (e.g. my 19 and 12 inch lenses are both f9). I'm curious whether this is due to the usual wide angle dimming or to the distance from the GG at which one must look given the rear rail. All advice and suggestions welcome.

GB

 

[PHOTOTONE]

You might could do with a better ground glass. They are not all created equal. However, learning to compose with a dim GG image is a skill. It just takes time to master. Be sure you have a good dark cloth that is big enough for an 8x10 camera.

 

[Captain_joe6]

I've been asking myself this exact question lately. I have a C1 that is, I'll agree,quite the beast, but indeed an excellent contraption. Using my Turner-Reich 12-21-28 I've noticed that the 12" length (f/6.8) is significantly dimmer than the 21" (f/11) and that the 28" (f/16) is the brightest of them all (though this probably because the 8x10 ground glass is right in the middle of the hot-spot). Just the same, though, the 12" seems about 2 stops dimmer than even the 12". I've been wanting to get my hands on a Wollensak Ex.WA 159mm lens and have wondered how bright it would be or even if I could focus down close enough, or if I'll have to make a recessed board for myself.

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

I have 480mm and 365mm F9 Nikkor APO process lenses and find them to be quite bright. Surprisingly so. I've had no problems seeing my 365 or the old 300 I used to have. At infinity there isn't all that much rail behind the ground glass. Maybe it's a matter of height? I'm 6' tall and I've basically got my nose on the GG when I'm checking focus... The best suggestion I have is to get a really big darkcloth as it takes quite a bit of material to really wrap up that camera. All the best. Shawn

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

You SHOULD be able to focus the 159 exWA on the C-1. However, you'll have a devil of a time using any movements with it. I think part of the problem with this camera and shorter lenses is the bed rail poking you in the chest. That said, I never had issues with my 12" and 14" lenses, or even my 10" lens, and I was using the Calumet factory ground glass.

 

[juan]

I have a 159EWA and I am able to focus with it. As TFC says, the compressed bellows allow very little movement. The lens is very dim and if my subject is close enough, I sometimes resort to putting an LED flashlight in various parts of the scene to check focus. I point the lamp directly at the camera so that I am focusing on the bulb itself, not trying to illuminate something in the scene. For landscapes, it seems that DOF takes care of everything, at least for the contact printing that I do. OTOH, my 12.5-20-28 Rapid Rectilinear is bright enough at all focal lengths.
juan

 

[John Kasaian]

240mm f/9 isn't a problem on my 8x10--the aerial image is bright all the way into the corners. With a 159 Wolly the corners get pretty dim. Don't worry about bellows compression limiting movements--159 Wollys (especially the f/9.5) hardly have any wiggle room to spare.