So-so lens in nice shutter... possibilities for swapping out elements?

[holmburgers]

Hey y'all,

So I got some LF lenses from a friend who had no need or want for them. One was a 135mm Raptar in a Rapex which I really enjoy, but the other is a 210mm (i think) Orbit lens in a Copal-1.

It seems like a no-name lens and it's no so clean either. I'd like to put something a little schnazzier in there. Does anybody have recommendations for a good lens that would fit the Copal-1? I'm thinking that maybe I'd be able to get a good deal if I waited for some 210mm lens elements to pop up for sale, w/o a shutter.

The other question I have is, would it be fool hardy to put in another focal length lens in the shutter? I know that the f/ stops would then be incorrect, but couldn't one just easily convert those f/stops to the new FL?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm hmm hmm. I buy lenses I don't want in shutters I can use when the price is right enough. Right enough is no more than the cost of a new shutter minus the cost of a CLA minus a bit more to allow for the risk that the shutter's truly kaput. Whether it makes sense to adjust the old settings to match the new lens what doesn't match the old one depends on how the shutter is scaled and what the new lens is.

FWIW, a while ago I bought a pair of 210/5.6 Fujinon cells very cheaply on the LF forum. And I have a 210/6.8 Beryl (another way to spell Dagor) in barrel in the drawer. Both cells fit a #1.

If the shutter's scale is terribly wrong for the new lens -- you'll know it when you see it -- SKGrimes will rescale the shutter. The last time I had them do the job the price was $50. As you're reading this two of my lenses in, respectively, $20 and $40 shutters, will be arriving in SKGrimes' PO Box to have the shutters scaled. Much less expensive than buying lenses in shutter at full price.

But before you toss the Orbit shoot it to find out how good it is. I make this suggestion because I also have a 210/5.6 Zircon (another way to spell Symmar or perhaps Symmar-S) in barrel in the drawer. Its front surface looks terrible -- the classic cleaned with brillo look -- but its cells fit (are you surprised?) a #1 and it shoots very well. Big heavy lens, for my purposes the Beryl is better.