What is the likelihood of buying an Ilex #5 shutter à la carte?

ame01999

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I don't see one in a current eBay search, which is unnerving. Realistically, am I going to have to buy a long lens I don't necessarily need to extract the shutter from it to use with my current shutter-less lens? Thanks.
 

_T_

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Every once in a while I will see one for sale.

If you’re stuck waiting for one to pop up I’ve seen a number of people build guillotine shutters in front of the lens. Apparently they can be quite accurate and are capable of achieving quite short shutter speeds.

I’ve seen them both 3d printed and built by hand. Both options seem to work very well.
 

Rick A

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I'd like to help you out, but all I have on the shelf is #3 and #4 Ilex's and a couple of #1 Prontor Press shutters. My #5 Ilex keeps company with a 14" Goerz Dagor.
 

blee1996

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Probably cheaper to buy one with lens. I got my Ilex Universal #5 together with an Orbit 14" f/6.3 (Commercial Ektar equivalent) for very little money from KEH. Turns out both are excellent.
 

koraks

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By 'à la carte', do you mean 'on its own, without a lens'? I understand 'à la carte' as 'customized, tailored to my specific needs/desires'.
 

retina_restoration

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blee1996 said:
Probably cheaper to buy one with lens.
Click to expand...

This is true. I have acquired two excellent shutters by buying with a lens mounted in it, and the lens (as described) was crap or damaged, so the whole package went cheap (circa $100). You'd be very unlikely to find an Ilex #5 in good shape for the price of one that already had a lens in it.
 
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ame01999

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Thanks for the tip! Are those like Packard shutters? I thought those were the solution to my unwieldy barrel lens, until I learned they only have one shutter speed available.
 
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ame01999

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I see a

Ilex 375mm (14 3/4") f6.3 Paragon​

on sale in an Ilex #5 Universal Synchro for $589. Does that seem reasonable? Thanks!
 

_T_

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ame01999 said:
Thanks for the tip! Are those like Packard shutters? I thought those were the solution to my unwieldy barrel lens, until I learned they only have one shutter speed available.
Click to expand...

A guillotine shutter is a very simple device that uses only gravity to activate the shutter. I tried to find a video of one for you but this is the best I could do:


You basically just attach a block with a slot in it to the front of a lens place a rectangular sheet of opaque black material in the slot. You cut a rectangular hole near the middle of the sheet of black material and attach a weight to one end. Then when you let the sheet of black material fall, the hole passes before the lens allowing exposure for a fraction of a second before continuing to fall and thus covering the lens again.

You can vary the shutter speed by changing the size of the hole similar to the way that a focal plane shutter varies it's shutter speed.
 
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ame01999

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Thanks, that's remarkable! I'm still struggling a bit to understand whether I really need a Compound #5 or not. My chatbot is describing lens diameter in terms of "Lens cell mount diameter" and I don't know if that's the same measurement my eBay seller measured as the lens diameter. I'm looking on eBay for Compound #5, and sellers don't usually mention what size or # the shutter is.
 
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ame01999

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It doesn't seem like the number is printed on the shutter anywhere for me to recognize in a photo. My chatbot told me the #5 has a maximum speed (or minimal duration) of 1/50th of a second.

This seller below kindly measured the interior diameter of the shutter, gave me a measure of 78mm, which I thought is close enough to the #5 diameter of 83mm to be a match. But he also said the fastest shutter speed is 1/150th of a second.

Vintage Lens Goerz Dagor 1:6,8 Series 3. shutter DRGM Compound / folding camera | eBay

Lens Goerz Dagor f/6,8 Series iii #3 Focus 8 1/4 in. Shutter works in all speeds: 1-1/150c, B and T.
www.ebay.com

Is my chatbot wrong? Is the seller wrong, do you think?

Thank you for your wisdom.
 

BrianShaw

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Isn't a Compound shutter a very different shutter from an Ilex? I think so...
 

lobitar

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A. Compound with a top speed of 150 ought to be a no.3 Compound, with a SHUTTER mounting flange of 60 mm. So the measure iof 78 mm is confusing, from the top of my head this seems to indicate a no. 4 Compound? But a no. 4 Compound has a max. speed of 100, if I'm not mistaken. And a 210 mm Dagor should easily fit into a no. 3 Compound.
I believe a no 5 Ilex and a no 5 Compound have approx the same sizes. But please note, they are not interchangeable!!
 

abruzzi

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Igor Camera has the following listed:

Kodak #36 Anastigmat 12" (305mm) /4.5 #36334, c.1930, cover 8x10, Compound #5, flange, Ex $295.

Large Format Lenses

Large Format Lenses: Specializing in Large Format lenses, 8x10 lenses,Fujinon, Nikkor, Rodenstock, Schneider lenses, Golden Dagor, APO Artar, Kodak Commercial Ektar, APO Sironar N, Super Symmar, Grandagon, Caltar, Center Filters and Protar lenses
www.igorcamera.com
 

jimgalli

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The dirty little secret is . . . . . the No. 5 Ilex or Betax can't get anywhere near the advertised 1/50th and any old Packard 6 in good shape can crank out a steady 1/25th which is what the Ilex can do, so don't write off the Packard.
 
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ame01999

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Wow, that's an incredible resource! I've never heard of Igor. I should have just gone straight to him, had I known. Unlike the vast majority of eBay sellers, he has the image circle described. Thanks a bunch, Abruzzi!
 

abruzzi

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I've bought a bunch from him. Lots of good stuff. He also sells on eBay but 98% of the stuff on his site is not on eBay.
 

hap

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If you don't find what you are looking for I have a #5 ILex in very good condition.
Hap
 
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