What old lens for a speed graphic?

[nsurit]

Where might one look for information on possible lenses to be used with the speed graphic and its focal plane shutter. I've seen some work done by other using very old lens with or without their waterhouse stops. Any discussions groups out there and what might one expect to pay for a lens? Anything in particular to look for in one of these lenses? Bill Barber

 

[Ria]

Check out graflex.org

 

[Venchka]

My 1953 Speed came with a 1907 Voigtlander 7 7/8" Collinear II mounted on a Speed Graphic lens board. It works great. Since then, a friend gave me a 105mm lens from a Polaroid copy camera in the original Copal shutter mounted on a Speed lens board. It works fine. AND, the same friend gave me the cells from an ancient B&L Rapid Rectilinear that fit perfectly in the original Supermatic (X) shutter that came with the Speed Graphic. All I have to do is unscrew the 127mm Ektar cells and screw in the 150mm R.R. cells.

S.K. Grimes can make adapters for almost any lens and lens board combination. GOOGLE knows.

 

[Venchka]

ps: I'm also in Houston. PM me if you would like to get together and swap Speed Graphic info.

 

[nemo999]

Where might one look for information on possible lenses to be used with the speed graphic and its focal plane shutter. I've seen some work done by other using very old lens with or without their waterhouse stops. Any discussions groups out there and what might one expect to pay for a lens? Anything in particular to look for in one of these lenses? Bill Barber

Obviously, a Speed Graphic with its focal-plane shutter is intrinsically capable of using any old lens which will fit onto a panel. I would think the easiest lens to find which would give an "old" look would be a pre-war uncoated 135 mm Zeiss Tessar, there are quite a lot of cheap 1/4-plate folding cameras around with uncoated 135 or 127 mm lenses which would also do, in this case emphasizing the "old" look by not being sharp to the extreme edges. These lenses could surely be found for $10 - 20. I do also have a rapid rectilinear lens of about 5" focal length in excellent condition which must be 100 years old, this is quite entertaining and cost, I believe, about $35. Going back into the Victorian era means that lenses become much harder to find, particularly in usable condition, and may not be worth while, since it is basically a lack of coating and possibly lack of edge-to-edge coverage which makes old lenses look "interesting".

 

[John Kasaian]

My favorite for a 4x5 speeder is the 127mm Ektar. You should be able to find one in a shutter for $100 + or -

 

[Ole]

Anything.

That is - any lens with a focal length between 80mm and 240mm, which will physically fit on the lens board.

I've used a 3 1/4" Holborn WA rectilinar, a Zeiss Doppel-Amatar, a Thomson Bros more-or-less-rectilinear casket set, a 18cm Goerz Dagor, a Busch "Vade Mecum" casket set, and hope I soon get around to modifying a lens board to take a 24cm Voigtländer Heliar

 

[Pinholemaster]

Pretty much any barrel lens that will fit on a speed graphic lens board will work.

 

[Whiteymorange]

One of the joys of this set-up is the ability to try any old lens that you can get. I have put brass petzval projection lenses and various bits and pieces to work here where I might never have been able to find a shutter to fit what I had. I also have had some luck with copy camera lenses, which go for little money on the big auction site or in surplus. My favorite so far is an Ektanon 203mm - a copy camera version of the Ektar 7.7 203 that I picked up for a song since it didn't fit any known shutter (cells are different diameters.)

Make yourself some plywood, Masonite or what-have-you lens boards and go for it.

 

[nsurit]

Thanks to all. I'm currently scouting around for a Speed Graphic. I've got a line of one, we will see how that turns out. There was one offered in the classifieds last week and I was too slow sorting out my finances to see if I should buy it. I should have and didn't. There will be another. Bill Barber

 

[Robert Budding]

I actually prefer the Crown Graphic - a bit lighter than the Speed and able to handle shorter lenses. And leaf shutters are plenty fast for my needs - and they flash sync at all speeds.

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

My early-mid 50's crown came with a Graflex Optar 135mm lens. Pretty sharp!
Also Kodak 127mm ektars were _very_ popular. Older graphics had 135mm Zeiss and Bausch Lomb Tessars. I'm fond of Anastigmats. Nothing very special about them but a 7.5" Kodak Anastigmat that I have is a great performer.

I have both a speed and crown, both get used but it depends on the application. Travelling and handheld it's the crown. Tripod and funny lenses and it's the speed.

 

[Venchka]

I didn't see this information mentioned, so I will toss it in:

12"-300mm is about the upper limit on focal length.
90mm is about the minimum limit.

I say about because I don't own either a 300mm or a 90mm lens. I'm going on what I have measured in the way of bellows travel. Others can confirm or dispute my measurements.