Yousuf Karsh.

A pity about the shutter size being #5, I will look for something a little bit smaller such as a 355mm G Claron or similar or even one of the larger plasmat lenses if the price is right.
Thanks again to everyone who replied.

Don't let the large shutter dissuade you from getting one. The 14" Commercial Ektar is one of the finest pieces of portrait glass available, and it is a whole stop faster than a G-Claron. You may find that for portrait work, the G-Claron is too sharp and too contrasty. It isn't that big a deal to get a blank Sinar board and have it drilled. ANY competent machine shop can do it for you.

FWIW, for some time the only LF lenses I had were a 14" Commercial Ektar and a 10" WF Ektar, both in #5 Universals and both wonderful lenses. The trick(s) for using #5 Universals are :

1) Use a "long throw" cable release---I like Gepes---to reliably fire the shutter which is double action, so the cable release not only fires the shutter but cocks it as well.

2) Exercise the shutter by firing it a few times before pulling the dark slide "for real."

3) Make sure that if you send a #5 Universal out for a "cla" they just "ca" it--lubrication makes 'em evil.

You should be able to find a 14" Commercial Ektar in a usable shutter for about $500 +or- I think a 355 G Claron would command considerably more loot. Another lens which I believe Karsh used was the 375mm Ilex Paragon/Acuton. These are usually found going for a bit less moo-lah than Commercial Ektars.
Cheeers!

Curt said:

It's the Ektar look that lead me to a two year search of a 14" Ektar Commercial lens. I paid what it was worth as a mint lens and shutter and don't regret it in the least and I am not a rich man by any means. Sometimes you have to have the right tools for the work at hand. I am so glad that the previous owners kept it in its original wooden box, I am sure that is what contributed to its longevity. They are out there, just start looking.

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Beware of the soft front coating
Mark

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I thought that some forum members might like to have a look at some of Karsh`s Cameras. Apologies if this link is posted elsewhere on the forum.
http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/karsh5.cfm

Karsh shot in 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10. Smaller formats too on occasion. But I do think that negative was an 8x10 and there were a number of them taken in that session (in fact, they were shot just down the street from me No, I wasn't there).

Jeremy said:

I think part of this is how the modern lenses (the rodenstock and schneider mentioned above) are mounted in Copal 3 shutters which have few shutter blades as opposed to the Ilex or Kodak Universal #5 shutters which the 14" Ektar is usually seen mounted. These puppies have buttery smooth circular apertures which greatly helps with the out of focus areas when shooting stopped down.

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yep it's a shame they are not made like that anymore.
I read about it here:
http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/test/BigMash210.html

cheers!
Hector