Re: Large Format Lens Question

On 24-Feb-2005 Barbara Izzo wrote:
> ....... I am looking for lenses for a Century 6x8 and a
> Deardorf 8x10 that I inherited with no lenses.
> .... any information on the quality, suitability, and prices.

The best way to get price information is to search completed auctions on ebay.
After that, check the offerings of some of the online dealers, such as
www.mpex.com.

>
> 2 lenses marked only Darlot Paris, 1 estimated to be c. 6" ($200), 1
> estimated to be c. 8" ($300) These have no shutter.

These are old and probably of limited coverage. Their value is mostly as
antiques / decorations, though no doubt some photographers are using lenses
like these.

> Pentc 8" f 29 (with space between the 2 and 9) ($250) No shutter.

A f2.9 Pentac? This is a WWII aerial lens of varying quality. It probably
doesn't cover 6x8.

> Kodak Commercial Ektar 10" 6.3 in original? case ($800) The owner said he
> thought this was one of the best lenses of all time

This is a fine lens and would have been used by many professionals in the 1950s
and 1960s. The design is the tessar design, which typically has coverage of 55
degrees. For a 10 inch lens the diameter of coverage would be 10.4 inches,
which just barely covers 6x8. In fact, Kodak listed the "Maximum Recommended
Negative Size" for this lens as 6 1/2 x 8 1/2. The price is very high. The
14 inch version is popular for 8x10.

I can't recommend any of these for your cameras. The high-quality lenses that I
see going for very reasonable prices are plain Symmars. 210 mm and longer
should work well for 6x8, 240 mm and up for 8x10. If you want enough coverage
for movements such as front rise, the 300 mm would be an excellent choice for
8x10.

--Michael
Received on Fri Feb 25 00:47:16 2005