fast lens

[newone2010]

Hi all,

I want to know which lens you choose to use for 8X10?I can light up a Dag using 29600W/S(=7200 x 2 x 2)at F5.6.I heared about Jerry light up a dag using 9600w/s flash.

If I want to shoot a portrait just with only one flash,I need to find a F3.5 lens. I want to buy one.

Consdering I would maybe made 8X10 dags some months later,I want to find a fast potrait lens for 4X5 and 8X10.

Jerry made 11×14 dags now.Dose he use more powerful flash?A F3.5 lens for 11×14 is hardly to be found,even I think it was not be made.

What’s your suggestion?

Thank you,

Li

[jgmotamedi]

I regularly use 9600w/s on one head at f2.8 or thereabouts. If I move the head closer to the subject I can use a f3.5 lens easily enough.

For 8×10 and whole plate you have a limited selection of fast lenses. It is much easier for smaller plates. I would recommend looking for a 300mm f3.5 Tessar or Xenar. You can also look for a fast 16″ Petzval lens, some of these are f3.6 or faster. Do not be tempted by the 12″ f2.5 Kodak Aero-Ektar, they are in my experience useless for Daguerreotypy because of the yellow-brown stain caused by thorium glass.

[jgmotamedi]

I regularly use 9600w/s on one head at f2.8 or thereabouts. If I move the head closer to the subject I can use a f3.5 lens easily enough.

For 8×10 and whole plate you have a limited selection of fast lenses. It is much easier for smaller plates. I would recommend looking for a 300mm f3.5 Tessar or Xenar. You can also look for a fast 16″ Petzval lens, some of these are f3.6 or faster. Do not be tempted by the 12″ f2.5 Kodak Aero-Ektar, they are in my experience useless for Daguerreotypy because of the yellow-brown stain caused by thorium glass.

[newone2010]

Hi Jason,

Can you show me the links of the lenses (300mm F3.5 Tessar or Xenar,and Petval 16inchi)?I can’t find useful info using my poor English on internet.

Thank you,

Li

[jgmotamedi]

Here is a Schneider catalog page from 1939 with f3.5 Xenar lenses:

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/schneider_2.html

And here one from Zeiss in 1935 for the Tessar:

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/zeiss_3.html

I can’t find one for you to buy, and nothing on ebay right now. These aren’t easy to find, and won’t be cheap, I would guess at least US$500. Good luck. Petzvals unfortunately have gotten very expensive, a bottom of the barrel Wollensak Vitax seem to be costing upwards of US$800.

If you can go to f4.5, a 360mm Xenar or Tessar will be easier to find, and much cheaper.

All of these lenses will require a large lensboard and sturdy camera.

good luck.

[newone2010]

Hi Jason,

I can make a large camera by myself.Of cause,if these lenses can be accepeted by normal 8X10 camera.That will be great.

F4.5 is OK.but I need much more powerful flash lights.The flash lights is too expensive.

best,

Li

[newone2010]

Hi Jason,

I alreay have a lens for 8X10 now.It’s Zeiss 250mm F3.5.How do you think about it?I also find two Zeiss 210 F4.5 lens in Beijing.One is about 200 dollar and another is 380 dollar,but they are same and under same conditions.I made a short test and I think 210 F4.5 can cover 8X10 too,a little bit of black Vignetting.More interesting,one of my friends,who makes wet plates.He use a lens made in China,about 50 years old.It’s 240mm,F4.5.It can easily cover 10×12 inchi wet plates.It works very well,and the price is about 20-30 dollar.

Thank you,

Li

[jgmotamedi]

The 250 f3.5 is most likely a fine lens, but perhaps a bit short for 8×10. It may do if focused closely. It would probably be great on whole plate.

[Mike Robinson]

Dear Newone – you might want to consider daylight outdoors (hazy bright overcast) to light your subject. Its less expensive than flash and you can use a slower lens, When the iodine/bromine and plate prep is right, you can get exposures as fast as two or three seconds at F/5.6. My fastest plates have been exposed at a half second @ f/4.5.

Best

Mike Robinson

[newone2010]

OH,Mike,

2 or 3 sec F5.6.It’s so fast,I have done some experiences,and I only can make a correct exposure at F5.6 at least about 15 seconds.I need more experiences.

Thank you so much

Li

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