I'm not sure if this is a lenses question, a view question or a speed question, but . . .

Which cameras will allow the use of barrell lenses? and at which shutter speeds can they be used?

For example, I think a barrell lens can be used on any speed graphic, but at what shutter speeds?

Also, can barrell lenses be used in Crown Views? Other types of l.f. cameras?

Finally, is there an advantage in using the barrell lenses other than cost?

My primary application would be portraits.

Thanks.

Greg

The kind of camera that has a built-in focal plane shutter, and so is most readily useful with a "barrel" lens, is the "Speed Graphic" (any model). Later ones are likely to be more functional than earlier ones.

"Crown Graphic" cameras do not have focal-plane shutters. This certainly does not unfit them for use with barrel lenses, but you need to provide some sort of exposure control (add a studio shutter, use a lens cap -- or your hat, as was done in days of yore, work with "open" flash or by turning the floods on and off, etc.),

A "Speed Graphic" offers FP shutter speeds up to 1/1000 second. The older models offer 24 speeds, selected by combining any of 6 tension settings with 1 of 4 slit widths. The last one, the "Pacemaker Speed," is a bit more intuitive for someone brought up on modern cameras.

You select the shutter speed according to the same criteria you would use for any shutter, with any lens, of course.

Barrel lenses are useable on any Speed Graphic. That means any camera with a focal plane shutter. Shutter speeds on pre-Pacemaker Speeds run 1/10 second to 1/1000 second plus time exposure. 24 choices. Pacemaker Speeds use use 6 "modern" speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000 plus time.
You can use a barrel lens at any speed appropriate to a light meter reading. This is assuming the lens has an adjustable aperture, which is not always the case.

_________________
Glenn
Edit : Sorry, t.r. sanford, I didn't mean to repeat your answer. We must have posted at exactly the same time and yours got here first. No posts showed when I did this. At least we are in agreement, eh?
"Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: glennfromwy on 2004-01-27 14:51 ]</font>

Quote:

On 2004-01-26 13:21, Westshore wrote: I'm not sure if this is a lenses question, a view question or a speed question, but . . . Which cameras will allow the use of barrell lenses? and at which shutter speeds can they be used? For example, I think a barrell lens can be used on any speed graphic, but at what shutter speeds? Also, can barrell lenses be used in Crown Views? Other types of l.f. cameras? Finally, is there an advantage in using the barrell lenses other than cost? My primary application would be portraits. Thanks. Greg

I think all of your questions have been answered except "is there an advantage in using the barrell lenses other than cost?"

Not particularly germane to portait photography, but there are several good reasons to use barrel lenses.

Closeup photography (magnifications <= 1:1) using an enlarging lens. Many enlarging lenses do very well for closeup work, nearly all come as barrel lenses. Of course, with Speed Graphics one can't use electronic flash with barrel lenses, but still ... You may say that enlarging lenses are just cheaper alternatives to real macro lenses in shutter, e.g., the 120 MicroNikkor. But the real alternative to a 120 MicroNikkor in Copal isn't an enlarging lens, it is an MP-4 Tominon and those are very inexpensive. As it happens, I have several enlarging lenses that are better than the equivalent Tominon, one is a match for a 100/6.3 Luminar on the emulsions I use.

Fast lenses. I shoot 2x3, use a 4"/2.0 Taylor Hobson Anastigmat (= OPIC = Planar type) and a 12"/4 Taylor Hobson Telephoto. Both lenses were made for use on Vinten F95 and Agiflite cameras. Neither will easily go in shutter or in front of a shutter. The 4" won't cover 4x5, the 12" will. There's not much like either available in shutter.

Come to think of it, my 2x3 Speed's RF is set up for the 4"/2.0, so it can be used for highly selective focus normal lens portraits.

Cheers,

Dan

Thanks for your quick input help.

Greg

Well any camera with bellows can easily use barrel lenses. Assuming you've got enough bellows. Shutters are nice but they are hardly needed. If you're talking large format odds are you aren't talking sprinters. Not today at least. If you really must have a shutter something like a packard shutter can be usefull. Problem is new they aren't exactly cheap. But they even come with flash sync. Which I guess means the one speed is just fine.

Use your hat. Dark slide or whatever. Use slow film or ND filters. Add even a #8 filter and suddenly you're pretty close to 1 second or more most days.

Advantages? Some of the older lenses have interesting looks. This can be good for portraits etc. The process lenses can be very cheap and very good.

Quote:

On 2004-01-26 18:26, Nick wrote: Well any camera with bellows can easily use barrel lenses. Assuming you've got enough bellows. Shutters are nice but they are hardly needed. If you're talking large format odds are you aren't talking sprinters. Not today at least. If you really must have a shutter something like a packard shutter can be usefull. Problem is new they aren't exactly cheap. But they even come with flash sync. Which I guess means the one speed is just fine. Use your hat. Dark slide or whatever. Use slow film or ND filters. Add even a #8 filter and suddenly you're pretty close to 1 second or more most days. Advantages? Some of the older lenses have interesting looks. This can be good for portraits etc. The process lenses can be very cheap and very good.

Not to pick on you, Nick, but you've repeated the story that one doesn't need a shutter. Maybe. But on 2x3 I shoot ISO 100 emulsions and usually shoot at f/11 or f/16. For me, getting the right exposure without a shutter when shooting out-and-about would require a very fast hat indeed. I even need a fast shutter when shooting at 1:1 with flash to prevent getting too much exposure from ambient. My preferred lens for macro work stops down only to f/20, i.e., effective f/40 at 1:1. Hats belong on heads.

Cheers,

Dan

Fair enough. I shoot B&W at 64 EI with an F/stop of 22 or smaller. On a sunny day that already down to 1/32. Between ND filters or even a strong red filter it's not too hard to get down to 1sec. When you hit 1 sec my film needs 1 stop extra for recpriocity. So I need 2 seconds for an exposure on a sunny day. It gets longer of course with hazy or cloudy days.

Purely manual means, like hats (or turning the lights on an off), work best indoors. But there were all sorts of very simple shutters of the "drop" or guillotine sort that were in use prior to around 1900, and some are easy enough to make out of mount board, light metal or thin wood. As noted in an earlier post, new "Packard Ideal" shutters cost more than one might like, but they do show up used from time to time. I surely wouldn't pass up an appealing lens simply because it doesn't have a shutter!

Quote:

On 2004-01-27 07:53, t.r.sanford wrote: Purely manual means, like hats (or turning the lights on an off), work best indoors. But there were all sorts of very simple shutters of the "drop" or guillotine sort that were in use prior to around 1900, and some are easy enough to make out of mount board, light metal or thin wood. As noted in an earlier post, new "Packard Ideal" shutters cost more than one might like, but they do show up used from time to time. I surely wouldn't pass up an appealing lens simply because it doesn't have a shutter!

"I surely wouldn't pass up an appealing lens simply because it doesn't have a shutter!"

That's what Speed Graphics are for.

Cheers,

Dan