Posted by Henry on February 23, 2001 at 14:04:00:
In Reply to: Wide lens for Century (lensboard limits?) posted by BC on February 22, 2001 at 23:11:28:BC,
Have you eliminated the Graflex f/6.8 65mm Optar as a possiblity?
This is the wide angle lens designed for the Century Graphic. It
goes soft at the edges unless stopped down to at least f/11 (f/16
is even better), and there's not much room for movements (i.e.,
rise) before one or two things (maybe both) happen: 1) vignetting,
and 2) the wire frame finder hits the spring metal latch inside the
top of the camera box. I solved the second problem by removing the
wire frame finder. The first problem is insoluble (unsolvable?),
and is worsened by the usual difficulty of focusing a wide angle
lens on the groundglass, plus at f/6.8 (wide open) the image is
pretty dark. NEVERTHELESS, having said all this, I would still give
this Wollensak optic a try, IF---and this is a big one---(A) you
can find one, and (B)the asking price isn't way out of line. I
scoured the ads in Shutterbug and I searched at camera shows in the
Delaware Valley (Philadelphia area) for a couple of years until I
happened on one last year in near mint condition for $75. I have
since seen them advertised, on the very few occasions when I HAVE
seen them, for double that. One thing for sure: you won't have any
trouble mounting this lens (in the no.1 Graflex shutter) on the
Century lensboard!