Water Mill on dry plate

I like this. Has a nostalgic in days gone by feel which is only a little defeated by the half hidden sign advertising the shop.
 
More i see examples of the photo's Kodak f 7.7 Ekta lens produces the more you realise what a great lens it is.
 
It's a brilliant lens - I have one on my Kodak Specialist most of the time. My only annoyance is that I haven't got flash sync on the Kodak Supermatic shutter its in.
 
I have a Kodak 203mm Ektar. When I tested it against my f5.6 210mm Schneider Apo Symmar, I found the sharpness to be equal.
However, the superb quality of this photograph isn't mainly down to the lens. It is down to the photographer. Kevin Allan should be getting the credit, not his lens.
 
Alan Clark said:
I have a Kodak 203mm Ektar. When I tested it against my f5.6 210mm Schneider Apo Symmar, I found the sharpness to be equal.
However, the superb quality of this photograph isn't mainly down to the lens. It is down to the photographer. Kevin Allan should be getting the credit, not his lens.
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Absolutely, the composition is on point and it's an altogether great image ... which would have been great with any lens or a pinhole.

A point to make here though is that the 203 Ektar can often be had for peanuts: my own copy was thrown in with my Kodak Specialist, a pile film holders and a Dallmeyer wide angle ... all in a carry case for just over £100. You regularly see them for not a lot of money on eBay, and for folks trying to start out in large format with good glass for not much money they are a super buy.
 
I thought the 203mm Ektar was great; marginally less contrasty than modern glass but still very sharp. However, I found the lack of proper filter threads a bit of a pain in the backside as far as integrating it into the rest of my kit (using Lee system filters for instance). Satisfactory push-on adapters aren't easy to find for these, so I ended up selling my lens as it wasn't getting used.
 
I solved the filter problem for my 203mm Ektar by using 49mm thread filters. I removed the glass from an unwanted UV filter, then glued the holder to the inside face of the lens board that the 203mm Ektar is attached to, i.e. around the rim of the hole in the board. A yellow, or orange filter, or whatever, can then be screwed to the filter holder when needed. The filter is now at the back of the lens (and not the front) but still works.
 
I have at least 3 203mm Ektar lenses, the coatings were improved. My oldest is in a Kodak Epsilon shutter and came with my Specialist 2 along with the Dallmeyer Wide Angle. I have a pair of later UK cells, I do have spare 0# shutters I could fit them in one, it's way better coated compared to the first.

My best 203mm Ektar is an Eastman Kodak one in a Graphic Synchro Compur 1# shutter, which has a preview lever. This is a very late version even better coating. The beauty of these lenses is they are small and light, and excellent at from Infinity through to 1:1, so ideal for macro work.

Ian
 
I like the different zones of brickwork/leaves on this one
the 203 ektar a classic multi role lens
but the thing that I looked at was the Zebra dry plates , they do look to be interesting to work with and in some large sizes too including 10x12.
 
That is a beautiful and evocative photograph. One thing that strikes me is how well the nearby leaves/branches at the top work in the composition. Is this a scan of a print? If so, what was it printed on?

As for the 203 mm f/7.7 Ektar, I have one too. Made in 1959, it's mounted in a rim-set No. 1 Compur marked "Graphic". It is my understanding that Eastman Kodak supplied these to Graflex to be sold for use on their Graphic View.

I have a 1967 Graflex, Inc. price list that shows the 203 mm Graflex Optar f/7.5 in the No. 2 Graphex shutter. It's my understanding that this lens is the same design as the f/7.7 Ektar, somehow gaining 0.2 of an f/stop. Wollensak undertook to make these after Kodak ceased production.

David
 
Yes it's a great photo of the mill, i have the Kodak British made under licence Ektar 8" f7.7 version in Epsilon shutter, came with the Kodak model B half plate camera , has any one info on how to date the model B and the lens? Thanks
 
David Lindquist said:
I have a 1967 Graflex, Inc. price list that shows the 203 mm Graflex Optar f/7.5 in the No. 2 Graphex shutter. It's my understanding that this lens is the same design as the f/7.7 Ektar, somehow gaining 0.2 of an f/stop. Wollensak undertook to make these after Kodak ceased production.
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My 203mm Ektar in a Graphic Compur #1shutter has a 1958 SN. Going to a larger shutter would allow that extra 0.2 of a stop.

The Schneider 135mm f4.7 Xenar is in a Compur #0, but the 135mm f4.5 Xenar is in a Compur #1.
 
I find dry plate photography fascinating - when I got my Kodak Specialist it came with some plate holders - so I keep promising myself I'll give it a go.
 
Ian Grant said:
My 203mm Ektar in a Graphic Compur #1shutter has a 1958 SN. Going to a larger shutter would allow that extra 0.2 of a stop.

The Schneider 135mm f4.7 Xenar is in a Compur #0, but the 135mm f4.5 Xenar is in a Compur #1.
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I bought a Copal 1 shutter for my Schneider Xenotar 135mm f3.5. Nice lens. The shutter came with a Schneider 210mm that was scratched which kept the price down. Perfect for me because I only wanted the shutter. I prefer Copal shutter designs to Compur.
 
Has anyone found a good solution for developing plates in a Stearman 10x8 tank without the sharp edges of the plate damaging the bottom of the tank? This is one of the things that's holding me up in ordering some plates ... the Stearman tank was expensive and I don't fancy borking it up. :)
 
David Lindquist said:
Is this a scan of a print? If so, what was it printed on?
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It's a negative scan made with an Epson v700. I don't have an enlarger that can accept half plate negs; I have made contact prints from other glass plates but haven't tried to print this one

I've just started using a box of 4x5 plates and will be exploring whether I can fit them into a negative carrier.
 
Marley's Ghost said:
Has anyone found a good solution for developing plates in a Stearman 10x8 tank without the sharp edges of the plate damaging the bottom of the tank? This is one of the things that's holding me up in ordering some plates ... the Stearman tank was expensive and I don't fancy borking it up. :)
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I develop glass plates in trays in a darkroom, under a red safelight.
 
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