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Ektars
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:23 pm    Post subject: Ektars Reply with quote

I have a lot of photo stuff in the boxes from previous years of photography in diapason from 35 mm to 4X5.
Among meaningless junk I find an extension bellow for Nikon and mounted on it an old, 1946 year production, Ektar 127mm f4,5 from Speed Graphic.
Using Nikon to Canon and Canon to Sony A7R2 adapters I shut some tests. What a good lens this Ektar is!
First of all the field is absolutely flat due to the huge coverage on 4x5. The FF is a small fraction of this formate and located in the center of it. The image is sharp from corner to corner on all apertures (little bit soft on open), bokeh suppose to be great because of round aperture, but I was concentrated on sharpness.
Also I have an orphan Ektar from Medalist II, full unit with shutter, it was outstanding lens on 6x9 film, trying to figured out how to give it another life.


Here are the samples.





f5,6


100% crop from the previous photo:


Last edited by Paulius on Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:11 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a nice lens. It is good that you were able to adapt it to your camera.

Back then Kodak reserved the Ektar name for their best products, and their Ektar lenses were world class.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

C A M E R O S I T Y
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
EO = 46 =1946
Looks Quite good, it may have coatings.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 1:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Marked L and coated indeed. This one and 152mm Ektar are Tessar type, however Medalist's lens taken from Voightlander design, much more complicated. Looks like it need another bellow from e-bay, some drilling and riveting. Could be another priceless edition to collection.

Last edited by Paulius on Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:19 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

'Yes a nice lens. This one was fairly common on Graflex cameras.

That bellows is an interesting looking set. I don't recall seeing a set like that for 35mm before. On the topic of Nikon bellows, though. You know, it's just a thought, but because that lens has such a large image circle, you have the ability to use a lot of movements -- with a set of bellows that supports movements, that is. And that reminds me of the Nikon PB-4 bellows. The PB-4 does have some movement capability, although not a great deal. But it's something at least. And that lens would certainly handle any movement the PB-4 could manage.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As 127 mm at FF is tele lens, by experience with view cameras I know that movements on tele are not so effective, it works better on wide angle and normal lenses. Also the distance to infinity, as it showed on the first photo, is to long and the tube is to narrow with a lot of obstacles to receive a straight ray of light. Today Photoshop is capable to correct distortions, it was on primitive level at film era.
Also, I can't find the glass of Medalist, only an empty shutter. Looks like it used for some experiment on Baby Graphic more than two decades ago. It is somewhere, I have to concentrate my memory and look through the boxes.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I posted in the other thread before I saw this. Here is my PB-4 setup. Have not really done much with the tilt/shift abilities. I use it with many other lenses even enlarging lenses. I also have an Ektar 101 but can't get it to infinity focus on the bellows. Attaching the lenses is quite easy using the Nikon BR-2 reversing ring. I just get a 52mm filter adapter with the correct size hole and mount it reverse on the back of the lens.



Also the PB-4 mounts on DSLRs if you turn the mount 90 degrees before attaching. Then you can turn it back.
Pete


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You mentioned enlarging lenses, how it works in the sense of quality?


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ektar on close up test. I'm impressed.

It is f4,5, open.


f22


f16


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have tried enlarging lenses, copy lenses, lf lenses and just about anything I can adapt to my camera. Most everything has quite good quality. Probably because the DSLR only uses the sweet spot of the glass. I still have not found that 'magic' lens that makes all my photographs great. Has been a lot of fun and gets a lot of attention when I take the rig out in public.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I would like to try Rodenstock Rogonar S 150mm f4,5. It use to be the best on Omega D5 enlarger, catching the grain on any 4x5 BW negative.
Finally I find the Ektar 100mm f3,7 from Medalist, mounted on Graphic shutter. It is not coated, 1944 production, but was absolutely wonderful on Baby Graphic. Soon as 3 bellows arrives from China, I will continue experiments.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Be careful with shorter focal lengths. The bellows may not be able to collapse enough for infinity focus. My PB-4 is a bit long for 100mm focal length.
Pete


PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Already done, I took a bayonet from broken Nikon mount lens and glued it on the back of the Rodenstock board. Extension is not longer than Ektar, half a way on the rail. Ewen can do close-up.
To my surprise old Ektar is better.

All focal leights from 100 to 150mm are suitable for monorail bellows.
100mm Ektar is in 5mm affront of minimal extension contraction.