Anyone have any information about the Kodak 305mm f4.8 Portrait lens? I bought one a few years ago, but have moved several times since with my job, and have not had a chance to try it. I'm guessing that it'll cover 5x7 easily, and barely 8x10, but I don't know as I do not have a lens board. Even worse I 'only' have a rear element, and I'm not sure if a front element comes with it. I bought it from a used camera store where they did not have much info either. The No. 5 shutter is in great shape, so it was probably worth the purchase even if the lens is incomplete. What is there is in great shape, and I was just looking for some info on this lens. Thanks in advance. David H

-- David H (buddhacan@netscape.net), March 03, 2001

Answers

That lens is suitable for use on 8X10 for portraits. It is a single element lens (actually, a cemented doublet) with the glass behind the iris. They usually have a glassless deco ring fitted to the front of the shutter so it doesn't look too weird to the bank president or admiral who's portrait is being taken.

You can get similar results using binocular objectives or spectacle lenses of suitable focal length.

-- Steve Grimes (skgrimes@skgrimes.com), March 03, 2001.