To anyone who can give a suggestion: I bought a Rodenstock Apo-ronar 300mm f 9.0 process lens, from ebay, which has no build-in shutter ( I didn't know this until I received it). I planned to use this lens on my large- format camera. Does anyone know how to attach a shutter? or where I can buy an external shutter so I can use this lens. Thanks. By the way, the camera I use is Calumet cc-400.

-- How-foo Chen (howfoo@seas.ucla.edu), March 16, 2001

Answers

S.K. Grimes does excellent work on taking barrel lenses and mounting to Copal or similar shutters.

at www.skgrimes.com

he's nice to work with and very prompt on emails

you may need advice on buying a used shutter. however, he furnishes new shutters with his service and the resale of his handiwork is high when the time comes to sell.

best advice is to send the lens to Mr. Grimes, have him look at it to see if you want to spend the amount for mounting the Ronar to a shutter. I'd say that if the lens is perfect, it may be worth it. otherwise, resell it on ebay (take loss if necessary) and look for a quality Schneider or Rodenstock MC lens already in a working shutter.

A. Harrison

-- Al Harrison (afonse@swbell.net), March 16, 2001.

Hi How-foo, don't forget you can mount a Packard shutter behind the lens board. That would mean you would only have 1/25th sec. and Bulb, but it works as well as some of the old lenses I've got. Best, David

-- david clark (doclark@yorku.ca), March 16, 2001.

Hi How-foo, you can also put a Packard shutter behind the lens. This limits you to 1/25th sec. or Bulb, but it works, and some folks achive very good results with this setup. Best, David

-- david clark (doclark@yorku.ca), March 16, 2001.

A new Copal 1 costs $185 from www.badgergraphic.com. I don't know if a f-stop scale is included. It's important that the two elements spacing will be the same as on the barrel mount.

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@smile.ch), March 17, 2001.

I machined up an adapter ring to fit a similar APO-Nikkor to an Ilex synchro (probably #5) shutter. The lens sits in front of the shutter and my friend has to adjust the aperture with the len's diaphragm; not the one in the shutter. The adapter required metric threads on one side and imperial on the other. You will need a large shutter to be able to clear the final element with room to spare. A copal 1 will not be big enough. A packard should be fine. If you really want the state of the art, I understand there are electronic shutters available - Sinar/$$$?

A little editorializing here: IMHO in today's inflated market, unless you got the lens for cheap and get a clean & running shutter & paying anyone to do this will cost more than it's worth - you will have a good but slow 300 mm lens but...

Good luck & cheers,

Duane

-- Duane K (dkucheran@creo.com), March 20, 2001.