lens on a Busch pressman 6x9

[someonenameddavid]

It's a 101 mm f4.5 Ektar. I think I read somewhere that it was a Heliar design. Can someone clarify this

David

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

How Good is the Ektar 101mm f/4.5?

How Good is the Ektar 101mm f/4.5?

The 101mm f/4.5 Ektar is a good lens. I tested one a couple of years ago.

Just for fun... Test conditions
- Cold light
- Camera on tripod
- ISO 12233 test chart
- Focused with Ground Glass and magnifier
- TMY2, ISO 400, Horseman back, read negatives with 20x hand-held magnifier, just measured in the center.

Results, all at f/16:
- Graflex Graflar -- 3150 LW/PH
- Ektar 101mm f/4.5 -- 5250 LW/PH
- Mamiya Press Lens 100mm f/3.5 -- 7225 LW/PH (Matches measurements by C. Perez of Mamiya TLR lens)

My conclusion FWIW: 6x9 press camera can produce very nice images; the Ektar is pretty good, but modern lenses are better.

 

[mbisc]

The (much rarer) 105mm Ektar lens is the Heliar design (5-element vs. a Tessar design which has 4 elements) -- as noted above, a Tessar-type lens will be very sharp once you stop it down to about f6.3. In contrast, a Heliar-type lens will be quite sharp already wide open.

There is also a Heliar-design Ektar lens on the Medalist II, but it is a 100mm lens.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Either way, you'll love the results of an Ektar lens 😉


101mm f/4.5 Ektar on a Baby Speed Graphic with Adox 100 (click to enlarge)

 

[mbisc]

Yes, and I should have said that in my earlier post, as MR Fibble said, you will love the results with the 101 Ektar -- here is another example:


Twin Arrows, Arizona (April 2004) by nbg90455, on Flickr