Graflex.org

[zmanphotog]

Hi,
I have a 4x5 1949-50 Pacemaker Speed Graphic that has a 135mm Optar lens. What would you guys recommend for a telephoto lens for portraits and a wide angle for architecture?
I'm assuming a 210mm and 90mm, but wasn't for sure what was the common brand and would fit what I have.
Thanks,
Mark

[t.r.sanford]

The classic outfit probably would add a 3½-in. lens at the wide end, and a 10-in. lens at the long end.

Wollensak 90mm. f:6.8 "Wide Angle Raptars" are fairly common, and were extensively used. Some think the 90mm. f:6.8 Schneider "Angulon" is a better lens. Bausch & Lomb produced an 88mm. lens which has been praised on this board. Remember that these lenses were designed with a maximum aperture that produced a usable focusing image on the groundglass, but were never intended for picture-taking at that aperture! They perform best at apertures smaller than f:11.

The Kodak 100mm. f:6.3 "Wide Field Ektar" was popular among the discerning, half a century ago.

The Wollensak 10-in. "Tele Raptar" and its Graflex stablemate, the "Tele-Optar," were widely employed and are not hard to find. There are several nice Rodenstock 270mm. teles, too -- I think the f:6.5 model was made for the Graflex "XL" camera. Wollensak also made a 15-in. "Tele Raptar," a neat lens but a bit cumbersome.

For portrait work, the 210mm. lens you envision may be preferable to a telephoto; it all depends on what you want.

There is more discussion of this topic on this board than you would believe!