Last week Chris Morgan and I did a civil war event together. Rather than competing against each other we teamed up and worked out of my skylight tent. The event went well and we were non stop at times running 2 cameras, 2 darkrooms and 2 backdrops. When we weren't that busy we helped each other.

Chris did this quarter plate of me for a test. Taken with a Darlot Projection lens. Looks very nice to me.



Here is a half plate tin I did of one of the sutlers across from me. Taken with my CC Harrison.

Both images look great, but I have to say that the projection lens gives surprisingly sharp results, You may be single handedly responsible for starting a run on projection lenses Bob

yeah no kidding frank that darlot is pretty sharp. but that is on 1/4 plate i wonder how it would look on the 5x7 or whole plate. i have a darlot projection lens that i have not used yet cuz i need to have some lens boards made for my scovill whole plate camera.

I've been using a no name projection lens for my dags. They can be very sharp. No stops, though.
See you use one legitimizes the practice nicely...

whoopeee, maybe we'll see a shift towards projection lenses and the prices of the non-projection lenses will come down!

Bob and Chris:

Great Shots. Where was the shoot ? Nice to be able to put a face to your name Bob.
I heard about this forum of yours from Todd Harrington.

I'm a newbie to the WPC world just since I took a 2 day(weekend) class at HFNP (Harpers Ferry West Virgina National Park) sponsored by the park last October. Todd Harrington a re-enactor himself as well as a WPC artist was the instructor. On the 9th of May he did a shoot at the Wilderness Battlefield near Fredericksburg, VA. He invited me along but I had previous plans for the 9th.

With Todd's help and mentoring, I am slowly getting equipped for WPC myself. I've heard a lot about Darlot and Petzval lenses. Could either one of you enlighten me about them.

I have yet to find any of the fore mentioned lens on either Ebay or Amazon. May be I am not search for them correctly.

J. W. Spinks
Aspiring Collodion
Artist/Photographer

Bob and Chris:

Great Photos ! Where was the "re-enactment" ? Wilderness?. I am a newbie to WPC, I took a 2day class last October at HFNP (Harpers Ferry National Park) sponsored by the park service with Todd Harrington as the instructor. Todd is a re-enactor himself. He told me that he was doing a shoot at the Wilderness last Saturday..5/09/10 and invited me to it but I had previous plans for that day.

I've heard a lot about Darlot Lens but have yet to see any on AMAZON.com or EBAY. Maybe I not seaching right. can one of the two of you tell me about them and the PETZAL(spelling)lenses. What makes them so great?

J. W. Spinks
Aspiring Collodion
Artist/Photographer

Opp sorry didn't mean to double post msg. slip of finger...apparently I had left a second window for forum open with PREVIEW of msg

Much Mudd on my Face

james

the petzval lens was used mostly for portraits and group shots because it was a "fast" lens and it is sharp in the center but because of the lens formula it has rpaid fall off.(as you can see in the second pic the trees in the top are out of focus and have a curve to them) as far as ebay you can just search brass lens and come up with a good ammount of items. projection lenses were used on magic lantern projectors and many used the petzval formula. the largest difference between the two lenses are a lack of a slot for waterhouse stops to control aperature. because these lenses were ment to send light out not bring it in.

[cgi.ebay.com]

this is what i was talking about. but dont buy this way too expensive for this lens.

Bob,

Did you loose some buttons there, or won't they reach?

Doug

Douglas A. Harding

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam
A country without a language, a county without a soul.
Céad míle fáilte
A hundred thousand welcomes!

Douglas_Harding@nps.gov
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[www.authentic-campaigner.com]

They reach but barely which is why they are falling off Doug