Tuesday, September 20, 2016

My Kodak Aero Ektar 178mm F2.5 Lens With Speed Graphic Camera Has Arrived

Got My Kodak Aero Ektar 178mm F2.5 Lens With Speed Graphic Camera today.

The bad:
- There is no f-stop diaphragm on the Aero Ektar lens so I will need to shoot everything wide open  at F2.5. Not being able to change change the f-stops makes this lens a one trick pony.
- 90 mm Linhof lens is sort of lame and useless.
- 360mm Schneider lens has no shutter so will probably only be able to use it for wet plate if at all.

The good:
- The one trick the Aero Ektar creates a super cool bokeh picture. Tonight as I looked through the ground glass the lens seems to be creating images and a feel/emotion I have never seen/felt before. This lens is a truly unique piece. The glass is in very good condition, a lot better than the many versions of this lens I see on eBay. Many of the ebay Kodak Aero Ektar's havesuffered heavy mold, scratch, body damage etc.
- The lens also seems to have a 82mm filter ring fitted to it. I believe this is a later adaption to the lens. I should be able to use it with filters if I want to.I could at least might put on a UV filter to protect the lens. I wonder if that will affect the bokeh in any way.
- The 2 pinhole devices included should be fun to play with.
- The 100 sheet box of outdated (2010) Efke 25 4x5 is unopened. I might be able to sell it on eBay for a few bucks or use it myself for fun. Not sure if they make this film anymore.
- The 5-4x5 holders loaded with Velvia are fine, can always use more holders.
- The Speed Graphic camera body is in great shape outside of a crack on the ground glass. I should be able to use it for years in combo with the Aero Ektar. I bid on the auction for this camera/lens combo and I got a working unit.

The overall rank of this auction seems about a 7 or possibly 8 out of 10. I did not pay too much money and got a working Kodak Aero Ektar lens and camera, you got to love that. When I make the first good picture I will forget about all costs associated with this purchase. Pictures talk to me so when those pieces come along everything else fades. I will probably have to use this camera lens on a tripod as it is rather heavy and the depth of focus very very VERY shallow. Some people hand hold this type of unit, not sure I can, maybe at fast shutter of 1/500 or 1/125 and much practise with the focusing. This could be a very important future portrait lens, that I might try to use exclusively on a project/exhibition.

I might try placing a Linhof focusing hood on the camera body like photographer David Burnett has on his camera. I might also replace the glass ground glass with a my preferred plastic version.

David Burnett With His Speed Graphic And Kodak Aero Ektar