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[the57man]

I have been reading through several messages having to do with view cameras like mine, Graphic View, and want to know more and more about mine. It has a symmar-s 5.6/210 lense with it and a Kodak ektar f:7.7 203mm eo 454. On this same lense, it says 36 f 6 tiffen adapter ring series 6 usa. Are these decent lenses and what kind of pictures should I expect to get. I know thats subjective to the subject and the person taking the pictures, but you know what I mean. Where can I get a book that really explanes the operation and basics of this camera. I have done a lot of 35mm and feel this is an exciting step into a whole new feild of photography.

[Les]

The Ektar was a very nice lens, not quite top of the line but close in the 40s, yours is from '47 and might have been original to the camera.

The symmar-S filled the same niche in the 70s. I used a 180 version as my prime lens for a good ten years in my business. (then people stopped wanting 4x5)

given the assumption that both lens are in equally great condition (nobody cleaned one with steel wool) I would expect the Symmar to be certainly brighter, and a bit more contrasty than the Ektar, which might conculde one to think it was sharper.

The difference in the focal length is negliable. My advice is to keep both, shoot both for a while so you know what the ektar can do, but then get something around either a 90 or a 120mm. When you finally tire of the Graphic View and want to move up to something more modern, sell the camera with the Ektar and keep the other glass for the new camera.

To get a new lens that fills the same position (not quite top of the line) you'll have to spend somewhere around $700