Xanthorrhea

[Maris]

Xanthorrhea, National Botanical Gardens.

Gelatin-silver photograph on Ultrafine Silver Eagle VC FB photographic paper, image size 24.6cm X 19.6cm, from a 8x10 Fomapan 100 negative exposed in a Tachihara 810HD triple extension field view camera fitted with a 610mm f9 Apo-Nikkor lens.
Signed, titled, and stamped verso.

The 610mm f9 Apo-Nikkor lens is not fitted with a shutter so the 2 second exposure was executed by removing and replacing the lenscap. Lens aperture was f128 and the small amount of image diffraction is negligible for an 8x10 contact photograph.

[Walter Glover]

So much to like with this Maris,

Those Nikkor Process lenses were something else again. I don't have one now, but did have some years ago. And they were in magnificent green felt lined wooden boxes - all custom made.

This weekend I shall be out to try out a new Nikkor-M 450 that I just bought. I doubt I'll be blessed with finding anything as sharp as this image because strong winds are predicted.

[Maris]

My 610mm f9 Apo-Nikkor came in a rough cardboard box via eBay from someone breaking up an old print and repro shop. The seller didn't even call it a lens so it was missed by folks who trawl the 'bay for bargains. I paid $100 which I think is an egregious gift. Most similar repro lenses like the Apo-Ronar have a focal length of 600mm but Americans apparently wanted a "full size" 24 inch lens and weren't prepared to tolerate something that was 10mm too short. So Nippon Kogaku obliged them and made and sold a lot of 610mm very expensive ($$$) lenses.

[smbooth]

Thats a great looking image Maris but what long arms you must have doing close up work with a 610mm lens.

Walter I just got a 450 Nikkor too, hope your tripod is solid...

[Maris]

Fortunately the Tachihara 810HD camera I use is the triple extension version (840mm of bellows!) which features focussing by moving the back as well as the front. So I don't need long arms to get things sharp. Changing the aperture does involve a walk to the front of the camera and then a walk back to the ground glass to see how things look and maybe another walk to try another aperture. The tripod used was a Velbon Carmagne 740, all nice magnesium alloy and carbon fibre, that is plenty stable...but only on a still day. Trying to shoot 8x10 with nearly a yard of bellows hangin' out on a windy day is a losing proposition no matter what tripod.