Lenses

Goerz Pantar Casket Set
(8 cells: 16", 420mm, 14", 356mm, 2x11.75", 9", 7.5")

I recently acquired two new cells from England to round out this set to eight cells. I might be done collecting them now...unless of course a 360 or 450mm cell appears on the market. It's a disease, and I ain't too proud to admit it. Hell, I'll even admit I bought the Copal #3 and the first four cells from Ron Wisner! The two new additions are a 14" (356mm) and a 16" (420mm)...so now I'll have three perfect symmetricals (I scored the two 11.75" cells from a guy in Scotland in 2000) and two more focal lengths to cover 8x10, at least one of which may even cover 11x14 at f/45. Looking forward to testing them out. These sets are extremely rare. Trust me on this. Rarer than hen's teeth. I have some docs:
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4.
The focal length I've used the most for 8x10 is 223mm, formed with a 420/356mm combination ( example), but I'm also fond of using the two 11.75" cells to form a 172mm (6.75") combination: Providence is an example.

Gundlach Portrait No. 5 Series A 15" f/5

And here's the discovery of the decade for me...in working on the iris for this lens, I had it in pieces on the dining room table. As I worked I chatted with the kids, when Alex, my 9 year-old pixie of a step-daughter, assembled the front and rear cells, sans iris, and said, "Here. You can use it this way." I'll be damned. It worked. Who needs an iris anyway? I like f/5.

Wollensak Series II Variable Focus Velostigmat 15.5" f/4.5

I really like f/4.5. I used to have the 12" version of this lens, mounted in an Alphax #5 - monster - shutter. It really only worked every fifth Thursday of the month. Two examples done with the 12": Fog (stopped down to f/32 or thereabouts) and Julie and Maddie (wide open). I wish I still had it, but the 15.5" beauty covers 11x14 and makes really sweet portraits. And f/4.5 allows shots in the 2 second range indoors under regular illumination at night using Ilford HP5+ rated at 400, but alas it's so big that the possibility of a shutter is limited to either homemade barn door or black hat. Here's a 15.5" example: Melinda At My Kitchen Counter. I develop by inspection, so I just expose for the shadows, develop normally and start monitoring under a safelight. I've been endorsing these lenses for probably seven or eight years, and it seems the market has finally caught up with that assessment. All the Wollensak lenses seem to be fetching top-dollar now. I'm dismayed by that, but maybe it means Goerz lenses will get cheaper.
I also had a 6.25" f/9.5 EWA Velostigmat series III by the way, bought on the recommendation of Patrick Alt in an article that appeared in View Camera in 1998(?). Sweet lens. Covered 8x10 with a little movement. Mine was mounted in a Betax #3...semi accurate part of the time. It only weighed about 9 ounces. Example: Train Passing Through Sharpsburg If you can't get a decent casket set, I'd highly recommend the Velostigmat family of lenses. Oh...I also owned a 127mm Raptar, f/6.3 or thereabouts. Coated, mounted in a good Rapax shutter and sharp as a tack. Only covers 4x5, though. Shot this with it on a Bender 4x5!