I am relatively new to large format and recently purchased a 12" f/6.8 Goerz Gold Rim Dagor mounted in #4 Ilex shutter. The problem I have run into is determining the filter size for this lens. Nothing I have tried will fit it. Can anyone enlighten me as to what I should be looking for or will I need to get an adapter fabricated? Thank you, David N. VanMeter

-- David N. VanMeter (vanmet@ibm.net), March 21, 2000

Answers

David: Most of the big LF lenses of that era used a "series" size filter. I suspect your lens will take a series 7 or 8. The easiest solution is to get a filte adapter that clamps to the front of your lens and uses drop in square filters. You can then use the filters on more than one lens. Doug.

-- Doug Paramore (dougmary@alanet.com), March 21, 2000.

Further information: I have tried Series VII (too small), Series VIII (too big), and 58mm (hair too big), and 55mm (too small).

-- David N. VanMeter (vanmet@ibm.net), March 21, 2000.

David, I recently bought 6" and 8 1/4" post war Dagors. The only way I've been able to fit them is by going to Photo flea markets and scrounging through the old Kodak slip-on filter adapters. Very time consuming and frustrating, but at least cheap! S.K. Grimes has a neat universal adapter which is not too expensive to use for a Golden Dagor. Bill

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), March 21, 2000.

I have the same problem with my 12" Gold Dot Dagor. It looks like it needs something around 57mm (or 2.25 inches). The simplest and cheapest solution was to take a 62mm filter, flip it so that the threads face out, and tape it (very carefully) to the barrel. The filter's rim just fits over the lip of the barrel and it works. This was at the suggestion of Jose at Ken Hansen Photo in NYC, who (i.m.h.o.) knows his stuff.

-- Rich Lingg (r_lingg@hotmail.com), March 21, 2000.