p.s.
Becky you have changed Francois' gender by adding the 'e'....but he may not mind that too much.
Well noticed Ed... I won't mind (though I don't like it much) as long as it doesn't require me changing into tight fitting clothes and raising my voice pitch by a few octaves.
Becky, I have learned to be tolerant about misspells in my name when it comes to changing languages... so don't feel too bad about it. I usually don't mind missing cedillas. But apart from that, I like it better when it is spelled correctly (Francois is the French version of Frank). You haven't seen all the ways my name and address gets spelled when I get mail from the U.S. ... and non of it is spelled correctly. I must give the Postal Service a 5 star rating simply for getting it to my door. But every time it happens, my language starts to deteriorate (slightly).
But back to those little shiny things we put on our cameras
Large format lenses are all very good, so investing in a very recent or expensive lens is pretty much useless. The thing that usually goes bad is the shutter, so this is what is worth checking first. All lenses are not the same diameter, so a lens board must be drilled at a specific size for each one. Lenses can be sent to a repair shop for a clean, lube, adjust procedure. But I prefer finding a good working lens and just using it as is since getting a tech to open the shutters could get expensive.
Some lenses, like the wide angle lenses, often require bag bellows for proper movements. Others will only require a recessed lens board (for lenses wider than 90mm). Lensboards for Tachihara are only for Tachihara. Same thing with most models unless specified otherwise.
As for the enlarger lenses without a shutter, they will allow too much light in unless you also add a very dark neutral filter. For those, you could get a Packard shutter. These go inside the camera and have usually 1 speed and Bulb. They work using a piston to activate the shutter. Reliable but could be a bit limiting when it comes to speeds.
As I said, older lenses can be great. I have a Graphex lens which is nearly 50 years old ans still clicks with a good snap after all this time. I also have a Schneider lens which is more recent that works good. I usually don't like press shutters. They have a lower maximum shutter speed and I have one which I need to repair (S***** job).
Multicoating isn't much an issue if you use a proper lens shade. Another good mark for old lenses.
Pinholes are a simple and cheap way to start. Don't buy one since it's so easy to make them. I tend to like the Pinhole Designer from
http://www.pinhole.cz/ .
It makes exposure compensation charts so you can accurately expose the film on the first try.
So, there you have it... not stupid questions after all.
