[LargeFormat] And Speaking of Convertibles

[Schuyler Grace]

Could someone with more experience than I give advice on buying a
convertible set?  I had been looking for an approximately 20' to 24" lens to
round out my 8x10 kit when it dawned on me a convertible set might be better
for my field work.  I get three focal lengths (I was mainly thinking about
triples) for about the weight of one.  I generally shoot with older lenses,
and that's where the biggest, maybe only choice is among lenses in my price
range.  And I don't generally use a lot of camera movements for landscapes,
so extreme coverage isn't an issue.

So, what should I look for and why, and what kind of investment (big
ballpark) should I be expecting to make?  I do need a shutter, so I'm
expecting to pay an additional $300 to $500, if I end up with a barrel set
(and I assume some barrel sets might require a Packard shutter, if a
lens-mounted shutter couldn't be fitted, but I'd rather go with the latter).

Thanks in advance for any advise that you have to offer.

-Schuyler Grace