Show us your lens or lenses

[jhotopf]

Coverage must be huge, I know my B&L 25" f10 Anastigmat covers 20x16 at Infinity, that Ross will be a touch less, probably 15x12.

I have an ex-Air Ministry Ross 5" 4Wide angle E.M.I. lens, I was surprised to find the designation means Extra MarginalIllumination, which essentially means it has less fall off of illumination ath the dges and corners, to do this Ross used larger than usual diameter front elements.

Often lens that use this principal particulatly older EWA's (Etreme Wide Angles) may open wider for focussing than their widest marked taking aperture.

What camera will you use it on ? Would make a wonderful Big Bertha camera attached to a 5x4 reflex camera or a Speed Graphic

Ian

Hi Ian,

Not got a camera yet to fit it far too big for even a regular 10X8. Was going to put together a frankenstein camera to fit it. Got a ground glass, some old sinar 10x8 bellows (found that even this is too small) and a 10x8 Toyo DDS so far. Might just put a box together initially and have it fixed focused for portraits and use a bit of string to gauge how far people need to be from the front. Might have a go at making bellows myself.

Jonathan

 

[Ian Grant]

Bought at an anique & Collectors Fair, in 2012, I paid £20 for this gem. It had been used as a projection Petzval.

After J.H. Dallmeyer introducedthe Rapid Rectilinear lens in 1866 many companies were left with stocks of Ptzvals and sold them off as projection lenses.

This one cleaned up surprisingly well





It is an 8" f6 and rather swirly unlike my 1863 10 f4 Dallmeyer Quick Acting Portrait Petzval.

Ian

 

[Petrochemist]

After J.H. Dallmeyer introducedthe Rapid Rectilinear lens in 1866 many companies were left with stocks of Ptzvals and sold them off as projection lenses.

View attachment 4129

Ian

Thanks for the Info Ian.
I think that might be the case with my projection Petzval lens, which suggests it might be from around 1866. I'd never managed to get a date for it before, just the gut feeling it was old. I paid £40 for mine but didn't have to clean it up...


Mike

 

[Camerashy]

Ian, have you ever considered writing down your knowledge about lenses in a blog or book?

 

[Ian Grant]

Ian, have you ever considered writing down your knowledge about lenses in a blog or book?

Funny you say that, another member has asked if I'd wirite the equivalent of The Ladybird Book of Lenses,

Some years ago I was visited by an LF photographer, she asked if I had a lens I'd sell tha gave an old fashioned look, Usaid which of the images on the walls of my diningroom/lounge do you think was made witha vintage lens. It was the photo made witha Yashucamat, I'd used diffrential focus, not those amse witha 1940 Dagor or an earlierTessar.

I will start making notes, I've another project first

Ian

 

[AnalogueWendy]

Funny you say that, another member has asked if I'd wirite the equivalent of The Ladybird Book of Lenses,

Some years ago I was visited by an LF photographer, she asked if I had a lens I'd sell tha gave an old fashioned look, Usaid which of the images on the walls of my diningroom/lounge do you think was made witha vintage lens. It was the photo made witha Yashucamat, I'd used diffrential focus, not those amse witha 1940 Dagor or an earlierTessar.

I will start making notes, I've another project first

Ian

Yes, please do,

 

[Ian Grant]

Yes, please do,

Will do. I should add, for others, that Wendy popped over a few weks ago specifically to have a look at different lens options.

Yesterday was a lens day. That meant mounting lenses I've acquired and never used on cameras, to evaluate their possibilities. Having some conversion lens boards for my 10x8 Agfa Ansco means I can fairly easily mount a variety of lenses on the camera and ook at how large the illumination circle is, get a good idea of the contrast of a lens etc. The main restriction is the shortest lens I can use with it is a 120mm, whichI can just about focus at Infinity, with 37½" bellows extension I can easily use my longest FL lens a 24"

I was evaluating a 5½" Dallmeyer convertible, 9½" with just the rear cell. It's a quarterplate lens when combined but stopped down will cover 5x4 well, with just the rear cell it easily cobers 7½"x5". A TTH Cooke 5" f4.5 Series II Cooke triplet, another quarter plate lens, both would be great for close portraits on 5x4 particularly fairly wide open.

Next a 13.5cm f4.5 Preminar, the dial on the Compur says Voigtlander, the Vade Mecum says it's a Tessar type lens found on Ica, and Zeiss camers. It appears to be a sub-contract lens made for Zeiss, like the Novars which were made by more than one company. It covers 5x4. I've no need for this one, so will sell it.

Then a 4" f16 TTH W.A.R. lens whichcovers Half plate, I struggled I need to mak a lens board W.A.R. just means Wide Angle Rectilinear, I have a tiny 141mm f14 A.M. (Air Ministry) Ross f14 EWA (Extreme Wide Angle) it's a Zeiss Protar but after the outbreak of WWI Ross stopped crediting Zeiss and paying royalties

There is another aspect to using older lenses, what shutters to use for barrel lenses., and there'a re a variety of options.

Ian