Wollensak Beach Multi-Focal series A

[Michael Dowdall]

Last weekend I picked up a Wollensak Beach Multi-Focal series A, focus 12” No. 54 at a local auction. It looks like it might be a portrait lens. The rear cell has concentric waves on the inner surface (Beach?). The centre ½ to 2/3 of the rear cell is smooth and sharp. It’s mounted in a Betax shutter. I’ve been searching the internet and have been unable to find any information on this lens. Does any one have any info on this lens? Specifically the aperture scale, it reads 4 at min. aperture and EX 11.7 at max. aperture. I have some Protars with the aperture marked in millimeters. The scales on the Protars and on the Wolley don’t match. The largest Protar goes from 5 to 42, and the aperture is smaller on it than the Wolley. So the Wolley can’t be marked in mm. Any one have any ideas?

Michael

[Ernest Purdum]

Your lerns is indeed a soft focus portrait lens. The idea is that the "waves" slightly shift the focus so that no area is totally in focus. On the other hand, any plane near that which you have focused on will not be far out of focus either. It's a little like a pinhole image, but only over a limited range.



Since the "waves" are concentrated at the outer portions of the lens, the effect will be reduced on stopping down.



I don't know anything about the aperture. I'll see if I can find anything on it and get back to you if I do.

[Jon Shiu]

Interested in what you find out about the aperture. I have a Beach Multifocal Ser. B in Studio shutter that has aperture marks of EX11.7, 11, 10, 9, 8,7, 6, 5 (largest aperture being 11.7, smallest 5).

[Michael Dowdall]

Jon

Have you used yours? If so how did you set the aperture. How did the image look?

Michael

[Jon Shiu]

I haven't used it yet. It is set up in a long tube to fit on Graflex RB Series D, which I need to fix up. On my lens someone has scratched 5.3 next to the widest aperture. I assume that would be f/5.3

[David A. Goldfarb]

Beach was a portrait photographer. If you do a search, you should turn up another thread from a while back on the Beach portrait lenses.

[Emile J Schwarz]

per a instruction sheet I got, Beech developed his own exposure system. 11.7=f3.3, 11=f4, 10=5.6, 9=f8, 8=f11, 7= f16, 6=f22, 5=32, 4=f45, 3=f64.

My question is could some one explain the US (Uniform) aperture system please. I have a brass lens with the aperature marked, 5, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128. No way is it an f5. Help.

[Vick Vickery]

US = f-stops: 4=f8...8=f11.3...16=f16...32=f22.6...64=f32...128=f45.2

Hope that helps...got it off the web some time ago, but don't know where...I've got an old wollensak 8" triple-convertable marked in the US system.

[Michael Dowdall]

Thank you all for your answers. Especialy Beau, the f. stops really baffeled me. I was thinking of mounting the other lens I got in the same auction lot, a 12'' Velostigmat series II f4.5 and the Beach on two boards. Then metering the G.G. while defocused on a gray card and comparing the readings at different stops. Both lens' seem to be about the same vintage and are uncoated. I might still do this, just to satisfy my own curriosity

Michael

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, I would estimate the largest aperture, marked EX 11.7 as about 2.25 inches. So, for a 12" lens, how do you calculate the f/number? Would it be f5.3 or 3.3?

Jon

[Emile J Schwarz]

" The rapidity of this lens is gained by the excess surface caused by the concentric curves and because of this unique construction, admits more light to the plate than do other lens of equal diameter and focal length." ... " Ex. 11.7 = f3.3" per Howard D. Beach, A.R.P.S.