Eastman 10" Projection Anastigmat 4.5

[Mark MacKenzie]

I just bought an Eastman 10" Projection Anastigmat f4.5 with a beautiful old variable aperture like the old Velogstigmat. I think this lens was used on an 8x10 enlarger back in the day. I have seen online Kodak catalogs listing this lens from the early 40's.

My question is this. There appears to be a purple ish coating quite faint. It doesn't look like lens separation as it is consistent across the glass from the front and back. But the lens looks too old to be coated.

Being an enlarger lens, what difference visually will it make if I use it for a taking lens?

Lastly, when I take the elements out of the mount, it really resembles a Velogstigmat. Are they both Tessars?
Anybody like these lenses?

Thanks,
Mark

[Leonard Robertson]

Mark,
The 1935-36 EKC "Professional Photographic Apparatus" catalog shows the "Eastman Projection Printer No. 2 Size 8X10" as being equipped with a "Kodak Anastigmat f.4.5 Lens, 10-inch focus". "Projector Printer" is what we would recognize as an enlarger, but HUGE. Catalog says at "...extreme height.." it is 10 feet 4 inches tall. See page 28 here:
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/kodak_3.html in the 1927 catalog. No mention made of "Projection" on the lens in the catalog description, but it may have been so labeled. I don't know when Kodak quit using "Anastigmat" and went to "Ektar", but right before or after WWII I think.

If it is coated, it may be an aftermarket coating, some of which were supposed to be somewhat delicate, so be careful when cleaning it.

In theory, as an enlarger lens it is probably corrected for closer working distances than a regular Anastigmat, but in the real world the difference may not be noticeable. You will have to try it and report back to everyone. You might start a new craze of people looking for Projection Anastigmats.

Len

[Mark MacKenzie]

Thanks, Len. Its really well made. Reminds me of early Wollensak lenses with the black gloss paint that reminds you of an old Ford. I should post pics of it if I can find my point and shoot. I am anxious to try it out; it looks great on the Speed Graphic gg...


I wonder how "designed for flat field" translates into a useful visual description. Does it mean I should look for pin cushion distortion at infinity? Chromatic aberration at infinity? Or just mush meaning no resolution at infinity?

I also wonder if designed for flat field means greater than 1:1 as in an enlarger.

Mark

[Leonard Robertson]

Mark - This wonderful site indicates the 10" f/4.5 Proj. Anastigmat is a Tessar formula:
http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/KodakEktarsDB6-Enlg.htm It is worth looking at all the pages on that site, as there are additional mentions of the Projection series. I didn't find a definite date when the Projection name was discontinued. If you find it, please post. The information on coating is interesting too. The post-WWII Kodak lenses with the L-in-a-circle logo indicates they are coated. But it sounds like there were earlier coated lenses not marked. It seems to me the Projection name may have been dropped in the late 1930s, before Kodak lenses were factory coated, but that is pure speculation. If your lens was after-market coated, the question is why? Maybe this was someone's favorite shooting lens, rather than enlarging lens, and he thought it was worth having coated. Again, speculation. I suspect it will turn out to be a nice Tessar portrait lens when you try it, although if you are running it on a Speed, you may need an extension lens board to focus very close. I hope you get a chance to try it soon. Now you have me wanting one myself! But have lots of barrel lenses I already own to test. According to FedEx tracking, my Sinar shutter is on the truck for delivery this afternoon. Then I'll be able to shoot barrel mount lenses with the greatest of ease! Well, that is my hope anyway.

Len

[Mark MacKenzie]

Thanks, Len. Made a lensboard this morning for my 5x7 Speed. Its a little large for the standard but barely fits. My Anniversary Speed will also wear this lens and has enough bellows for portraits.

Good luck with your barrel lenses.

Here's photos:

[Leonard Robertson]

Mark - The 10" looks wonderful on the front of the Speed. I'm pleased you have "real" Speed Graphics - Anniversary and older. Pacemakers are okay, but just don't have the style and feel of the classic Speeds. Your 5X7 should have bellows enough to focus rather close with the 10".

Looking at my lens list this morning, I found I have a Projection Anastigmat, but only a 135mm. It is styled differently from yours, with a chrome ring to set f/stop, and labeled Kodak, rather than Eastman. It looks just like eBay 250994311760. I need to dig through the old flange box and see if I have one to fit it. A couple of other lenses of interest on eBay - 250959518591 a 105mm PA, but the box is labeled 4 Inch. Compare with eBay 360377255444 a 75mm PA with a box labeled 3 Inch Projection Ektar. Of course the boxes with both these lenses may not be original, but 200690772513 is labeled 100mm Projection Ektar. There is some sort of progression here but hard to tell what year the changes were made.

My 135mm PA also seems to have a very faint blueish tint to the front and rear elements. I'll compare with a 127mm Ektar with the circle L.

It is interesting to search Google Images for Kodak Projection Anastigmat and look at some of the web pages the images come from.

FedEx brought the Sinar shutter this morning. I haven't had much time to play with it, but printed out the instructions and figured out how to fire it. It sounds like a $2 rat trap when it fires out in open air. I assume it will be quieter mounted in the camera. May turn out to be one of those things I should have purchase years ago.

Len

[Mark MacKenzie]

Congrats on the Sinar shutter! The Speed's shutters sound clunky but with a well defined "clack!" Kinda of like the origin of the name Kodak. I bet the Sinar is smooth. I wonder how much vibration is generated by the focal plane curtains. Whats interesting on the 5x7 speed is that the top adjustment is labeled in the width of the curtain gap. It is labeled 1 1/2 because the gap is an inch and a half, then goes to 3/4 then 3/8 then 1/8. Both the 5x7 and the Anniversary shutters work well.

I have several Enlarging Ektar's that came with my D2 enlarger that I haven't used. Plus some enlarging Raptars that I use for loupes.

Yesterday we had some sunshine and I looked carefully at this discoloring. It must be the cement. It is not strong and you have to look at it from an angle but its there. Very purple.