Turner Reich Anastigmat f6.8 Series II 4x5 lens-what is it?

[Jon Wilson]

I have a lens which is marked "Turner Reich Anastigmat f6.8 Series II 4x5" lens with a Betax No. 2 shutter and rear lens which is marked "Turner Reich 11 IN" The serial numbers on the front and rear lens match. Is this wide angle lens, convertible, or what? I was planning on using it on a Korona 4x5 and possibly try it on a 5x7. I am just getting stared in LF and truly appreciate your input. Thank you.

[Brian Ellis]

I'd hazard a guess, and it's purely a guess, that the "11 IN" on the back means it's an 11 inch lens or about 275mm. Put it on the camera, extend the bellows 275mm, and see if things a long way away are in focus. If they are then I guessed right, if not then hopefully someone who knows more than I do will respond.

[Ernest Purdum]

The Turner-Reich is a rather elaborate type of convertible lens. It has five elements, all cemented, in each cell. The 11 In markings on the rear cell will be that of the rear cell by iself. The front cell is probably a 14", giving a combined focal length of 6 1/4". If you want to use the longer cell by iself, you should take off both cells, then put the front cell behind the shutter. The individual apertures are f12.5 rear and f16 front.



The lens is not thought of as a wide angle, but when well stopped down it does cover considerably more than the 4" X 5" rating. It would probably cover your 5" X 7" at f22 or so.

[Wayne]

My Series II has focal lengths printed on both elements. Not sure if they all do. I think mine is a 12, 19, 25, but I've never used it. Some of these lenses were pretty good, some were pretty bad. It worth shooting a few sheets and finding out which your is.

IIRC, many people use an orange filter as the single elements have chromatic aberration. The single element is placed behind the shutter. Also IIRC, the longest focal length is with the front element used in back alone. If not, I stand corrected.

I had given up hope that this forum would ever revive, so I'm a few months late....

[Jon Wilson]

Thanks for the everyone's help. I truly enjoy this forum and appreciate all the knowledge I am gaining. I have yet to take any 4x5 pictures, but hope to do so soon with this lens. Since the original post, I have been able to acquire a replacement shutter (Betax No. 2) which works. When I originally got this Turner Reich lens, it had a Betax No. 2, but it does not work. Would the Betax No. 2 worth being repairing? Thanks again.

[Ernest Purdum]

The Betax No. 2 shutter would very likely be well worth repairing to someone who needed that particular shutter. Repair costs are usually far less than the cost of fitting the cells to a different shutter, not to mention the price of the shutter itself. Unless you think that you might eventually have a use for it yourself, I'd be inclined to put it up on eBay at $9.95 or so and see what happens. You might be doing a fellow photographer a big favor.

[Wayne]

I dont know that it will be financially "worth it" to fix the Betax. You might not get much more than you paid for the repair, though on ebay you never know. They are certainly useable shutters though, chief limitation IMO being the 1/2 second maximum exposure time on many of them. For that reason I prefer the Alphax. In good working shape the Wolly shutters are are as good or better than most others of their day.