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Thread: Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

  1. #1
    Steve Sherman's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    I have a Wollensak Extreme Wide Angle 159mm lens F12.5. I seem to remember that you can remove one screw which would allow the aperature to open up to F 9. Can anyone describe for me how to accomplish this. Thanks, Steve


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  2. #2

    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    I no longer have my Wollensak E.W.A., but I recall it was a fairly simple operation.

    However, at the new widest aperture, the image will be too soft for critical focussing. You CAN get a moderate improvement in brightness by opening up just a little, and still be able to compose and focus. That's probably around f9, and would be a useful modification.

    I recall you can open up wider than that: you just won't find it useful for focussing.

    At least, that's how my particular Wollensak was.

  3. #3
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Which brings up a question I've wondered about; are the Wollensak 159mm f/12.5 and 9.5 actually the same lenses, but one opens wider for focusing?
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

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    tim atherton's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    I think it depends in part what version and what shutter it's in as to whtere this is possible (or at least easy).

    Is it in a Rapax or an Alpax (or something else)

    Also - I'm fairly sure the 12.5 and 9.5 aren't the same lens - but there are also several dfferent versions of the 12.5 (whch I know soemwhat better of the two)
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  5. #5
    Steve Sherman's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Before I purchased the lens I researched whether the two were the same. From the information on the web with respect to image circle the slower lens had the bigger coverage. I have a coated version and beleive somewhere I saw that you could remove one small screw and gain some added brightness for composing on the ground glass.

    Thanks, Steve


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    tim atherton's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Steve,

    Yes - I've posted that on here as have others

    You still don't mentiuon what shutter?

    If you have a Rapax shutter, in most cases on the back of the shutter there is simply a small grub screw that acts as a limiter to the aperture lever. Simply unscrew it and remove.

    I'm not sure if you can do the same with the Alpax shutters (or Betax).

    As mentioned - with the 12.5 limiter in place you can see there is a large part of the aperture that is then mechanically vignetted at 12.5

    Without it, the aperture must open up to about 5.6 or something - but it has been suggested you may get focus shift if you focus with it that far open and/or, as above, the image becomes too soft for accurate focussing. I generally open it up to what would be about f9 just to get a bit more light but avoid those problems.

    My guess is that at f9 it is unacceptable for actual image making, but fine for focus and that Wollensak limited it to 12.5 so people wouldn't be tempted to actually photograph at f9

    And yes, my understanding is that the 12.5 has the larger image circle than the f9
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

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  7. #7
    Steve Sherman's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Thanks Tim,

    Alphax shutter with three small screws which appear to secure the outside plate to the back of the shutter.

    If I weren't so forgetfull I would have asked Grimes to take care of it as they had the shutter apart for a C&A.


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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Mark, the two lenses, despite looking much the same, are quite different internally. The faster type has eight elements in four groups instead of four in four..



    Wollensak said that the reason behind the more elaborate lens was not to gain greater coverage, but just the larger stop.

  9. #9
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Thanks muchly, Tim and Ernest! Any opinions which is the better lens? I'm quite happy with my uncoated f/12.5 in a Pi-Alphax shutter; it's given me some lovely (at least to me) images. But in weaker moments I've considered a coated one. Are the EWA Velostigmat and Radar 159mm's just early versions of the same lens? Sorry for all the questions, but this is perhaps my favorite lens...
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  10. #10

    Wollensak 159mm F 12.5

    Steve,

    I asked the same question about a year and a half ago on photo.net. Here's the link if you're interested......


    http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=005ULH


    As I recall, the front element screwed out of the shutter and the screw was right there for easy removal. You'll probably want to save the screw in a safe place if you ever want to replace it. I did not notice any focus shift with mine by focusing wide open and stopping down for exposure.

    DG

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