Wollensak Velostigmat 12" for 4x5?

[Henry Yorke]

Hi, everyone.

A good friend recently passed along a bunch of lenses to me. One of them is a Wollensak Velostigmat 12" Series IV in a Betax No.4 Shutter. I only shoot 4x5 - and so was wondering whether it would be worth getting a lens board drilled for this in order to use on a 4x5? The bellows draw on my Shen Hao is about 390mm. Thanks for any direction on this.

[Dan Fromm]

Your camera has the extension for it. Its an f/6.3 tessar type, should be quite good. If you can use a 12" lens, why not?

[Henry Yorke]

Thanks, Dan - good to know. I'll give it a shot.

[Mark Sampson]

I had one of those lenses with my first 8x10; it was an f/4.5 version. IIRC it weighs about 4-1/2 pounds. When I bought my first 4x5, a Tachihara, I thought about using the Wollensak as a long lens for that camera. For about two seconds. If I could have gotten the lens to mount on a Technika-style board, the camera would never been able to support its weight. So if that's not a problem...
The only other issue I can think of with that lens is that since it's uncoated, it's very flare-prone; mine wasn't happy in any kind of backlight. It did quite well for making 8x10 contact prints if the sun never got near the front element.

[Greg]

I had one of those lenses with my first 8x10; it was an f/4.5 version. IIRC it weighs about 4-1/2 pounds. When I bought my first 4x5, a Tachihara, I thought about using the Wollensak as a long lens for that camera. For about two seconds. If I could have gotten the lens to mount on a Technika-style board, the camera would never been able to support its weight. So if that's not a problem...
The only other issue I can think of with that lens is that since it's uncoated, it's very flare-prone; mine wasn't happy in any kind of backlight. It did quite well for making 8x10 contact prints if the sun never got near the front element.

12" f/4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat also was my first lens for my first 8x10 back in the 1970s. That lens was coated by Burke & James which kept the flare down a bit. Did a lot of winter photography with it and my biggest problem was light reflecting/bouncing off the inside of the bellows and adding density to the borders of my 8x10 negatives. Used Super-XX with the Zone system taught to me by George DeWolf and Nile Root at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Think I sold it in the 1980s. Nostalgia hit me last year and picked up another copy in a Betax shutter. Present optic is uncoated and flare yes a problem to be aware of but every time I use the lens, it takes me a bit back to the 1970s. Last few years have been scanning negatives of waterfalls that I made back then with the Velostigmat, "burning in" the edges, making digital negatives, and printing Platinum/Palladium prints.

[Two23]

I have exactly that lens, and had a Shen Hao 4x5 (now have similar Chamonix 045n). Even though it's a great lens, I'm going to advise against it. I had a bracket made so it would physically fit on a standard 110 board, but the thing is a beast. It was threatening to crush my little Chamonix. Think of the torque exerted on that lightweight front standard by having such a heavy weight dangling a foot away, unsupported. I now have it mounted on a wooden board and only use it on my heavy duty Gundlach Korona.


Kent in SD

[Dan Fromm]

Guys, the OP asked about a 12"/6.3. What you say about your 12"/4.5s is interesting but not that relevant.

[Mark Sampson]

Dan, did the series IV Velostigmats come both as f/4.5 and f/6.3 versions? The OP does not specify which he has. Mine was certainly an f/4.5, and the size of that Betax alone will make mounting it on a 4x5 field camera a questionable exercise.

[Dan Fromm]

Fair question, Mark, and your concern about the lens' weight is well founded.

According to these http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/...lensak_17.html and http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/...llensak_7.html old Wolly catalogs Ser. II Velostigmats were f/4.5, Ser. IV were f/6.3.

Since, however, Wollensak was in Rochester where there were no rules and no one followed them, there could well be f/4.5 Ser. IVs. I doubt it but given the prevailing chaos ...

[Louis Pacilla]

Dan, did the series IV Velostigmats come both as f/4.5 and f/6.3 versions? The OP does not specify which he has. Mine was certainly an f/4.5, and the size of that Betax alone will make mounting it on a 4x5 field camera a questionable exercise.

Hey Mark the Velostigmat Series IV is an f6.3 and not by the fact Wollensak claims it's NOT convertible so I would guess the construction is after the Tessar Series IIb f6.3 and not a double Gaussian
* Wollensak also speaks of the Series IV being of smaller size*
The Velostigmat Series II f 4.5 is a copy of the Tessar Ic f4.5 and can be had w/ a soft focus function by separating the front group. Neither is convertible and I would think the Series IV would have a bit better edges and or coverage by a tad. The Series II would be a speed lens and better suited for Portraiture then the Series IV.

Dan beat me to it but I had this typed up then the Forum disappeared for a minute so we're back and I'll go ahead and post this even though you covered most of this.