Lens flare in a Velostigmat W.A. Is that normal?

[Mark Sampson]

Sadly, that kind of flare comes with uncoated lenses. I learned that in 1981 trying to make a back-lit photo with a 12"/4.5 Velostigmat, also uncoated. (That's a Tessar design.) Don't know how you'll get around it; it seems that small wide-angle lenses for 8x10 are few, and coated ones are fewer. Perhaps a 190mm Kodak Wide Field Ektar; it should cover whole plate. They're not exactly common, though.

[Roger Hesketh]

Mark the Series IIIa EXWA Velostigmat f/12.5 is a symmetrical lens consisting of two cemented doublets either side of the stop. Similar in design to a Cooke Covertible Series XV. It's design has been discussed before.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...23#post1134623

[Louis Pacilla]

Mark the Series IIIa EXWA Velostigmat f/12.5 is a symmetrical lens consisting of two cemented doublets either side of the stop. Similar in design to a Cooke Covertible Series XV. It's design has been discussed before.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...23#post1134623

This is not true Roger. The Series III 6 1/2 " f9.5 is same or similar to the cooke XV glass layout while the Wollensak Series IIIa 6 1/2" f12.5 is a more simple glued pair one either side of the stop more like a rapid rectilinear design. It does have larger coverage then the Series III f9.5 though less corrected particularly at the extreme of the IC.

[Roger Hesketh]

Louis that was what I found when I took it apart. It was not the 6 1/2 in version of the lens though. It was I think the 90mm. Though it could have been the 105mm. It was however over 10 years ago that I did that so I cannot now be sure which focal length it was now but I know it was not the 6 inch verion of the lens as I have never owned one of those.

[Mark Sawyer]

This is not true Roger. The Series III 6 1/2 " f9.5 is same or similar to the cooke XV glass layout while the Wollensak Series IIIa 6 1/2" f12.5 is a more simple glued pair one either side of the stop more like a rapid rectilinear design. It does have larger coverage then the Series III f9.5 though less corrected particularly at the extreme of the IC.

Could the Wollensak f/12.5 EWA be considered the last of the Wide Angle Rectilinears? It has the right layout and behaves like one, and it came out at the right time, (while Wollensak and others were still making RRs and WARs) so sounds as though it might...

[Chauncey Walden]

I see that Surplus Shed has a CD on sale that has 600 Wollensak lens diagrams including Velostigmats and Raptars. I'm tempted.

[Dan Fromm]

Chauncey, thanks for that news. Ridiculous price. Want to go halves on one?

[desertrat]

Just for historical purposes, the f9.5 wide angle is a very old design, but not necessarily bad. It was introduced by the Rochester Lens Company as the Royal Anastigmat Wide Angle around 1902.

When Wollensak bought the Rochester Lens Company in 1905 they became owners of all the lens designs and intellectual property. Wollensak used the Royal Anastigmat name until about 1908, when they introduced the Velostigmat line. The 1907 Wollensak catalog at Camera Eccentric shows the f9.5 wide angle under the Royal Anastigmat name.

[Chauncey Walden]

I see that the $19 sale price ended August 31. Oh well, it may return.

[Luis-F-S]

Velostigmats were uncoated. After WW2 they were coated and they changed the name to Raptar. I mostly shoot uncoated lenses and generally avoid having the sun in the shot.
Kent in SD

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