Your Oldest Lens

[Vaughn]

I have use of a Sutter Basle Aplanat B No.6 (No. 3531), Allen Bros. sole agents.

Around 480mm or so. Anyone know the approx. year? Actual focal length and max aperture?

Used it with the 11x14 for a portrait of one of my boys -- have not developed the negs yet.

[alex from holland]

Do you know the origin of the bored holes around the rear thread, Alex? Perhaps there was a serious problem with jammed thread at some time. A better solution than a pipe wrench, with oil inserted at intervals!

Steven. These holes are original. The very early voigtlanders had 4 screws around the back element. We had to take them out as the back element was mounted wrong and now I have to put in new ones.
Would love toknow the exact age of the lens.

[Steven Tribe]

Suter was a late starter, so this is around 1890. There is no serial no./date list that I know of.
Series B is F8 and the number 6 is listed as being .... 48cm!

[jesse]

Steven. These holes are original. The very early voigtlanders had 4 screws around the back element. We had to take them out as the back element was mounted wrong and now I have to put in new ones.
Would love toknow the exact age of the lens.

Your Petzval should be around 1841

[alex from holland]

Your Petzval should be around 1841

In that case I think it's my oldest lens.

[CCHarrison]

Hi Alex,

My best research to date on the earliest Voigtlanders is that your # 677 dates to late 1842 or 43.

http://antiquecameras.net/voigtlanderlenses.html

I love the fact I know Alex via the internet and I own # 611, a close relative of his # 677.

Dan

[Haapalahti]

My oldest lense that i use regulary is Voigtlander & Sohn Portrait-Euryscop III No. 5A (Sn:48742)

[Vaughn]

Suter was a late starter, so this is around 1890. There is no serial no./date list that I know of.
Series B is F8 and the number 6 is listed as being .... 48cm!

Thanks! So the lens is about the same age as the camera I use it on! Neat!

[Brassai]

Steven. These holes are original. The very early voigtlanders had 4 screws around the back element. We had to take them out as the back element was mounted wrong and now I have to put in new ones.

My Nr. 2942 Voigtlander (1847?) does not have the holes. Dang though. 1842? I was hoping my ~1845-46 Ross might be the second oldest lens here. Looks like it's only third or fourth oldest. I have had it out shooting. It's a sweet lens to use!

[goamules]

Hey, you should be proud of what you have, they're very uncommon going back that far. Remember, daguerreotype studios were few and far between the first few years after the process was invented. The few companies making Daguerreotype lenses probably only made a few hundred, the first 2-3 years. Most have been lost to the sands of time. By the 1850s, there were many studios. I was reading a Matthew Brady biography the other day, and when he started his NY studio, there were dozens of others already there. I'll have to go back to the reference to get the dates and actual numbers. But in 1843, there were very, very few photographers. People like Samuel Morse that had the money and time.