for the ULF guys and tire kickers...

[77seriesiii]

Ok dont normally do this and no affiliation to the sellor but there is a 48" f/6.3 Aero for sale in Germany.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270616360397

Check out the size of this monster!

I understand a 48" focal length but the lens board size on this thing must be the firewall from a 1977 Suburban! The last photo really puts things into perspective. I had to laugh. Its just up the road from me but I think the wife would kill me.

./e

[eddie]

it weighs 200 pounds.....should be fine for my kodak 2d....jim?

[goamules]

This is the guy that has a lot of old aerial recon lenses, none under several thousand dollars. I wonder if there really is a market for these. I'd like to know if aerial mapping is still done on film. One of his rigs has a $45,000 buy it now. I think if I had a company and needed equipment like this, I wouldn't buy it on FeeBay.

[Dan Fromm]

Um, guys, don't hyperventilate too much. The USAF data sheet on the EKCo 48"/6.3 what covers 9"x18" gives the weight as 51.75 pounds. I suspect that the one on offer is in a "special" mount.

FWIW, it isn't a horrible lens but may have (a) chromatic aberration problems and (b) poor correction for astigmatism. The data sheet says that with a high contrast (1000:1) target and a W-12 (Wratten #12?), also with a "Red," filter it resolves between 30 and 49 lp/mm across the field (20 degrees) wide open. That is radial resolution, tangential is roughly half as good towards the edge of the field, which is why I have doubts about how well it is corrected for astigmatism.

I'm not sure any of us could use even the lightweight version.

At one time C&E (I think) had one of these monsters, offered it for considerably less than $4,200.

[EdWorkman]

Yes Dan, $1500 AND I think that included the mounting cone- what a deal

[Brian Stein]

This guy is just fantastic. He has managed in 53 transactions to score 93% positive (that takes some work), offer a large roll of film fully exposed to light, and request extraordinary prices for his items. We should keep him on the radar to see what other gems roll round.