Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

[Mark Sawyer]

18 inch Verito in a Studio Shutter, with flange and looked to be in pretty nice shape, $857 + $45 s&h. ebay #110879387010

[john wood]

Som Berthiot Eidoscope No. 3 275mm, ebay 120887056865
610$

[Songyun]

This, and the other 36cm I noted some time ado, have later serial numbers.
I get the impression that Voigtländer tried with the 30cm as a single batch of perhaps 10 or 20 and then went on to make a batch of the 36cm a month or so later. Perhaps these are the only 2 versions made before the "engraved rim" versions appeared?

The 36cm universal is made between 1927 and 1928, does that considered as late? I have seen another Universal without the Universal letter on the rim a few years ago, are they the first batch Universal Heliar?

[Steven Tribe]

My 30cm "Universal" is 251345 ( posted on a thread earlier ) whilst the 30cm won recently is 251339.
To-days 36cm is 280826.
There is no garantee that Voigtländer didn't use various groups of numbers at the same time. However the difference in serial numbers is so large that there must be at least months between the 30 and 36cm production.

[vlcak]

I have the Universal without that word on the front rim as well.
The serial number is 236998.

There are no ears, but just screws, it seems to be original.

It was used in comunist era in Czech as a portrait lens mounted on Globica 18x24 camera. Cost me 1500CZK, currently about 80$ :-)

[Steven Tribe]

80usd - was that including the 18x24 camera? Mine was just a bonus with a Century Studio set.
If Cooke have spectacles, then I think it is appropriate that Universal have ears (which, of course, are just special screws)!

Is this a 30cm?

[Songyun]

Cost me 1500CZK, currently about 80$ :-)

[QUOTE=Steven Tribe;890080] Mine was just a bonus with a Century Studio set.
QUOTE]

You guys make me so jealous.

[Steven Tribe]

European Studio sets with "interesting" lenses vary enormously in price levels. It would also be a mistake to assume that the current lens mounted is in one used in the period 1890 - 1940. Many backs witness the continuing downsizing in formats used and the use of a more ordinary optic.
Remember the seller will usually not split the set, so the bulk and transport difficulties/costs is a PITA. The market for Studio sets is quite small and even a small collection can cause domestic strife in smaller households!

As Eddie will confirm, there are still large quantities of "interesting" lenses around at odd places in Europe. My experience, more of a watcher than an investor, is that the old cultural centers of Europe (Prague, Bratislava, Paris etc.) are the best hunting grounds. It seems to me that there is a correlation between the number of Art Nouveau/Bauhaus architecture in a Capital (WWII can have removed most of them, though) and the likehood of finding something interesting. Pictorialism and the new treads in design in the 20th century were fellow travellers!

[gandolfi]

My experience, more of a watcher than an investor, is that the old cultural centers of Europe (Prague, Bratislava, Paris etc.) are the best hunting grounds.

..alas I fear Eddie already have vacuum cleaned Prague.... In my experience (have been there more than 25 times) is, that there's "nothing" left...
10 years ago it was fantastic... not any more (but the city is still the most beautiful in the world..)...

[goamules]

... In my experience (have been there more than 25 times) is, that there's "nothing" left...
10 years ago it was fantastic... not any more (but the city is still the most beautiful in the world..)...

10 years ago few people, if any, wanted these old lenses. So yes, they were everywhere. Today, when one appears there is a buyer ready within a week. Lenses appear and come onto the market at about the same rate as 10 years ago, they just don't sit on vendor's shelves for years, getting dusty.