Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

[Petzval Paul]

I was relying on the little photo on my android screen to determine that. I'm not bidding on the auction since i already own a real one and my mother died a few days ago, in any case, and i'm stuck with funeral biIls, etc. I've no interest in it whatsoever since i don't believe it's a real one and if i did, i would not have left the shop without it in my possession, even if it meant selling everything other peice of camera equipment i own (minus the actual Smith).

My eBay tag is Tika1287 if you care to check.

It seems that active auctions are mentioned frequently here, so i don't realize i was breaking any rules. Feel free to delete as it doesn't matter to me, anyway, since I'm not wasting my money on a fake.

Turning an attempt to help save our fiends here some money into a personal attack on my motives is what's really 'Dead wrong.'

Oh, and I'm sure that if money was to be made by pawning off fakes, they made more than one. Seeing that lens in person reminded me immediately of the one that was for sale in 2013. It did not remind me at all of any other Pinkham.

Re: my expertise on Smith lenses: i will never forget my first email in regards to P&S lenses from Russ Young, who asked - I quote - "How are you so well educated?"

[Stephane]

Your convictions cannot be taken as universal truth, because without proofs we will not ever know which one of us is right...

[Petzval Paul]

That's why I stayed very clearly that it was all my personal opinion and that there's no way to know for sure. Also why i was very curious to see what others were thinking.

One thing strikes me as a bit odd: looking at the selection of Semi Achromatics, especially the earliest ones, there'was a lot of variations. Just on Dan's page there are (iirc) 5 or so rather different versions pictured. No two were exactly the same. I have been following P&S sales for the past decade, about the time i purchased my first one, and I have seen lots of subtle, and not-so-subtle variations. That two the very earliest (i.e. brass barreled) lenses to surface are so close that i could confuse them, in and of itself, makes me more wary of their origins.

Again, I've nothing personally invested in this transaction and i hope that everyone involved on both ends are satisfied with the outcome. I'll see the owner again in a week or so and I'm curious to see how he will feeling about his sale.

[Two23]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Paul.


Kent in SD

[jumanji]

This reminds me of one case right here a few years ago. One reputed member posted a thread in the sub forum (either lens and accessories or for sale/wanted - i dont remember exactly) warning about a seller on ebay who listed three parts of a Verito separately: front element, rear element and shutter. Guess who won all three items? Himself. And yes, they were cheap. It was quite a risk, though.
Just something similar so it reminds me of that. I dont mean that Paul has a similar plan..., at all. And sorry for your loss Paul. May your mother rest in peace.

[Petzval Paul]

Thank you, Jumanji. I appreciate that.

I guess I can see the kind of aforementioned scenario happening so it's something of which we should be wary, most certainly. Although I am interested in collecting another P&S should one come available - at a more convenient time, to be sure - this one isn't on my radar. It was on my Ebay watch list out of curiosity and then I happened to walk into the very shop where is was being prominently displayed. No one can claim to know just what Mr. Pinkham and Mr. Smith were up to in 1900 but it certainly raised doubts in my mind as to its authenticity and I just don't want to see someone drop five grand and then figure out that it's a fugazi. Whoever is bidding must do his own research and figure out what it's worth to him.

[seven]

and another strange (low) price for a big-ish Petzval - Dallmeyer 3A = 1360 EUR (262622811554)

[Steven Tribe]

The 3A could have been a sensible win. There has been a lot of discussion about the difficulties of seized aluminium barrels, but there could be a locking grub screw. Not every Photo Studio was wild about the diffusion device and made sure assistants wouldn't mess them up.

The 4B is better than "poor" I think. To be honest, half of sold Petzvals could benefit from a renewal of the Canada Balsam anyway. It was never meant to be a permanent cement "forever".

Another "just have to accept problem" is the frequent edge flaking of the final convex/convex lens of the standard Petzval rear pair. These are very prone to "totally insignificant" damage!

[alex from holland]

Pity i missed the 3a. Love these aluminium lenses.
They are great for large format camera's because of the Weight.
Never used the sf function before.

[Steven Tribe]

So, Breker had another auction yesterday.

Mostly, the usual run of European soft lenses.
Comments about condition are based of the single photos for most of these.
Conversion to USD includes the auctioneer's commision!

792. Dallmeyer 2D. 540 usd.
794. Dallmeyer 3B. 1890 usd.
801. T,T & H. The largest casket set with RR, MAR, WAR and RV(P) for 1/1 Plate.
Very clean. The RV lens and the RV short barrel were present.
540 usd.
850. Plasticca 350mm with rear yellow filter. 675 usd.
867. De Pullingy, Adjustable Landscape - no size given. Version from Ligny, post Darlot. 742 usd.
868. Puyo Objectif d'Artiste, 18x24cm version. Average condition. 1080 usd.

My general impression is that there were more less iconic lenses on offer this time. There was a good selection of
classic Petzvals, especialy French. Too many, perhaps, as few made the estimated winning bid price, others just the starting bid and many were "passed"!

Apart from the "pictorial lenses", there were some specials:

Watson's water lens. 5940 usd.
Hypergon 6cm with rotor. 1890 usd (Estimate 3000 € +).
Euryskop 1a, F2.3. Good in aluminium. 30cm. 7020 usd.
Hermagis Globe (?). 378 usd.