Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

[Geoffrey_5995]

120852647349 P&S Bi-Quality 14" - 23h to go. Auction or 1800 BIN. Fraud?

It's definitely a fraud because that's a lens that I sold on ebay a few years ago. It continues to be relisted as a fraudulent auction with the request to contact a an email address listed in the description for a buy it now price. This is clearly a scam and to be avoided. I contacted eBay several times about this and it still keeps popping up. I've given up trying to get eBay to take action about this.

[vitality]

It's definitely a fraud because that's a lens that I sold on ebay a few years ago. It continues to be relisted as a fraudulent auction with the request to contact a an email address listed in the description for a buy it now price. This is clearly a scam and to be avoided. I contacted eBay several times about this and it still keeps popping up. I've given up trying to get eBay to take action about this.

That's perfect. Thank you. I didn't plan to buy it, posted here just to ask how real it could be.
Once again thank you for info.

[Mark Sawyer]

BTW, what is the design of the Bi-Quality?

[Jim Galli]

Large Voigtlander petzval US $11,211.00

item # 190631019681

Yes, the market is back.

Totally NOT my fault

[Jim Galli]

BTW, what is the design of the Bi-Quality?

It is a Series IV #3 Pinkham but with some name restrictions when made. It is a purposely uncorrected aplanat.

[cdholden]

Totally NOT my fault

This certainly looks like a lens cartel at work. What is it called? The Illuminati, of course!

[Mark Sawyer]

It is a Series IV #3 Pinkham but with some name restrictions when made. It is a purposely uncorrected aplanat.

Thanks, Jim! I wonder how it was uncorrected; spacing, the grind, or something else... I doubt these were "uncorrected" by hand grinding, as was done on earlier P&S lenses, as the Bi-Quality was a later re-issue. Did anyone ever figure out who actually made them?

[Jim Galli]

Thanks, Jim! I wonder how it was uncorrected; spacing, the grind, or something else... I doubt these were "uncorrected" by hand grinding, as was done on earlier P&S lenses, as the Bi-Quality was a later re-issue. Did anyone ever figure out who actually made them?

It was Pinkhams grandson iirc. Wish I knew more. I was lucky enough to get a few pieces from a guy who bought the last remaining things from him in 1991. One interesting piece is 16" test versions of the usual 14" lens. Perhaps they were thinking of doing a 16" version?? They fit the same barrel, so f stop would have been perhaps f5.2. The ones I have are unmounted and would take some expensive machine work. Right now it's sort of deep in the future projects pile while I fiddle with old Fords

As far as who 'made' them, the barrels and apertures are interchangeable with Wollensak products of the early 1950's. Did Wolly make the glasses to Pinkham's specs? Dunno.

It's almost a discussion that gets dangerous on the web because the unconfirmed info just starts flying, and that isn't ultimately helpful to anyone.

[Darren Kruger]

Two Wollensak Velostigmats Series II lenses with diffusion adjustment:

item 290662534068: 12" in barrel with dent and possible lens separation issues. $158.50

item 170768247138: 9.5" in betax #4 shutter. $299.99

[Mark Sawyer]

One bidder sprang for the $3,500 opening bid on the f/4.5 18-inch Cooke Series II Knuckler, #130635836719. Lots of money, but it sounded like a great example of a really wonderful lens.