Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

[john wood]

Thanks for all the hard work keeping up with this stuff. Wish I'd gotten the Kodak.

I consider the 150 Eidy the penultimate soft focus lens for 4X5. imesho that is.

I miss it already, but bills to be paid...it is a rather wonderful length for the Eidy lineup. I like the 275mm too for 4x5, which I watched until it went passed my pay grade...

[Amedeus]

Brass Wollensak - Rochester Verito 9 Inch Diffused Focus F - 4 Lens with Studio Shutter mounted on lens board and Packard shutter for $306 (300844381301) ... Shutters not tested

Like new looking Dallmeyer 2A London Patent #39451 for $2516 (BIN,160951018570)

Wollensak Verito soft focus portrait lens 9", f/4.5 for $500. On lens board, nice looking. (200875694665)

Very nice looking Cooke brass portrait lens 16", f/5.6 Series VI for $3050 (200875660503)

Graf Variable f/3.8-4.5 lens. with (EF) is 11-12.5 in. Very nice looking with original brochure for $2025 (200875653827)

Ligny (Meuse) Anachromatique 385mm f5 soft focus portrait brass lens for $818 (281047805138)

Wollensak Vitax No. 4 Soft Focus Portrait Lens f3,8 for $780 (121046766290) ... in barrel, on lens board with Packard shutter. Internal lens clouded.

[Steven Tribe]

The Graf Variable was described as coated. I believe B & J marketed this model post-war? Far above previous listed achieved prices.

Perhaps this and the early Cooke series VI 16" should have a star (*) mark in the sales register to indicate "known" provenance (owner or user).
The Alt collection photo shows that they are selling the items nearest the camera first! A lot of these are not softies, I suppose.

[Jim Galli]

Brass Wollensak - Rochester Verito 9 Inch Diffused Focus F - 4 Lens with Studio Shutter mounted on lens board and Packard shutter for $306 (300844381301) ... Shutters not tested

Like new looking Dallmeyer 2A London Patent #39451 for $2516 (BIN,160951018570)

Wollensak Verito soft focus portrait lens 9", f/4.5 for $500. On lens board, nice looking. (200875694665)

Very nice looking Cooke brass portrait lens 16", f/5.6 Series VI for $3050 (200875660503)

Graf Variable f/3.8-4.5 lens. with (EF) is 11-12.5 in. Very nice looking with original brochure for $2025 (200875653827)

Ligny (Meuse) Anachromatique 385mm f5 soft focus portrait brass lens for $818 (281047805138)

Wollensak Vitax No. 4 Soft Focus Portrait Lens f3,8 for $780 (121046766290) ... in barrel, on lens board with Packard shutter. Internal lens clouded.

Watching "trends" which are as fickle as a 3-some of junior high school girls, it looks like a great time to buy a Verito. Check out the "Verito Post" for some fabulous examples of what this lens is capable of doing. Still a favorite, and I have a full set, save the 9" which someone talked me out of.

[Mark Sawyer]

The Graf Variable was described as coated. I believe B & J marketed this model post-war? Far above previous listed achieved prices.

Perhaps this and the early Cooke series VI 16" should have a star (*) mark in the sales register to indicate "known" provenance (owner or user).
The Alt collection photo shows that they are selling the items nearest the camera first! A lot of these are not softies, I suppose.

B&J coated early lenses for resale. I have a 16" f/4.5 Cooke Portrait they coated, and though I had my doubts about it at first, after one use it became a "keep-it-forever" lens. Collectors may have different priorities than uses, though...

I don't know what to think of the Patrick Alt lenses. The 9" Verito from his collection went for $500, at or below market value for a nice clean example. The 16" f/5.6 Cooke and 14" f/5 Conley (a rebranded Vesta, and not sf) from Alt's collection went at double or more what I would guess at market value, considering that these were originally the slower, cheaper lenses from their manufacturers. But still fine lenses.

[Mark Sawyer]

Watching "trends" which are as fickle as a 3-some of junior high school girls, it looks like a great time to buy a Verito. Check out the "Verito Post" for some fabulous examples of what this lens is capable of doing. Still a favorite, and I have a full set, save the 9" which someone talked me out of.

Agreed! I need to get back to using mine on film soon. The big ones are still getting the respect they deserve:

Wollensak Verito Diffused Lens 18in f=4 with Studio 5 shutter on Packard Shutter for $1,405 (321051125960) on lensboard with extra Packard shutter.

[CCHarrison]

<<Graf Variable f/3.8-4.5 lens. with (EF) is 11-12.5 in. Very nice looking with original brochure for $2025 (200875653827)>>>

Over $ 2,000 for a Graf ? Ouch. Even coated with box, its almost triple the average price for used Graf SF lenses.... The ebay ad was great which certainly added to the price, but in my opinion, the final price was pretty steep.

Dan

[Amedeus]

Two in two days ... another quite steep Graf Variable Anastigmat 14-16in f/3.8-4.5 for $1100 (BIN, 370722459779) ... small nick on front element, flange included

[uphereinmytree]

9 1/2" velostigmat with fuzz and in rough condition for 700+ ??? ebay# 121049603487

[Jon Wilson]

9 1/2" velostigmat with fuzz and in rough condition for 700+ ??? ebay# 121049603487

In reading the Seller's description, he stated essentially that since this was an early production lens versus the later production lens it would be "softer". This was attributed to the photography communities demand for sharper portrait lens as the years passed. This struck me as odd for as far as I recall, Wollensak would change their lens names or series designations instead of changing their glass and leaving the name/model on the lens the same. Am I mistaken in thinking this for the Wollensak Soft Focus Velostigmat?