Originally Posted by
Dan Fromm
I was going to start a new discussion but since this one's been revived -- thanks, Albert -- here goes.
Years ago I was given a 58/5.6 Grandagon ex-Graflex XL. The glass was clean in the sense that there were no scratches or fungus but both cells had major separation. Both had rings of fire around the periphery, the rear cell had silver spots near the center. Many Rodenstock lenses from that era have similar separations.
I tried it out anyway. It shot quite well and is one of the shortest lenses that will focus to infinity on a 2x3 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Unfortunately putting it on the camera is a pain because the rear cell is too large to pass through the front standard. The procedure is: unscrew rear cell, attach board with shutter and front cell to the front standard, put the rear cell back in the shutter from behind the camera. Reverse to take the lens off the camera.
After I got 65/8 Ilex that went on the camera without all that fiddling I put the Grandagon in the drawer. I recently took it out. It seems to have healed itself. The rings of fire are nearly gone and the silver spots in the rear cell are nearly invisible.
This is not supposed to happen. Separation is permanent. Do any of you have badly separated lenses that seem to have healed?
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