Protar Madness?

[E. von Hoegh]

There is a nice Zeiss Anastigmat f/18 632mm on eaby over a few hours to go and the bidding was over $4,000 last time I checked.

That's a rare lens with huge coverage; for that money I'd buy a Schneider 550 though.

[desertrat]

There is a nice Zeiss Anastigmat f/18 632mm on eaby over a few hours to go and the bidding was over $4,000 last time I checked.

That one is in a special category. Those are treasured by ULF photograhers because they have huge coverage and are very rare.

Edit: E. beat me to it!

[E. von Hoegh]

The more I think about it, it's not just Protars or Dagors. Ebay sellers have forums, too, and I think word has got out that any old 'antique' looking lens is worth a bundle to 'collectors'. I'm seeing old Wolly Velostigmats and RRs, old Gundlach RRs, and projection lenses with absurd starting bids or BIN prices. I've come to realize the only auctions worth bidding on are the rare cases where some estate-saler puts up a lens without doing any checking for a low starting bid or BIN. These turn up from once a week to once a month.

I think a T-R triple is a pretty good substitute for a Protar VIIa, and once in a while one of these turns up with a reasonable starting bid. I'm very happy with mine.

A Wollensak 1a is a good substitute too, and coated.
I used an 11"/14 1/2" combo for a while, hoping it would give a nice look, like a Dagor with the benefit of two extra focal lengths. The combination was nice, but had no particular "look" and the individual cells were useable but unremarkable. I sold it.

[desertrat]

If I didn't already have a T-R, I would look for a 1a Wolly. But I think prices on them are going up as people give up trying to find a VIIa Protar they can afford. After all, the Wolly is a pretty decent Protar copy. It's been quite a while since I saw a 1a that anybody would be willing to bid on, but when they come up I think they sell for a good deal more than a T-R now.

[Hermes07]

I had an old protar given to me once. It was nothing remarkable. I'm not a fan of wide-angles so the coverage didn't mean much to me, plus the viewing image was very dim. Eventually I gave up on it and passed it on to a friend.

If they're going for big money now I can only assume it's because they're lighter/smaller than other wide-coverage, long focal length anastigmats.

[Two23]

I'm mostly interested in the early lenses, especially something around 1900. I like that soft, uncoated look. Funky looking shutters only add to the appeal! My main interest in the Protar is its historical significance. For unique look, I love my Heliar! I have started reading up on Protars and have found that less informed sellers often just list them as "Zeiss anastigmats." Eventually, I'll snag one. Patience is rewarded. Meanwhile, I'm hot on the trail of a Wollensak this week. There does seem to be an increasing number of eBay sellers who are what I call the "Shoot for the moon" type. GoKevin is one of these, as is the place in Greece just to name a few. I suppose the strategy is to list things for a long, long time and odds are eventually someone will impulsively buy it. The problem is when other less informed sellers see those listings they think, "Hey, if he can get $1,000 for his, mine must be worth that too." So, I sit and patiently wait. As I said, I already have a nice early DAGOR, Heliar, & Tessar to play with. There was a Darlot RR in Prosch shutter last month I should have gone for.


Kent in SD

[domaz]

I picked up a B&L "Zeiss anastigmat" Series V 8x10 for much much less than four digits recently. It helps if the lenses doesn't say "Protar" (even though is basically is). My copy seems to have been made much later than 1900 if the serial number lists are accurate.

[Kevin Crisp]

If you want a "soft uncoated look" then I think you will be disappointed, even with an early pre "protar" brass one. You're dealing with just 4 air to glass interfaces and you don't get a soft image or a flat one if you stop down.

[c.d.ewen]

I picked up a B&L "Zeiss anastigmat" Series V 8x10 for much much less than four digits recently. It helps if the lenses doesn't say "Protar" (even though is basically is). My copy seems to have been made much later than 1900 if the serial number lists are accurate.

How come you guys didn't have this conversation before I sold this lens?

Charley

[Kevin Crisp]

Hey, it sold didn't it?