Post your wacky lens ads, auctions, sales!

[Mark Sawyer]

Just for fun, compare the "Pinkham" now on ebay: 200793158882

with the Wollensak now on ebay: 120947619430

[desertrat]

Lemme guess, it's an 'early' Pinkham, you know, semi-experimental. Pinkham and Smith bought the barrel from Wollensak for this prototype because they were still building up their own capability to make lens barrels, or something like that. How does the lettering look on the ring next to the aperture scale and the front cell retaining ring? Does it look a little fresher?

[Mark Sawyer]

Lemme guess, it's an 'early' Pinkham, you know, semi-experimental. Pinkham and Smith bought the barrel from Wollensak for this prototype because they were still building up their own capability to make lens barrels, or something like that. How does the lettering look on the ring next to the aperture scale and the front cell retaining ring? Does it look a little fresher?

The barrel was polished at some point, so it's hard to date the engraving by wear. The engraving on the front ring looks exactly like standard Wollensak, (I have the same lens engraved "Columbia Portrait Lens" with the same style markings). The engraving identifying it as a P&S doesn't look like Wollensak engraving to me.

Perhaps Wollensak contracted a few for P&S (they put out that particular model lens under many names), and P&S modified them.

Perhaps P&S just bought it used and modified and engraved it. There were unconfirmed rumors they did this early on.

Perhaps someone wanted to increase the value of the lens 5-10 fold and had it re-engraved.

No way of telling, and unless you know the history of that lens, you'll never know for sure. But I've never seen a P&S lens like that before, and there isn't much doubt what it started its life as...

[Steven Tribe]

"Perhaps someone wanted to increase the value of the lens 5-10 fold and had it re-engraved."

- and then repolished it?

This would be a simple thing to do, I'm afraid!

[goamules]

Mark, there was another lens like this a few years ago. I think it was commented on on this forum, but we may not have captured pictures at the time. I recall it was another Wollensak engraved with Pinkham & Smith, and looked like a regular Petzval. Another possibility is P&S were re-sellers of regular, non-soft lenses, and did not modify them. Just like a dozen or more photographic supply houses did for these Wollensaks and Bausch & Lombs.

[Mark Sawyer]

So many possibilities...

[Steven Tribe]

Some people just never learn!
Tyndells Camera Emporium has been around for a long time and always has random pricing and little information. His current listing (120952824772) is even more impressive than usual.
quote (my bold).


"L.W. Kianz Braunschweig, Germany. No sign of separation or fungus. lens clean and clear. lens measures 2 3/8" length outside diameter of the hood is 2 1/8".

outside diameter of treads are 1 9/16". slot for stops. I know nothing more about this lens. due to the material I guessss this lens to be late 1800's to early 1800's "

I suppose it is only human not to realise this is a Kranz lens. And perhaps he missed the wonderful out-of-focus photo he supplied.

But to put a price of $1,600 on an item he doesn't know what is, is more than just human error.

[eddie]

Just for fun, compare the "Pinkham" now on ebay: 200793158882

do a search here on this forum and you will see another one of these lenses.

i had one in my hands a few years back. the seller kept trying to tell me it was a "P&S" etc etc. yes, it may be a P&S but itis NOT a desirable one....just an everyday run of the mill petzval lens. not what we all consider the SF version......

[Uri A]

This one's great! Selling "exposed" film. The Seller goes in to some detail about how the envelopes have tears and pin-holes, and explains that the film will be fogged. And then has the temerity to ask $79.99 for it!!

My favorite

[Lachlan 717]

My favorite

Maybe you need to rinse it, then fix it, then stop bath it, then develop it, and then finally take the shot to make the film work?