The one from this series of OEM lenses i owned (labeled Eastman Portrait) was very soft, muddy soft. Worst petzval i've ever seen.
btw - another one labeled Pinkham & Smith surfaced on ebay for $5k.
The one from this series of OEM lenses i owned (labeled Eastman Portrait) was very soft, muddy soft. Worst petzval i've ever seen.
btw - another one labeled Pinkham & Smith surfaced on ebay for $5k.
Perhaps someone lost the original glass from one of the elements, and replaced it with something that fit but was not correct. That's the only thing that could explain it to me, all Vesta's I've had are sharp.
Garrett
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I was bidding on it early, but just wasn't going to go over $800. What did I like about it? It was from a seller in Atchison, KS. I grew up not far from there. The merchant then moved to Kansas City and opened a shop a few blocks from where I used to work. I also loved the nickel finish. My Korona is sturdy enough to hold the beast, but is only 5x7. I was aware the lens is basically a Wollensak Vesta, and those are plentiful. Really liked the lens for the cosmetics and historical connection, but for $2,000 I'd much rather have a pre-Civil War Petzval, or even a pre-1930 Leica. The good thing about ebay is there will always be something else I like, later.
Kent in SD
In contento ed allegria
Notte e di vogliam passar!
Bingo.
Guess if my Visual Quality doesn't sell I'd better get a gallon of muriatic acid.
these are often above market forces price levels
You probably remember people arguing against my post years ago, where I said buyers don't care about "patina." They care about "shiny". Historians and collectors know not to polish a brass lens. But the argument that polishing reduces value is proven wrong again and again.
I'm a Historian and Collector, more than a "buyer", so I don't buy a vinegar soaked, copper washed lens. But there are 20 buyers standing in line for the lenses I pass on. There's no accounting for taste.
Garrett
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