Bausch & Lomb Leather Lens Jacket

[goamules]

Now this is something I've never seen or heard of. A lens being sold with a leather sleeve, which has two B&L engraved snaps, wrapped around a Portrait Unar. With the focus knob, the iris, and the soft focus, a Unar has more "controls" than most lenses. Maybe that's why it was made, or maybe all their premium lenses had this option. Isn't it amazing all the photography technology that is gone and forgotten, 100 years hence? Who knows what other accessories B&L offered with their lenses. Ebay 271178364072

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8556389573_ab6811a7e6_z.jpg
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[Jim Galli]

I have a B&L 1a Petzval that still has the jacket. Makes them worth about triple whatever they are otherwise :~'()

[goamules]

At least...

[Tin Can]

I'll knit a sweater for the Reinhold Monster.

[cowanw]

I have a similar Unar that is quite loose on the radial(?) focussing sleeve. I made a leather sleeve to keep the lens fully extended (focus wise), so that it didn't suddenly fall forward when the camera was tilted downward. But that covered the silver area of barrell of this lens,

[Louis Pacilla]

I believe the lens Garrett Posted is actually a B&L Series A Portrait lens. Just like Jims Jacketed Series A . If you scroll down the seller takes the Jacket off. I find it funny the seller knows it's value ($1831.99usd) but is not clear on whether the lens is a Ia or Portrait Unar. Huh?:confused:

BTW message to seller- The barrel say's it all "PORTRAIT F4 5X8 12" FL"

I just don't see a 5x8 12" F4 B&L Petzval w/ funky iris bad blade or two (even w/ barrel Jacket) getting THAT asking price but I've been wrong before a couple thousand times.

Speaking of the OH SOOO COOL B&L Barrel jacket , I remember reading somewhere ( in B&L catalog?) that the top B&L Portrait lenses (Series A-B f4.5-f2.2 and Portrait Unar)came at no extra charge with the Jacket Case Cap as well as Mounted to a nice 9"X9" lens board. I guess we get those extras when we shell out $8000 on a Nikon/Canon Telephoto as well as Higher end optics. But still doesn't feel the same.

[Leszek Vogt]

No fair :>)...you don't even get a jacket with the new Nikon 800mm, that costs over 18K.

Les

[Mark Sawyer]

I believe the lens Garrett Posted is actually a B&L Series A Portrait lens...

Nope, it's a Portrait Unar. The second slider gives it away. (One for the aperture, a second for adjustable softness.)

[goamules]

The Portrait Unars are the "bad boys" of the soft focus lens world, so they get the leather jackets.

[Louis Pacilla]

The Portrait Unars are the "bad boys" of the soft focus lens world, so they get the leather jackets.

Hey Garrett, The lens you listed a link to is a B&L Series A Petzval Portrait lens Hey, the Series A,B & the Portrait Unar all three got the Jacket back then so the cool comment still stands.:cool:

[Jim Galli]

Nope, it's a Portrait Unar. The second slider gives it away. (One for the aperture, a second for adjustable softness.)

Mark, in that series, the petzval's had a slider to displace #3 glass for softness. Just like the Unar's. Have both.

[Louis Pacilla]

Mark, in that series, the petzval's had a slider to displace #3 glass for softness. Just like the Unar's. Have both.


Here ya go Jim... To go along with your knowledge on such matters.

[Mark Sawyer]

My fault, I plead ignorance! :o

[goamules]

Those Portrait Series A always get mixed up with Unars, I guess I was doing it too. But it looks like the Series A is "long and thin" and the Unar "squat" for recognition, if you can't read the engraving.