Voigtlander Portrait Euryscop 7a

[brandon13]

I recently acquired a Voigtlander Portrait Euryscop 500mm f 4.5 (actually more like f5) for my 11x14 studio camera. I have done a couple still life tests and really love the qualities this lens has. I generally shoot petzval lenses, but a 20 inch petzval is pretty pricey these days. I plan on shooting 11x14 wet plate collodion portraits with this aplanat. I would love to see some other shots people have done with Euryscop lenses. Thanks. If you have some examples maybe we can start a Euryscop thread.

http://brandonfernandez.com

104192104193

[Dave Aharonian]

104194This was taken with a 16" Euryscop f4.5 on 8x10. I usually like Petzvals too, but I'm really liking the look of this Euryscop.

[brandon13]

Thanks Dave. I like the qualities of petzvals, but I'm not in love with the swirl that some seem to covet. great image.

[Dave Aharonian]

Jesus H - I didn't realize the size of that lens. That thing is huge! Remember to lift with the knees, not the back.... I look forward to seeing what it does for you!

[goamules]

They're great lenses. I shoot Euryscops on film a lot, here is a recent 8x10 taken with a No. 5.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/9886852615_f5ffd51511_c.jpg

[brandon13]

Thanks Garrett. The more I see, the more I like.

[Tri Tran]

Hi Brandon,
Congrats to your new acquisition 7A. You will definitely love it . Mine is the #6 and I do use it quite often for my portrait work. Here's the 11x14 Platinum print that was taken with it .

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8377/94bv.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/94bv.jpg/)

[brandon13]

Thank Tri I really appreciate you all posting images taken with Euryscops. Anyone else have a 7a? Or perhaps an 8a?

[Steven Tribe]

Above the 5A, I don't think there are a lot around!

[Jac@stafford.net]

What are the differences between a 7a and 7?

[brandon13]

http://antiquecameras.net/1890lenscatalogue.html

from what I can tell from this catalogue the series 3 euryscop designated "A" lenses were slightly longer and had a touch more coverage, but I am sure someone on this forum has some experience with the slight differences.

[Steven Tribe]

AFAIK there is no series III, size 7!
The labelling of the various series was usually "plain". But series III and VI (the F7.7 version) was with the additional "A".
I have no immediate answer about why this is so - or I have forgotten why!

[Louis Pacilla]

Here's a listing in a 1899 L.M. Prince & bros Cincinnati,OH. catalog for the Portrait Euryscope Series III A Including the Series III 7A which the OP owns.

[Taija71A]

____

http://www.motamedi.info/text/French%201890.pdf

(*Same 1890 Voigtlander Catalog of course as per Dan's site... But the text is perhaps? a bit more readable/legible -- In some parts).


BTW... Nice 7A Brandon. Congrats! :D
--

-Tim.
________

[Tim Deming]

The "A" and "B" markings were used when the new series of lenses were introduced , but series # was not yet marked on the lens. They allowed one to distinguish between different series. So, portrait euryscop 5 is a series II, while portrait euryscop 5A is series III. Later on, once. Series # was marked on the lenses, the A and B designations gradually we're not used anymore. This is certainly true for later (ser#> 60000) portrait euryscop series III, which do not have the "A" designation

Cheers

Tim

[brandon13]

AFAIK there is no series III, size 7!
The labelling of the various series was usually "plain". But series III and VI (the F7.7 version) was with the additional "A".
I have no immediate answer about why this is so - or I have forgotten why!
I may be splitting hairs here but there does seem to be very slight differences betweeen portrait euryscop series III and the third series A lenses. I am guessing since my lens is Circa 1888-89 the 1890's catalogue is most beneficial to me. Anyway just to be more confusing heres a link that seems to show 3 types of series 3 portrait euryscops. This list could be wrong as it is an asessment of several lenses.http://www.allenrumme.com/lensdb/Portrait.html

[Steven Tribe]

All the series III lenses listed in the Allenrumme website correspond exactly with the 1890 list which has already been quoted and is reproduced in the Prochnow book page 23-626.
There is another list underneath which uses cm and the older system of coverage (visit, kabinet,boudoir, imperial etc.) which does, indeed, have slightly different focal lengths. The equivalent of "5A" has a efl of 28cm and front glass diameter of 66mm. I can see at least one very obvious error in this table from 1905 so I won't reproduce it here.

[brandon13]

Allright I guess I'm still a little confused, but that's nothing new. Thanks for everyones input. Would love to see more images made with these lenses. I can't say this will be my main lens as I shoot mostly 8x10, but this is definitely going to be my main 11x14 lens.

[AtlantaTerry]

Where does one find lenses like these?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Where does one find lenses like these?

Through years of rummaging through rural junque shops. :) Found my Voigtlander Portrait Euryscop 7 in a dresser that interested me. Settled for the lens instead.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I found my Voigtlander Portrait Euryscop III #6 on a studio camera in Solvang California. Now I use it (not enough) on my Century 8A.

[brandon13]

I found my Voigtlander Portrait Euryscop III #6 on a studio camera in Solvang California. Now I use it (not enough) on my Century 8A.
I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a 18-20 inch petzval for 11x14 wet plates and an awesome photographer in Europe who was a fan of my wet plate images offered this lens to me. Karma. BTW Jim I grew up in SoCal near Ventura.

[Steven Tribe]

I found my Voigtlander Portrait Euryscop III #6 on a studio camera in Solvang

Obviously a Danish photographer!

The last 5A I saw, was sold by auction yesterday. Unfortunately, it was attached to a big studio camera/stand set halfway up in Sweden, along with a (non Universal) 36cm Heliar. Too far for me to collect!

Buying together with a studio set is probably the best way to get hold of the Series III - for a reasonable price. They were a less common choice than the Dallmeyer 3B and, later, the various Heliars and Cookes. The 5A is a lot more common than the 6 & 7A.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I forgot to add that this lens was legally stolen at a great price and is mint! I can not believe that some other LF photographer did not find this first. It was on a studio camera right in the front of an old time portrait studio in downtown Solvang.

[brandon13]

Shot some 11x14 plates today. I really like it. I need to photograph them as my scanner only goes up to 8x10. I was wondering are nudes allowed in posts like these? I don't want to go outside of the guidelines and offend someone.

[AtlantaTerry]

Shot some 11x14 plates today. I really like it. I need to photograph them as my scanner only goes up to 8x10. I was wondering are nudes allowed in posts like these? I don't want to go outside of the guidelines and offend someone.

Oh heck, go ahead and offend someone. :) Or use black rectangles to cover the naughty bits.

[brandon13]

Nah. I hate the censored images. I'll post some pg images soon. Or at least a crop from this session. lens is great but wide open at f 4.5-5 it has super shallow depth of field, and I am a big fan of shallow depth of depth of field but I may have to make a few water house stops and at least bring it down to f6

[brandon13]

Here's an 8.5"x10.5" cropped scan of the 11x14 plate on my epson scanner. Sorry but I am not adept at scanning in 4 parts and merging in PS. Anyway this gives you an idea of the quality of this lens.

104528

[brandon13]

dallmeyer lenses still blow my mind. just shot a 4d tonight.

[DrTang]

I forgot to add that this lens was legally stolen at a great price and is mint! I can not believe that some other LF photographer did not find this first. It was on a studio camera right in the front of an old time portrait studio in downtown Solvang.


you musta beat me to by a day or two


I did end up with the cooke, but passed on the large paragon

oh well

got my 7a in santa maria

[goamules]

Or 365 days or so....this was a year old thread.

[Hugo Zhang]

you musta beat me to by a day or two


I did end up with the cooke, but passed on the large paragon

oh well

got my 7a in santa maria

How come you didn't bring it yesterday to the meeting? Let's see some pictures of it. :)

[DrTang]

How come you didn't bring it yesterday to the meeting? Let's see some pictures of it. :)


too big.. and I wasn't quite sure how much I wanted for it

BUT..just last night I checked again with a flashlight....and found a 6


so it's a series III #6

for 8x10

oh well

here's one pix

http://www.mericphoto.com/lfp/v2.jpg

[DrTang]

Or 365 days or so....this was a year old thread.


well... a day, a year ago

[Jac@stafford.net]

There is, or was recently, a brutalized #7 on the auction site.

Another #7 here (http://www.digoliardi.net/voigtlander7/).

[Steven Tribe]

"Another #7 here. "

With this serial number, I think this is a series II. Series III did get the plain numbers without the "A", but then the lens were engraved with II or III.

[Jim Galli]

"Another #7 here. "

With this serial number, I think this is a series II. Series III did get the plain numbers without the "A", but then the lens were engraved with II or III.

I agree. Serie II which was f4 as opposed to Serie III f4.5. They are all spectacular lenses. I've had 3 of the no. 6, never a No. 7. None of my Serie III versions have the "a" I think.

[ndg]

This is another - a Series II, No. 7.
125552
Made this print with it:
125553

[sunhouwang]

hi,all.
i just got a no.5 lens marked III but without "A", is it truly series III or others?
if it's a III 5A lens, can it cover 11x14 format with aperture wide open or need stopped down?
last, is it a petzval type lens or not?
130350

[Steven Tribe]

Series III - later version, near the turn of the century.

The early Euroskop lenses marked just "Euroskop" had the added "a" to the digit numbers to distinguish them from the F4 "series II". When the additional "Seies III" engraving was introduced, the "a" became superfluous and was no longer added.

Only series I is a Petzval, all the others are "very special" fast Aplanats created by Sommer.

[brandon13]

hi,all.
i just got a no.5 lens marked III but without "A", is it truly series III or others?
if it's a III 5A lens, can it cover 11x14 format with aperture wide open or need stopped down?
last, is it a petzval type lens or not?
130350
it was designed for 10x12 but these euryscop lenses have more coverage than advertised.

[sunhouwang]

Thanks,guys.
If not a petzval lens,any difference with the image?much sharper or something else?
And is it suitable for both wet plate and film shooting?

[goamules]

The image is rectilinear, where as Petzvals are not.

Rapid Rectilinears were invented in the 1860s for wetplate, so yes, they are suitable. If you read the answers to your questions above, you'll see they are used for both film and wetplate.