PPE UK Lens

[Pete Watkins]

I've acquired a f6.8 210mm focal length barrel lens marked PPE UK. I intend to mount onto a lensboard later today. It appears to be multi coated on more than one element.
The VM states that it might be Perkin Elmer related and that it's possibly from a reprographic unit.
Has anybody out there tried one of these PPE lenses for normal LF photography?
Thanks,
Pete.

[Pete Watkins]

Well I've mounted it and put it on the Norma. It's incredibly sharp and covers 8x10.
I'll get out there with it when I get sorted out a bit. Thank god for Sinar Copals!
Pete.

[Tony Lakin]

Hi Pete
I had 210mm f6.8 PPE many years ago, I used it as my wide angle on 10x8, something went wrong with it (I can't remember what) so I dismantled it and couldn't reassemble it, a great pity because despite the lack of coverage (mine gave a slight vignette at f22) I found it to be very sharp, I was delighted when a replacement appeared on Ebay last year, I won the auction for £8:) I haven't as yet used it much as I have a wonderful 210mm f9 Computar in a Copal 1 shutter which is also pin sharp and has acres of coverage, I also have a very useful Sinar Copal shutter which allows the use of barrel lenses on my Norma or P outfits.

Serial number of mine is 1342.

[Pete Watkins]

Hi Tony,
My serial number is 0280. I can't see any sign of vignetting but that might be me. I bought mine for a fiver as the bloke thought that it was some sort of weird enlarging lens. I am usually happy to take a chance for a fiver :D
Pete.

[IanG]

Who ever made the PPE lenses they applied for a British Patent and they appear to have been made here as well. It's often forgotten that both Wray and Aldis were absorbed into the Rank Organisation and their staff continued making optics as part of Hilger. TTH stayed more self contained under Rank's ownership and TTH split off later they restructured the Optics side split of as Cooke.

Similarly AGI still made large format aerial mapping cameras into the 2000's and the company still exists, they sold off a division a few years earlier.

PPE lenses are cheap because know no-one knows what they are, and there are other un-named lenses in the UK that may be equally as good

Ian

[Pete Watkins]

Ian,
The VM states that PPE lenses are "possibly" Perkin Elmer related.
Pete.

[voigtf64]

stands for Pilkington Perkin Elmer , I think the factory was in North Wales somewhere, But a short lived joint venture with Pilkington glass, of great quality. jw

[Andrew Plume]

mmm, interesting, interesting

I too have bought one recently, still to test.................mmm

andrew

[Pete Watkins]

Many thanks for that voigt.
Andrew, it's well worth mounting your lens and having a look through it. Mine compares to my Apo Nikkor very well.
Pete.

[andreios]

Just found the topic - interesting indeed, it would be a great option as I am now searching for a (moderate) wide for the 8x10... Where do you find these lenses? just ebay?

[Pete Watkins]

andreios,
I found mine here in the English Midlands at a Camera Fair last weekend.
You could look out for a Repromaster or Eskophot of something similar. They were cheap a while ago but a nightmare to shutter. LUC's and Packards work OK but are a bit limiting.
Pete.

[andreios]

Thanks Pete, I'll have a snoop round. I don't need a shutter - I will use it mostly in church interiors with little available light and no split-second exposures.. :)

[Tony Lakin]

Here's mine on my Norma, I have adapted it to take 77mm screw in filters.

129516