Metrogon again

[Jac@stafford.net]

Yes, I have poured through the posts concerning the Metrogon. The posts are old, but not stale. Good stuff there.

I've been going through the stuff today to inventory the lot for the estate, and I have too many Metrogons, also Plantagons. The best was one with shutter for a Lockheed 8x10" research camera. I sold it. It was a 'sky camera' (http://www.digoliardi.net/skc/skc1.jpg) with shutter than I modified (http://www.digoliardi.net/skc/skc-shutter-b.jpg)for manual exposure. I doubt I will ever find another shutter. If you know of one, I would appreciate knowing of it.

At this moment I have two ~154mm F/6.3 on the bench. One is tenaciously fastened to a heavy iron mount with a beautiful apparently perfect optical glass over the film plate, not feduciary. While they are the same focal length, they differ a lot in diameter and also in the space allocated for a guillotine shutter. Each has a yellow center-filter. The others I have are ordinary lens pairs sold by surplusshed.com decades ago for a few dollars each.

So, to awaken the subject, have any here used one of these lenses? And how?

Thank you
j

[Tin Can]

I will check and report with my Metrogon guy, a former photo instructor of mine.

[LabRat]

I have a few kicking around here and there... One has the remains of the shutter, which inserts into the lens barrel, and is a combo iris/shutter... (It opens and closes to that f-stop...) It is powered by a high torque 28V/400hz motor (standard power in aircraft...) The key that drives the shutter requires much torque, as the internal springs are strong... (And there is a controller box involved...) So a different solution is required for personal use...

The first thing to do before anything, is to measure the spacing between the cells, so if mounted on anything else, that would be correct...

Mounting in a shutter would probably be difficult, as the inside flanges are a fairly large OD, but the rear element does extend beyond the flanges, so maybe an adapter can be rigged without too much machine work involved... (But the elements would need to be removed before machining the barrel...)

An easy-peasy way to shoot these these would be to space the cells, (with a slot in between) for waterhouse stops, and focus without, but use a tiny f-stop, (think pinhole) so a daylight exposure would be a second or two, so a "hat" shutter would do the job...

Should be fun!!!!!!!

Steve K

[Tin Can]

Michael Boruch reported this, 'I HAD one. Purchased in a B&J cheapie remount for $35 at American Science Center (Am Science+Surplus) No diaphragm. 152 mm (6 in). I gave it to the lab director at Oakton along with an f 18 Protar V in a barrel about 10 years ago. Last year I asked for both back. He could only find the protar. I can ask him again. Both go for a nice bit of change these days. What labrat proposed to do with a was what I intended. Never got around to it or shot with it. Should be great for architecture in terms of rectilinear distortion.

The Protar was (is) amazing. 139mm and sharp as a tack in the center. I had it coated but that was a waste of money. A bitch to view and focus indoors. Always carried a few penlights to drop on the floor where I wished the focus and margins to be. Sometimes I'd forget to pick them up. They're in the picture. Some field curvature, useful for focus for room interiors. Some barrel distortions seen at the edges of an 8 x 10 negative. I replaced it with a 121 Super Angulon which once belonged to famed photographer Richard Nickel. Wish I still had it.

But I digress.....(you may have heard all this before)'

He's been at this a lot longer than most.

[Corran]

I have one and I posted some photos made with it recently.

A 100mm slip-on filter made for my 75mm Biogon fits right into the "hood" of the lens. It's a funny lens in a single-speed shutter (B) that seems custom-made. And unfortunately it only opens to f/11; there is an internal stop that closes it to that which I tried to remove but couldn't figure out how. It came on a board for my Wista already which is partly why I bought it.

I actually bought this one on eBay from a well-known...err, infamous...photographer.

Anyway, I apparently never posted them properly on my blog, so I will rectify that tonight (edit: here you go! (http://valdostafilm.blogspot.com/2015/09/testing-bausch-lomb-6-f63-metrogon-on.html)). I would have to dig through my posts to find the images I posted here months ago. It was super-sharp though and a nice FL on 8x10.

[John Jarosz]

I use a 304mm Metrogon on my 8x20. I was fortunate enough to get the red and yellow shaded filters with the lens. Wonderful lens, but very heavy. The lensboard goes between the front and rear cells and I use waterhouse stops I made myself. Shutter is a darkslide that rests on the front of the lens. Though I haven't tested this aspect, the scuttlebutt on the lens is that you are suppose to use it stopped down to eliminate spherical abberation. I have not seen any of the 304mm for sale for some time now. There really is a lot of center/edge falloff with this lens so using the shaded filters are very important.

I see a lot of the 6 inch variety for sale, but I believe many of them are not actual Metrogons. More like Metrogon-like. I have no actual experience with the 6 inch version.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I have one and I posted some photos made with it recently.
Thanks for the reminder. I enjoyed the pictures. All of them.


A 100mm slip-on filter made for my 75mm Biogon fits right into the "hood" of the lens. It's a funny lens in a single-speed shutter (B) that seems custom-made. And unfortunately it only opens to f/11; there is an internal stop that closes it to that which I tried to remove but couldn't figure out how.

Funny, I made a few lens shades for the 75mm Biogon (http://www.digoliardi.net/biogon-shade-2.jpg) using, in part, the original 100mm Linhof slip-on filter frames. All the Metrogons and Planigons I have use various kinds of shutters, but they all have a fixed aperture. (The last time I checked, mapping lenses were certified with aperture fixed or wide open.) One shutter is so bizarre it took my feeble brain forever to figure it out; it used three leafs, one of which was a capping device. Too complex and finicky for me. The type seen from in my post below is my favorite for its simplicity.

I made Waterhouse type stop for one, but I made it too small and destroyed the resolution.

These lenses usually have a deep yellow center filter combination which I consider necessary to help obviate color aberration. Surplus Shed had a couple different types at one time, including a deep red with an interesting approach to a center filter (laminated silver mylar (http://www.digoliardi.net/skc/skc-filter-1.jpg)). (the rectangular shape is a reflection of a window behind me.) Much larger ones are found on some models, especially the Planigon from Curtis Laboratories - a very heavy monster for which I have no use - yet.

[Tin Can]

I have one and I posted some photos made with it recently.

A 100mm slip-on filter made for my 75mm Biogon fits right into the "hood" of the lens. It's a funny lens in a single-speed shutter (B) that seems custom-made. And unfortunately it only opens to f/11; there is an internal stop that closes it to that which I tried to remove but couldn't figure out how. It came on a board for my Wista already which is partly why I bought it.

I actually bought this one on eBay from a well-known...err, infamous...photographer.

Anyway, I apparently never posted them properly on my blog, so I will rectify that tonight (edit: here you go! (http://valdostafilm.blogspot.com/2015/09/testing-bausch-lomb-6-f63-metrogon-on.html)). I would have to dig through my posts to find the images I posted here months ago. It was super-sharp though and a nice FL on 8x10.

Your blog post may have saved one of these.

I may know where one is...in a pile of discards!

The plot thickens

[Corran]

Jac, I really like that shade for the 75mm Biogon. Wish I could have one, it definitely flares a bit when the sun is just outside the frame...I do have an extra green filter I never use...

I would like to find one of those center filters one day if it was cheap, for the Metrogon.

Randy, cool, I'm curious as to what you found...there are a few Metrogon cells with no barrel on eBay for cheap (though not as cheap as they were from Surplus Shed, I guess).

John, that's cool that you use a ~300mm on 8x20. If you ever want a smaller lens, I suggest you find a 305mm f/9 G-Claron, an older Dagor version. I have one and it covers 8x20 fine, with a bit to spare I think. Fits in a #2 Compur and takes 62mm filters (Some have other filter threads, 58mm or 67mm, from what I understand. I have an oddball.). Regarding spherical aberrations, sometimes a little bit of that is nice, depending :).

Speaking of interesting B&L lenses, I just remembered I have a 20" tele in barrel that I got free. If only it went into a shutter...

[Jac@stafford.net]

Jac, I really like that shade for the 75mm Biogon. Wish I could have one, it definitely flares a bit when the sun is just outside the frame...I do have an extra green filter I never use...

The shade - see the auction site, item # 151722009553. $14 with shipping. It screws directly into the 75mm Biogon, but then you cannot stack a slip-on filter under it. To make one like mine, break the slip-over filter glass (put it in a soft towel and push gently. It cracks out.) Then epoxy the shade into the 100mm filter ring. Stacking might cause vignetting.


I would like to find one of those center filters one day if it was cheap, for the Metrogon.

They were very cheap. I've found that surplus shed does not always have all stock online. Call or e-mail them and ask. They came through for me.


Regarding spherical aberrations, sometimes a little bit of that is nice, depending.

True, but I found color aberrations. :(

[Corran]

Cool, thanks Jac!