Verito 14.5 inch

[Smitty]

Can anyone share images taken with this or another size Verito? They look to be a good size lens..will it cover 8x10?
Thanks, Steve

[mdarnton]

These may be more torwards the way the lens was originally intended, as a detail obscurer
for portraiture, than as people use them today, for the glow and odd effects.The 14.5"
should cover 8x10 fine.

11.5" Verito, on 5x7 x-ray film:


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/682/21609295426_cd0c774fa5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yVxhF5)

Juli (https://flic.kr/p/yVxhF5)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr



https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5791/21514343135_832e006b91_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yM9CEB)

Annie (https://flic.kr/p/yM9CEB)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr

[Smitty]

Very nice Michael, thank you for sharing.
You are in Chicago? My mother was a harpist many years ago, when she passed my dad sold her harp to a young gal in Chicago.
Strangest lens I ever used in terms of look it rendered was 35 summilux M pre asph. It did some funny stuff..

[Jim Galli]

There's a page here (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?25518-Verito-Picture-Post), where folks only post pics made with Verito. There's also a bunch of Verito work on my web pages. 14.5 covers 8X10 great.

[Jim Graves]

It was made for 8x10 ... here's a page from the 1916 catalog and a closeup of a '39 Chrysler made with a 14.5" on 8x10:
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[Jim Graves]

And, here are two more examples with the 11 1/2"

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The bicycle/window has been photo-shopped to add contrast but the portrait and Chrysler (prior post) are close to original.

In any case it gives you a feel for the lens.

All 3 were shot at f-4. My preference generally on the Veritos is around f-6. Closed more than that it gets sharp real fast ... although the out of focus areas stay real nice.

[Jim Galli]

Can't see the pics on the second post Jim. Love the Chrysler shot.

[Jim Graves]

Can't see the pics on the second post Jim. Love the Chrysler shot.

Think I fixed the problem ... thanks Jim

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Jim, love the images. I need to take my 14.5 Verito out more!

[Bill_1856]

It was made for 8x10 ... here's a page from the 1916 catalog and a closeup of a '39 Chrysler made with a 14.5" on 8x10:
144230
144231

What F-stop was the Chrysler picture taken, and how much of the burned-out shiny effect is due to the film, not the lens (no anti-hilation backing?)?

[goamules]

This was with an 11" I think, but could have been my 7 1/4", but they all give the same effect, the film size just determines the crop factor. They are the best. They do cover a surprisingly wide angle, much more than a standard Tessar or Planar. I swear my 7 1/4" will cover wholeplate, and I know my 9" does.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4114/4760758353_f06827c63c_b.jpg

[goamules]

You haven't lived until you've shot a Verito! 9" on Wholeplate.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2902/13524988795_5aea9fb380_b.jpg

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Nice!

[diversey]

Those photos are so lovely!



These may be more torwards the way the lens was originally intended, as a detail obscurer
for portraiture, than as people use them today, for the glow and odd effects.The 14.5"
should cover 8x10 fine.

11.5" Verito, on 5x7 x-ray film:


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/682/21609295426_cd0c774fa5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yVxhF5)

Juli (https://flic.kr/p/yVxhF5)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr



https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5791/21514343135_832e006b91_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yM9CEB)

Annie (https://flic.kr/p/yM9CEB)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr

[William Whitaker]

Can anyone share images taken with this or another size Verito? They look to be a good size lens..will it cover 8x10?
Thanks, Steve

Back when I had a small web site I had a page devoted to the Verito lens. From the comments I received, many people found it very helpful. At the time I took down the web site I thought that my Verito content was going to be imported into this web site. But the day of reckoning came and went and I've never been able to find my material here. I still have the original files and will post them here for the benefit of all. If the powers that be wish to incorporate this as part of the LF home page, I can be reached through the usual channels.

The text and photos are my work and I claim the copyright. It is posted here for your personal, non-commercial use. You may wish to bookmark this thread for future reference.

The original intent was to show the effect of stopping down on softness (diffusion) and overall image character. The images were all made on Polaroid Type 54 using an 8 3/4" Wollensak Verito. There are some corners missing on some of the images where the emulsion tore away. But the effect of the lens is still very evident.


Using a Wollensak 8 3/4" f/4 Verito




The Wollensak Verito is one of the classic soft focus lenses popular in the first half of the twentieth century. It is very soft wide open, but becomes noticeably sharper as it is stopped down. I thought it might be interesting to explore this property of the Verito.
The Verito here is an 8 3/4" f/4 which has been mounted in an Ilex Universal #4 shutter. For these photos the lens was mounted on a Wisner 4x5 Pocket Expedition camera, the focal length being nice for portraiture in that format. Lens to subject distance was about 36"; the subject is 12" tall. Images were made on Polaroid Type 54 film which provided convenient prints for scanning.
The subject is a model steam engine by Georges Carette which probably predates the lens by a bit. Georges Carette (who, by the way, was himself a photographer) formed the company which bore his name in 1886 in Nuremberg. Georges Carette et Cie manufactured some of the most elaborate toys of the day, including steam engines. With the outbreak of World War I, M. Carette was forced to return to France and his company closed.



The Verito at ƒ/4. Wide open in all its diffuse glory. (The missing image at the upper right corner is where the Polaroid emulsion tore away.)

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f/8
The image is noticeably sharper.

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f/11
Sharpness is just slightly more than at f/8. As expected, there is a little more depth of field.

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f/16
A marginal increase in sharpness; just a little more depth of field. The stucco wall is beginning to show texture.

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continued next post

[William Whitaker]

f/32

The old lens looks pretty sharp at this aperture.
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From these images it's apparent that the Verito's usefulness as a portrait lens is clearly in the f/4 to f/8 range which is where the greatest increase in sharpness occurs. Beyond that the increase in sharpness is very gradual. Throughout the range, however, the Verito seems to display a smoothness of tonality which I find attractive. (This is much more apparent in the original prints.).
All Veritos are convertible, the rear group providing a focus between 1 2/3 and twice the focal length of the combined elements. The speed is reduced correspondingly. More information can be found in the Wollensak catalogs of the day at Cameraeccentric.com (http://cameraeccentric.com).

[cowanw]

Thanks for reposting; that series was useful to me then as well as now.

[Jim Graves]

What F-stop was the Chrysler picture taken, and how much of the burned-out shiny effect is due to the film, not the lens (no anti-hilation backing?)?

The shot was taken at f-4 ... wide open. The shiny appearance and blowout of the highlights were due to the very bright museum lights creating reflections and specular highlights. The film was Arista EDU 100 developed in HC-110 dilution B.

[Emil Schildt]

here are a couple of mine - not sure of the FL but the negative size was 13x18cm (5x7) - all full aperture..

[Smitty]

The 14.5 inch Diffused Focus Verito with Studio shutter is a pretty large lens. .. I would like to mount it to my 8x10 Deardorff. flange takes up a good portion of the lensboard, and lens hangs right out there. Anyone using this lens/camera combination?

Steve

[William Whitaker]

Not currently. But I did at one time.
144434

[Jac@stafford.net]

Not currently. But I did at one time.
144434

Will, what are the four corner pieces for? It looks interesting.

[William Whitaker]

That camera had been modified to accept a compendium shade. Those were the attachment points.

[Smitty]

I have a cheap cable release that screws into the inside of the cable attachment on the lens. It does not seem to open the iris all the way, wondering if I need a better or some sort of special cable release?

[Jac@stafford.net]

That camera had been modified to accept a compendium shade. Those were the attachment points.

That is downright clever. I see there is little alternative with the big Verito. I used an extended lens board with a mounting block on top to accept a Linhof compendium. I'll have to rethink the whole thing, now.

Thanks!