Zeiss Tessar 15cm

[campy]

This came from a Zeiss plate camera that looks to be 6x9. I was told it most likely would cover 4x5 but the person I talked to wasn't sure. The shutter is not working as it should and I am wondering how good the lens is and is it worth getting the shutter fixed or maybe put into another good working shutter. If you recommend a newer shutter what size do you recommend?

[IanG]

A 150mm (15cm) Tessar covers 5x4 with a little room for movements so does a 135mm Tessar. A lot depends on what shutter your Tessar is in a 150mm f4.5 fits a Compur #1 unless it's an earlier version in the dial st shutter which isn't compatible with later shutters. If it's rimset Compur they are fairly easy to find uou just swap the scale over.

The lens was probably off a 9x12 camera it's too long a FL for a 6x9.

Ian

[campy]

149174

Here it is.

[Corran]

Yep, it covers 4x5 just fine. It isn't as sharp or contrasty as modern lenses, and might flare more easily depending. Still a great lens. I have two, as well as 10.5cm and 18cm Tessars. There's a bunch of images from one of my 15cm lenses HERE (http://valdostafilm.blogspot.com/2016/02/little-river-near-barney-ga.html)if you are interested. Depending on what's wrong with the shutter, I wouldn't fix it. They are cheap enough to just get a fresh one, or find one with good shutter and damaged glass for peanuts.

[campy]

What shutter would you recommend?

[David Lindquist]

Per Hartmut Thiele's _Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik II Carl Zeiss Jena_, this lens is one of a batch of 2000 15 cm f/4.5 Tessars, serial numbers 1,022,001 - 1,024,000. Production of this batch started March 19, 1929. Again my thanks to Arne Croell for translating for me some of the terms used in Thiele's work.
David

[Bill_1856]

Shutter is old and may just need cleaning. Send shutter to Carole at Flutot's, for an expert, inexpensive repair. If glass is clean, you'll have an excellent lens in your stuff.

[IanG]

What shutter would you recommend?

It's a Compur #1, any repair shop can give it a CLA, they are usually quite reliable.

Ian

[Xipho]

what do you mean by shutter not working? Are just the longer sets too slow or stuck, or are all the same?

If just the second and half second stuck and can be pushed rüto run to the end by pushing teh lever, even a self CLA is easy. The axis where the main spring is (at the cocking lever) needs some cleaning and oil.

It is acessible by removing the front plate, never loosen the screws at thre rear, they hod the shutter blades.

The front can be removed without disassembling anything of the mechanism inside. just remember the posotion of the time wheel.

[campy]

what do you mean by shutter not working? Are just the longer sets too slow or stuck, or are all the same?

If just the second and half second stuck and can be pushed rüto run to the end by pushing teh lever, even a self CLA is easy. The axis where the main spring is (at the cocking lever) needs some cleaning and oil.

It is acessible by removing the front plate, never loosen the screws at thre rear, they hod the shutter blades.

The front can be removed without disassembling anything of the mechanism inside. just remember the posotion of the time wheel.

How does the front plate come off?

[premortho]

This came from a Zeiss plate camera that looks to be 6x9. I was told it most likely would cover 4x5 but the person I talked to wasn't sure. The shutter is not working as it should and I am wondering how good the lens is and is it worth getting the shutter fixed or maybe put into another good working shutter. If you recommend a newer shutter what size do you recommend?I had a Speed Graphic with this lens in a dial-set Compur shutter. Mine was so sharp it was harsh. Shutter is one of the top three.