Gundlach Turner Reich Anast 8x10 Lens Questions

[vanessamae]

Hello LF world. I am new to large format photography practicing wet plate ambrotypes and tintypes since last year. I've just aquired a great deal on my 1st 8x10 Korona upgrading from my 5x7 Ansco. I'm stumped by the lens that was included with my camera. I have searched the serial number, and other markings but I haven't been able to find an exact match on forums or "google" Hoping you'll help me with any info or insight to this lens if you know or have used it.

Lens is marked Turner-Reich Anast F.6 Ser II; Gundlach Manufacturing Corp
Serial# 213286 Rear element (which screws off) marked 21" Turner Reich with serial number 213286
The shutter is an Ilex No 4 Acme Synchro which includes the synchro shutter for flash bulbs which I wont be making use of. On it, there is a plate that appears to have three different sets of aperture settings (???)

This seems to be a convertible lens of sorts but I don't understand how to use it. Any insight on how to convert the lens for different uses would be greatly appreciated! Also, even though this is marked as 6.8, there is a lower stop that is unmarked. I'm wondering if this is actually a 4.5? All the best and many thanks!152304152305152306

[Dan Fromm]

This site http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogsall.htm has a number of Gundlach catalogs. This http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1906gundmanlp331.htm catalog might contain what you want.

[karl french]

The whole lens is a 12" f6.8 lens. If you unscrew the front and just use the back, it's a 21" lens. If you take the front group, remove the back group and screw the front into the back of the shutter, you have a 28" lens. The single groups perform much better when they are stopped down and when you put a yellow or orange filter in front. You might want to check how bad, if any focus shift there is when you stop the single groups down. There is a lot sample variation with this lens in terms of optical performance. But it was good enough for Edward Weston.

[vanessamae]

Thank you!

[vanessamae]

Ah yes, well if it was good enough for him it's worth a shot! Such a beautiful artist. Thank you very much.

[Jim Graves]

From Camera Eccentric's great site ... pages from the "1910/1920" Gundlach catalog (if you page through the catalog you'll see ads for the Korona cameras as well - this would have been one of the default standard lens for the 8x10 Korona for quite a few years) --- [Note] The third page shows the range of coverage of the three possible lens setups.

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/img/info/korona_2/korona_2_03.jpg
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/img/info/korona_2/korona_2_05.jpg
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/img/info/korona_2/korona_2_04.jpg

[Peter Gomena]

When converted, the lens/focal length gives you an effectively slower lens, which is not an advantage with wet plate. Neither is placing a yellow or orange filter in front of a converted lens. It works very well with film, but you'll need those blue/UV wavelengths for your wet plate work!

[vanessamae]

Thank you Jim and Peter! Yes, the blue light! So much UV needed! I'm experimenting with aquarium light but nothing beats natural for wet plate :)

[DrTang]

WAIT WHAT??

I have a conley triple convertible (12/20/28) which I figured might be the wollensak velostigmat 1 rebadged.. but it also could be the gundlach.. or maybe both the wolly and the conley are made by Gundlach as the specs are the same


anyway..in reading this thread.. it's stated that to get the 28" size - one takes the front element off and puts it in the rear (reversed - front side facing into camera)??

REALLY??

I've been shooting it by just removing the rear element and keeping the front on the shutter in the original orientation

- it's worked okay for me - (nsfw) https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8766/29183092032_0d3a63a2d4_b.jpg



should I be sticking the front element on the back instead?

[Mark Sampson]

DrTang, if you're getting results you like, stick with it. I like your pictures, but I don't see your work needing critical sharpness at the edges of the image circle... which is probably what the designers were thinking of, 100 years ago. I'd suggest that you try the various combinations; you might be surprised at what works.
Long ago I learned the hard way about removing the front group of a convertible Symmar... if you remove the rear group (which made sense to me in my more ignorant, pre-internet days), your pictures look terrible. If you remove the front group (counter-intuitively), the lens is ok.