GOERZ Blue Dot Trigor catalog

[formatoff]

Hi all,

Does somebody know about Goerz catalog for BD Trigor lenses? Or ever saw this one?
I know the 12" f8 , 14" f11 and 19" f11. Seems was a 16 - 17" and perhaps 24"?
Thanks for any help!

[David Lindquist]

Hi all,

Does somebody know about Goerz catalog for BD Trigor lenses? Or ever saw this one?
I know the 12" f8 , 14" f11 and 19" f11. Seems was a 16 - 17" and perhaps 24"?
Thanks for any help!

I have a Goerz Optical Company, Inc., "A subsidiary of Kollmorgen", price list dated 8-1-70. It shows the Blue Dot Trigor available in the following focal lengths: 6", 8 1/4", 9 1/2", 10 3/4", 12", and 14". The 14" lens had a maximum aperture of f/11, the shorter focal lengths had a maximum aperture of f/8. These were available mounted in shutters as well as barrel mounts. This price list further indicates these were "...new products effective 8-1-70."

A Schneider Corporation of America price list dated 1 May 1975 shows the Blue Dot Trigor available only in the 14" focal length and only in a barrel mount. A June 1, 1976 SCA price list also shows only the 14" barrel mounted Blue Dot Trigor. And finally a February 1, 1978 SCA price list no longer shows this lens.

Can't find a mention of 16-17", 19" or 24" Blue Dot Trigors.

David

[formatoff]

Thank you so much David for that info!
Seems BD Trigor lenses was produced between 1970 - 1976?
Actually I'm especially interested with info of longest focus Trigor.
I saw the 19" only once in Ilex #5.

Sergey.

[Greg]

Surely there is some lucky LF photographer in the FORUM that has a Blue Dot Trigor and uses it... Would love to know on-hand experiences with these optics.

I always regretted not buying two of them (at that time very reasonably priced since they were barrel lenses) in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

[Dan Fromm]

Greg, a Google Advanced Search (https://www.google.com/advanced_search) in this forum (put www.largeformatphotography.info in Google's "site or domain:" window) for trigor got 77 hits. Go help yourself.

[formatoff]

Greg,
I know the 12" covers IC 25", the 14" covers IC 29 - 30" with very good equal sharpness.
But have never had confirmation for that info in Goerz catalog.

[John Layton]

I sure as heck wished that I still had mine! It was a latest run, 14" from Kern Switzerland, in a late Copal #3 shutter, which I'd initially tested (back in 1985?) by taping strips of 35mm Agfapan 25 at various locations in a film holder. Results were stunning (like negs from my Leica with my then gen-2 50 summicron - I kid you not!). Used the lens for awhile...not only for 11x14 - but also for 8x10, 5x7, and 4x5. Incredibly versatile for lots of subjects/magnifications/lighting conditions.

I had originally intended to use a 14" Gold Dot Dagor (late example from Schneider) for 11x14 - but found its field to be a little to curved for my liking, at least for that format. Searching for a solution, another LF guy recommended that I search for a BD Trigor...which I eventually found at Lens and Repro. My example was, as mentioned earlier, blazingly sharp...right to the edges and with great flatness of field.

As for the f/11 max aperture - my example actually opened at least a stop wider than this, which I believe was as intended, at least by Kern, for making viewing and focussing a bit easier.

The only PITA-factor I can think of related to the lack of filter threads, necessitating a slip-on filter adapter. No biggie actually.

At any rate...I still see these late Trigors come up on occasion - most often it seems at Igors (igorcamera.com). Don't know about the earlier Trigors, but if even close to the Kern version - I'd still jump on it if I had the chance!

[David Lindquist]

Thank you so much David for that info!
Seems BD Trigor lenses was produced between 1970 - 1976?
Actually I'm especially interested with info of longest focus Trigor.
I saw the 19" only once in Ilex #5.

Sergey.

Nothing is simple with Goerz... Google turned up this: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.photo.equipment.large-format/KOot5uaNTpw

Here Richard Knoppow cites May 1968 Goerz literature describing a "New Goerz Blue Dot Wide Field 14" f:11..." It sounds to me as if the name "Trigor" hadn't been coined yet but I can't be sure. My Goerz literature has a gap between an October 1967 price list and the August 1970 price list. Maybe what was "new" on the August 1970 price list was several focal lengths in addition to 14" and the name "Trigor."

I don't know what became of Richard Knoppow. I wish he posted here.

David

[Wayne]

I don't know what became of Richard Knoppow. I wish he posted here.

David

We were just discussing that. He's still around on the puresilver list.

[David Lindquist]

We were just discussing that. He's still around on the puresilver list.

Thank you very much! Now to see what the pure silver list is...

David

[Cor]

Luckily Richard is very much alive and a fountain of knowledge (which he does not mind sharing again and again) on the Pure Silver mailing list, somehow he has a aversion to web fora, a pity he could contribute a lot. I believe he once joined APUG though, I could convince once him to look at a few interesting posts about printing on very old photo paper with a special developer.

best,

Cor

[David Lindquist]

Thank you Cor. I'm glad to hear that Richard is very much alive. My memories of him, his courtesy and his knowledge, come from the old rec.crafts.photography newsgroups. Seems like back in the day that was about all there was available.

David

[Cor]

Hi David,

Indeed the rec.photo. newsgroups was my first encounter with a world wide "knowledge base" on photography, learned almost everything I know now on photography through the internet..locally I have no contacts with (LF) photographers..

the PureSilver list can be found at: http://www.freelists.org/list/pure-silver

It is not very active but still interesting

Best,

Cor