Bausch and Lomb Protar

[VW Guy]

Any specialists out there on Bausch and Lomb Protar lenses? I have a very small lens marked Bausch and Lomb Protar, AF 4231, set in a Betax No 1 shutter. Marked Bausch and Lomb OPT. CO, Rochester, N.Y, U.S.A; PROTAR VI 223MM. Is this a legitimate lens/ Any specifications available? Thanks.

[Greg]

Does the lens have a set of front and rear elements? If it has a rear element is a focal length marked on it?

Also are there 3 aperture scales?

[VW Guy]

There are front and rear elements. The rear element has similar markings to the front and says 228mm. There are 2 aperture scales; B 228 MM F 64 through f 12.5; a second scale states D131mm and F45 through f 6.3. Thanks.

[Steven Tribe]

I think your lens is engraved VII, not VI.

This is a very good lens covering 5x7" with just the rear lens attached with an max. aperture of f12.5. When both lenses are attached the speed goes up to F6.3 but the coverage is much less - probably not 4x5".

[David Lindquist]

I also think your lens is engraved VII not VI. I also think the front focal length is engraved 228 mm, not 223 mm (maybe some of the white filling is gone). To our great benefit Dan Fromm has saved the archive of catalogues from cameraeccentric. If you go here and look at the 1941 B&L catalogue: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AD2134yVDPtzjeU&cid=8D71BC33C77D1008&id=8D71BC33C77D1008%212103&parId=root&o=OneUp you'll find their 131 mm VIIa Protar made up of two 228 mm series VII Protars is said to cover a 4 X 5 plate at "full aperture". (You have to go to his link that has "cameraeccentric" in it.)

My 1933 Zeiss catalogue printed for the American market shows that the 13 cm Double Protar made up of two 22 cm (series VII) Protars covers a 7 7/8 inch diameter circle "at small stops."

David

[VW Guy]

Thank you very much for the information!
Bob

[VW Guy]

Do you have any idea what this lens would fetch if put up for sale? Thanks.

[Taija71A]

Do you have any idea what this lens would fetch if put up for sale? Thanks.

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