Let's see your landscape lens (with meniscus / achromat lens)

[Ron (Netherlands)]

In the rangefinder forum, there are quite a lot of threads in the 'show off your lens / camera' or 'let's see your camera / lens ..' Although these seem only show off threads, they have also quite an informative function; with those threads I was able to get more knowledge about the many models / types of camera's there had actually been made in the past.

Since I would like to try out shooting pictures with one or more vintage landscape lenses (with meniscus or achromats installed), and I don't have any yet I wonder which models / types our fellow members have in their collections / at their disposal, and perhaps can provide some info on make / year of manufacture / focusdistance or plate size & experiences etc.

So, let's see which landscape lenses you have / are using...

[Oslolens]

I got mostly the modern lenses, Canon, Nikon and Pentax, and som Hoya and B+W. My Marumi 333mm was tested by Jim Galli, but the Nikon and Canon have more neutral bokeh. You can see the simple bokeh test I did with a Nikon d7000 against the ground glass on flickr. Focus was focal length +10%. https://www.flickr.com/photos/47052585@N06/albums/72157634939838558

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[Ron (Netherlands)]

I got mostly the modern lenses, Canon, Nikon and Pentax, and som Hoya and B+W. My Marumi 333mm was tested by Jim Galli, but the Nikon and Canon have more neutral bokeh. You can see the simple bokeh test I did with a Nikon d7000 against the ground glass on flickr. Focus was focal length +10%. https://www.flickr.com/photos/47052585@N06/albums/72157634939838558

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

Thanks. Not sure whether we can consider a Marumi a - vintage - landscape lens; it seems a slip-on sort of filter which one put in front of an existing digital or 35mm SLR-lens like a close up filter ? (not sure whether I fully understand how the pictures were accomplished).

[Jim Noel]

I have three Wollaston single Meniscus lenses which ae excellent,and cheap. Google them and they will pop up.

[Oslolens]

Thanks. Not sure whether we can consider a Marumi a - vintage - landscape lens; it seems a slip-on sort of filter which one put in front of an existing digital or 35mm SLR-lens like a close up filter ? (not sure whether I fully understand how the pictures were accomplished).They were mounted as SF glass like Rodenstock and Kodak 12" portrait, aperture in an Ilex #5 and adapter rings. Front facing the film.

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[Ron (Netherlands)]

They were mounted as SF glass like Rodenstock and Kodak 12" portrait, aperture in an Ilex #5 and adapter rings. Front facing the film.

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

thanks, seems a great way to try out lenses in a quick manner

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I have three Wollaston single Meniscus lenses which ae excellent, and cheap. Google them and they will pop up.

Yes, I had a look at them already and seem very suitable for my purposes. There was once one here in the FS department for about USD 100 together with a set of WHS

something like this (took this one from Photrio):

https://www.photrio.com/forum/attachments/250-f-3-4-jpg.181220/

[peter brooks]

Great idea for a thread.

You probably know this already but the Wollaston 'Re-invented' is made by Reinhold Schable who also posts on this site. I have a 250mm. As mentioned above they are cost-effective and good fun. His website is out there. An added bonus (after hacking about a piece of plastic pipe and some foam) is that I can use his Waterhouse stops with my barrel 300mm Imagon, itself a very simple lens that doesn't have to be used only with the 'sieves'.

Use of simple meniscus and achromats is popular in the search for soft focus, with 'uncorking' (removing iris / stops assembly to give an unfettered aperture) being a common aim. So I've also played around with the Nikon closeup lenses, and unmounted single lenses. The flat adapters sold for large filter units and insulating tape come in useful for mounting anything with a thread. Some cheap filters have removeable inner rings so the glass can be taken out and substituted with single elements.

Anyway, to vintage... Hopefully others will have far more exotic items than these!


Lancaster - quite common in the UK and seem to be popular on the auction site. This is for quarter plate, the camera isn't restored yet so I haven't tried it out. Although the front iris assembly is threaded on to the main body it won't shift.

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E & T Underwood (although I doubt if they made their own lenses and would welcome any further info. The smallest aperture is engraved - unusually - as f44 - would that be a clue?). Focal length is about 9ins (225mm), to give an idea of scale that's a home made Canham board. The front iris assembly screws off and 'uncorked' I calculate it to be about f6. I have high hopes for this little lens but have only used it at close range so far.

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I also have a Taylor Taylor Hobson Rapid View (RV) and a Rapid View Portrait (RVP), both the same very simple design with that beautiful TTH build and finish - there is a long thread on them at https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?94655-Rapid-View-Portrait-(RVP)-Pictorial-lens

[Graham Patterson]

The nearest I have to this is not vintage (though I think the BDB 40.5mm +3 meniscus lens is over 50 years old now!). The +3 is mounted behind a standard Copal #0 shutter, which gives me around a 333mm f16-ish lens. The maximum aperture is limited by the shutter and mounting, though a 40.5mm diameter lens is going to be around f8 at best. It covers 8x10. Small and light, and has full shutter/aperture controls which is nice.

The mounting is an old 135mm Symmar S rear barrel.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Great idea for a thread..........

Thanks Peter for your info, very informative, also great to have that link to the TT&H lenses, didn't know that one....
Guess your E&T Underwood is considered a so-called pill box lens... have read once about them...


The nearest I have to this is not vintage (though I think the BDB 40.5mm +3 meniscus lens is over 50 years old now!). ....

Thanks also Graham, very interesting; any picture of your lens/shutter combo?

[ic-racer]

This is my Anthony lens. It is an Achromat and is very sharp. Although it is the 5x7 version, I use it on 8x10.


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[Ron (Netherlands)]

This is my Anthony lens. It is an Achromat and is very sharp. ...208279


Beautiful lens - nice restoration ...and never seen before. Any idea about when it was made?

<edit> found the year 1887, i.e. a catalogue mentioning it as the 'Single Combination Lens' at the beautiful website of Larry Pierce: http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogimages/anthonycataug1887-26-27-small.jpg

[Ron (Netherlands)]

After receiving a box with camera parts and some lens parts, 'I found' some pieces that exactly fit together. Its a very tiny lens - likely for the 1/4 plate format - and I think it can be considered as a landscape lens looking at its different parts. On several parts there is a little 'U' engraved as can be seen in the 2nd photo.
The lens is not complete since it is missing its pinion with which one should be able to focus the lens. Further it has a tiny slot near its rim at the diaphragm hole, supposedly for little WHS (guess the slot is too small for a wheel stop).

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Landscape%20lens/Lancaster%203.jpg

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Landscape%20lens/Lancaster%201.jpg

Only after cleaning the different parts I found a little makers/dealers shield which reads: J L & S Opticiens B. So I guess this leads to J. Lancaster & Son in Birmingham:

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Landscape%20lens/Lancaster%20shield.jpg

[Graham Patterson]

...
Thanks also Graham, very interesting; any picture of your lens/shutter combo?

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BDB + 3 closeup lens mounted (tape friction fit) with concave side towards the subject and behind the Copal 0 shutter. The mounting is modified from an old 135mm Symmar-S. The old front casing of the 135mm is used as a shutter protector/hood/filter mount.

[Gasperi]

My favorite Wollaston is made from the lens of an old Kodak Brownie No.2-C Model A. It is an achromatic 144mm focal length meniscus. I remounted it to fit on a 4x5 camera normally used for pinhole photography. Some more details about the lens and the Wollaston in general can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/wollaston-landscape-lens/home

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[Ron (Netherlands)]

My favorite Wollaston is made from the lens of an old Kodak Brownie No.2-C Model A. It is an achromatic 144mm focal length meniscus. I remounted it to fit on a 4x5 camera normally used for pinhole photography. Some more details about the lens and the Wollaston in general can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/wollaston-landscape-lens/home

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Very nice, and thanks for the interesting story in the link

[Vaughn]

Here's me figuring out how to make a lensboard my Suter...a Aplanat, I believe...

[Tin Can]

All very interesting and made easy to understand

Excellent diagrams and images really help

I am now going to try my New Wollaston 790 mm (http://re-inventedphotoequip.com/Formats.html) again. I have had it for years. I lost interest when I was soundly thrashed by the maker and others on this forum when I made focus mistakes and posted the images, A crime it seems...

I hope you provide more discussions like this one

Thank you!



My favorite Wollaston is made from the lens of an old Kodak Brownie No.2-C Model A. It is an achromatic 144mm focal length meniscus. I remounted it to fit on a 4x5 camera normally used for pinhole photography. Some more details about the lens and the Wollaston in general can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/wollaston-landscape-lens/home

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[Tin Can]

I will amend my comment about the maker, I think I was his first 790 mm customer

I suppose he was disappointed to see my image

Which may have affected sales...