Beck Biplanat Series II No 8, 17" f/6

[erian]

Does anybody have close encounters with this species?

http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_L54.html says that it was a soft focus lens.

[Steven Tribe]

No, but Beck is suspected as having had a relationship with perhaps Steinheil or/and Busch so this is probably one of the many “planat” series aus Deutschland! Beck was really a microscope company who bought in photographic items.
The information is likely reliable as he appears to have access to the contemporary UK journals.

The UK Sinclair Port-Land included on the same page in early photography is much more common in the UK than the original USA version. The black lacquer over aluminum is just as prone to “Schneideritis” as the original - so the example shown is atypical!

[peter brooks]

I have a smaller size Series II Biplanat - a No. 5, 9 1/4", f6.

Unfortunately I haven't used it, so I can't comment on the softness. From the description on earlyphotography as a 'modified petzval' I had assumed that it wasn't designed primarily as a soft focus lens per se but was just soft wide open.

In case it helps, reflections are:

Front group: Large, medium (both bright) and small (feint)

Rear group: Large, medium and small (all bright)

The groups are interchangeable - the threads are the same. Someone has wrapped masking tape around the aluminium front of mine (presumably to tighten the fit of a cap).

I'd be interested to see an original advertisement if anyone comes across one (I have seen one for the Series I).

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[erian]

I got Beck, Photographic Lenses A Simple Treatise, both 6th and 7th editions.

Page 278-279 are advertisements of Beck lenses on 6th edition.

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Based on this I tend to believe that it is a normal faster Aplanat and not a soft focus lens.

I also got the 17" version, so hopefully I will have time to verify this.

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