Beck Symmetrical f8 especially12" query

[Richard Årlin]

Tried in vane to find much information, what's the coverage of this lens ? I would like to have an old normal lens for 8x10.

[Ole Tjugen]

I believe the Beck symmetrical is a Rapid Rectilinear.

That means that the central 30° will be very sharp, with sharpness falling towards the edges. Whether the coverage is sufficient for 8x10" is up to you - it was certainly intended for 8x10", and has been used for 8x10". The corner sharpness is quite a bit lower than many other lenses would give. But for contact prints it should be fine for most photographers.