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View Full Version : Wollensak Raptar Tele 15" Lens



neil poulsen
14-Jun-2007, 21:52
Is anyone familiar with the image circle and image quality of this lens? Is it sharp at infinity? It's a large lens, to be sure.

Robert A. Zeichner
15-Jun-2007, 05:09
I got one with my Graflex RB Super D and have made some transparencies with it. It seems very sharp, but I'm told there are a couple of versions of this lens and that I had the better type (I don't know exactly how to tell the difference, but mine is all black and does say "Made by Wollensak for Graflex Corp" or something along those lines). As far as image circle, I haven't really tested it because the RB has no movements and I know it covers 4x5. If you would like, I could perhaps hold mine up in front of my 8x10 this weekend and measure the image circle?

Mark Sampson
15-Jun-2007, 06:23
We've had one on the shelf at work since long before my time- perhaps since it was new. The few times we've needed to use it, it's done the job. But from that limited experience, I think it's prone to flare. When we need it again, I'll make another home-made lenshood for it. Just a big tube of flat-black paper, taped to the barrel.

Bill_1856
15-Jun-2007, 08:46
It easily covers 5x7, is quite sharp (Better than my Schneider 360 Tele-Xenar), but on my Super D Graflex it only focuses to about 20 feet.

jnantz
15-Jun-2007, 08:51
the one i have is very sharp as well.
it is in a barrel (black), and the person who sold it to me
used to use it on his graflex d.
i have never checked image circle ...
in the 16x20 you can read room numbers ...

Lightbender
15-Jun-2007, 10:52
Neil, it is a large lens keep that in mind.
What camera did you want to use it on?

I have one mounted on my graflex rb, and is a great match to that camera. Allthough I may try to make an extention lensboard so i can focus closer.. the way its mounted now i can only focus close to about 10 feet.

Kevin Crisp
15-Jun-2007, 13:10
Neil: I had a Wolcoat version and used it often. It is as sharp as anything out there and it covered 5X7 with some room for movement. I had no problems with flare and didn't use a lens shade. It is big and heavy but does the job, with less bellows extended than non-telephotos this length.

JOSEPH ANDERSON
15-Jun-2007, 13:23
Neil, I have 2 of these lenses. they just say wollensak telephoto ser# and a yellow dot.
they are 15" f5.6. So perhaps you do have the newer and better one.
you won't get much movement on 4X5 though,butfor portraits their fine.

Joe A

JOSEPH ANDERSON
15-Jun-2007, 14:11
Neil, Let me clearify. (I don't get much moevment with my older lenses) You may get
much more movement with your newer model. Sorry for what may be a misleading
statement.

Joe A

neil poulsen
15-Jun-2007, 14:11
This one says Wollensak Raptar Telephoto. Don't remember the remaining details. I know it's coated. While it's mounted in a shutter, it has a chrome barrel.

al olson
15-Jun-2007, 16:57
I have one for my 8x10 Orbit (only lens) It is mounted in a very large Alphax shutter with a speed range limited to 1/2 to 1/50 plus T and B. The serial is 777xxx and it has a "W" embeded in a "C" which I believe means that it has been coated. I have not encountered a serious flare problem, although I do not have a lens hood that fits it. I use my had to shade it.

Sharpness appears to be excellent, but Lightbender is right about the focusing distance. With the Orbit bellows draw, 10 feet would be optimistic. Not meant for macro photography!

To answer your question about movements: while it covers 8x10, any time I have tried movements they have resulted in vignetting. It is possible that stopping down to f/32 or f/45 may free up a little room, but not enough. It is a weighty chunk of glass, for sure.

John Kasaian
15-Jun-2007, 16:59
I have one that came with my Keystone 5x7 F8 aerial camera. Its plenty sharp and contrasty and will certainly cover 5x7.

FWIW, the thought of using a true telephoto lens with the movements of a view camera would drive me up a wall!

neil poulsen
15-Jun-2007, 21:52
I have one for my 8x10 Orbit (only lens) It is mounted in a very large Alphax shutter with a speed range limited to 1/2 to 1/50 plus T and B. The serial is 777xxx and it has a "W" embeded in a "C" which I believe means that it has been coated. I have not encountered a serious flare problem, although I do not have a lens hood that fits it. I use my had to shade it.

Sharpness appears to be excellent, but Lightbender is right about the focusing distance. With the Orbit bellows draw, 10 feet would be optimistic. Not meant for macro photography!

To answer your question about movements: while it covers 8x10, any time I have tried movements they have resulted in vignetting. It is possible that stopping down to f/32 or f/45 may free up a little room, but not enough. It is a weighty chunk of glass, for sure.

I appreciate everyone's responses.

I believe this might be the one. I took another look. Writing surrounding the front element: Wollensak 15" f5.6 Raptar Telephoto Ser E23361. It's like you describe in all respects, except that this one has an earlier serial number.

Looking through the lens from a guestimate distance, the one I looked at could possibly have 8x10 coverage. Looking through the back of the lens with one eye, I had to move the lens off axis quite a bit, before I could detect the edge of the front element of the lens. I didn't see, but didn't look for the W embedded C. It's definitely coated, though.

Do you use color with this lens? If so, is it good color, or does it have that older 50's look?

My thought is to use it more for 4x5 than 8x10.

al olson
16-Jun-2007, 06:35
It appears that my reply has become lost in the ether so I will try to repeat it again. My apologies for the duplication if it suddenly reappears.

Neil, my experience with using out-of-date transparency film, mainly for low light and night photography, is that the color is acceptable by today's standards. Close inspection of the transparency does not reveal any obvious chromatic aberation.

As an interesting sidelight, when the lens is focused at infinity, the distance from the film plane to the approximate position of the aperture is nine inches, which is very convenient for bellows draw. Thus, the ratio of the physical distance to the focal length is 60%. Kingslake in his book published back in the early 50s stated that the limit for a telephoto is 80%. I presume that improvements in telephoto design occurred some time thereafter.

Regarding the lens itself, the housing (polished stainless steel, I believe) of the exterior elements is 3.25" in diameter and extends 3.2" from the lensboard. The Alphax shutter is 3.75" in diameter.

While the rear elements will fit inside the bellows of my 4x5 Linhof, this would be a hefty chunk of weight to put on the front standard of any 4x5. My 8x10 Orbit has a 6x6 inch lensboard of heavy cast metal and the Orbit is built like a tank, only heavier, and can support this weight. Maybe someone on this forum has this lens mounted on their 4x5 and could advise you.

Paul Fitzgerald
16-Jun-2007, 07:23
Neil,

"Writing surrounding the front element: Wollensak 15" f5.6 Raptar Telephoto Ser E23361. It's like you describe in all respects, except that this one has an earlier serial number."

The 'E' serial # would make it the latest production, the newest Wollensak serial#, so you have the latest and greatest. It was made for a SpeedGraphic 4x5 so it should fit onto any 4x5 or larger camera. It will focus closer than 5ft on an Agfa/Ansco 5x7 studio portrait camera, closer than 3ft on an Agfa/Ansco 5x7 field camera or GraphicView II monrail. An all-around nice tele lens but a bit of a bear to find a lens shade for it.