NOBA studio camera lens

[rgpracer]

My wife has a NOBA studio camera, large format that she is desperatly seeking a lens for. We think it is a Wollensak lens but am not sure, and info on the web is scarce. Can anyone lend a hand. I am new to the site and think it is going to be of great help to the wife and I. She collects cameras.
thanks in advance for any info at all.
If I could find a picture even it would be of great help.
Ray

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Ray,

I think NOBA cameras were made in Mexico, the size would be a help. It's a studio camera so any lens of choice that fits on the lens board. Wollensak made quite a few studio portrait lenses over the years, they each have a different personality.

Have fun with the hunt.

[Gene McCluney]

The cool thing about view cameras is that you can put whatever lens you want on them, and the selection is almost unlimited, if you consider vintage lenses. The only criteria is to select lenses that will cover the film format the camera is made for.

[Nick_3536]

She collects cameras.



I'm thinking you're asking more about something that "belongs" on the camera more then something that will work to take photos?

If you want something that works almost any modern and many older ones will work.

[Jim Galli]

I think it's safe to say that studio cameras and their lenses were almost never sold together on the same day. Professional photographers would buy the camera and then decide which lens to mount on the camera. Usually you would have several with different styles or personalities. And they could range in age from 100 years older than the camera to made yesterday. That's why the lens panels come off so easily, another with a different lens can go right back on. Also, studio cameras were almost always used with a pneumatic shutter inside so that different portrait lenses in barrels were swapped out but the shutter stays inside the camera. IF that's the case with yours I have a lovely 12" focal length Bausch & Lomb tessar you might be interested in. If nothing else it would look very proper on the front of that camera.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/10-19-2007/12BLTessar_1.jpg

Showing it's worse side. Glass is very nice and it is quite usable on any old studio camera up to 8X10". This lens only has an aperture, no shutter. Send a PM if you are interested.

[Wayne R. Scott]

rgpracer,

I have a NOBA 1/4 plate camera that came with a Wollensak 9 1/2" (241mm) f4.5 Raptar that is coated. A Packard shutter is installed in the camera.

I don't know if this helps you.

Wayne