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Fred Haeseker
3-Jun-2008, 14:00
I have an Empire State #2 8x10 which I'm restoring. The lens that came with the camera is marked "Wollensak VI noo-Anastigmat 12", f-stops 6.8 to 64, mounted in a Betax air shutter. The lens looks like it's of the same vintage as the camera, which would place it in the first decade or so of the last century. I've looked at the Wollensak catalogues on the Camera Eccentric site, but it doesn't appear anywhere. Does anyone have any info on this lens? I'm not sure about the "noo" before the "Anastigmat," but that's what the characters look like.

Ernest Purdum
3-Jun-2008, 16:20
Since starting to research for an article on Wollensak lenses I've been amazed at what keeps showing up. This is just one more fine (weird) example. I thought the "VI" might indicate Series VI, but that doesn't seem to compute. (The only Series VI I have any record of is probably an MF large aperture lens.) I'm grateful for Seth's cataogs on his site, but they are only a beginning. When you get your camera restored it will be very interesting to hear of, and hopefully see, the resulting images.

Wish I could help.

Toyon
3-Jun-2008, 16:43
I'm guessing that you misread it and it is Wollensak's Vinco anastigmatic. This was an early Wolly foray into making Anastigmatics before they began the long and profitable line of modified tessar lenses (e.g. Velostigmats IV and Raptars). Probably from the 1905-1910 period.

Jim Galli
3-Jun-2008, 17:38
One of those (http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Wollensak-Vinco-Anastitgat-Betax-No-4-Lens_W0QQitemZ350064449790QQihZ022QQcategoryZ4702QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) sold on Ebay earlier today. It's a Vinco Anastigmat. I've not had one before but I'll stick my neck out and say it's probably an inexpensive dialyt type.

cowanw
3-Jun-2008, 17:38
I'm guessing that you misread it and it is Wollensak's Vinco anastigmatic. This was an early Wolly foray into making Anastigmatics before they began the long and profitable line of modified tessar lenses (e.g. Velostigmats IV and Raptars). Probably from the 1905-1910 period.

I suspect Toyon is right. My lens reads
Wollensak Vinco - Anastigmat f.6.8 8X10 no.13632 Focus 12 inches
It is in a betax No 4 shutter. Front and back lenses measure 2 inches and the whole thing is 2 3/4 inches long.
see http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensakcata/velostigmati.html
for the renaming of it to Velostigmat iv
Regards
Bill

Jim Galli
3-Jun-2008, 18:32
I think you guys have got it backwards. The Betax came later not earlier than the shutters available on the cameraeccentric page you linked. This Vinco seems more like a 1940's product. I've not found it in any of the catalogs. Still a mystery.

Toyon
3-Jun-2008, 19:24
I suspect the Betax was added later. I've had some very early Wollensak shutters "Auto" etc.. that fit a later Betax precisely.

cowanw
4-Jun-2008, 05:03
According to the catalogues the Vinco morphed into the Series iv before the 1919 catalogue. The Betax shutters were advertized in the 1922 catalogue.
Does the f stop range 6.8-64 on the shutter suggest the switch in shutters might have been a factory job?
Regards
Bill

Fred Haeseker
4-Jun-2008, 10:07
Thanks everyone. The lens is indeed a Vinco-Anastigmat. From counting reflections it appears to be a triplet rather than a dialyt -- two elements in front of the shutter, one behind. It's going to be interesting to see what kind of vintage look it will produce.

Jim Galli
4-Jun-2008, 11:46
Thanks everyone. The lens is indeed a Vinco-Anastigmat. From counting reflections it appears to be a triplet rather than a dialyt -- two elements in front of the shutter, one behind. It's going to be interesting to see what kind of vintage look it will produce.

Ahh. I had thought of the possibility of a triplet. That explains a lot. Anyone with catalogs or sales media that show this lens, please help out.

cowanw
4-Jun-2008, 13:38
Ahh. I had thought of the possibility of a triplet. That explains a lot. Anyone with catalogs or sales media that show this lens, please help out.

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensakcata/velostigmati.html
Does this not suggest the velo iv is just rebadged from the vinco?
Regards
Bill

Jim Galli
4-Jun-2008, 13:48
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensakcata/velostigmati.html
Does this not suggest the velo iv is just rebadged from the vinco?
Regards
Bill
No. The Velo IV is a dialyt for sure and a different f6.3 instead of 6.8

Darren Kruger
4-Jun-2008, 17:28
I have one of these lenses in a sunken barrel mount with a focal length of around 10" and an aperture of f/6.8 I took the lens apart to count the elements. The front group consists of two air spaced elements. The rear group looks to be a pair of elements cemented together.

If I just have the rear group in the barrel, I can get an image around the same FL of around 10". If I just use the front element in the front group, I can get an image around the FL of 2.5". If I use both pieces of glass in the front group I can't focus an image.

Barrel is marked W.O. Co. Rochester USA. SN is 66089.

-Darren

DanK
4-Feb-2011, 15:46
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensakcata/velostigmati.html
Does this not suggest the velo iv is just rebadged from the vinco?
Regards
Bill


No. The Velo IV is a dialyt for sure and a different f6.3 instead of 6.8

Digging up an old thread - as it was the only thread I saw on the Vinco with the search....

I picked up a little Wollensak Vinco, out of curiosity...

It's a small 5 1/4" f6.3...

Looks to be (| )( |?)

Front element is convex, near flat rear - then biconcave center element, laying directly against the front element....aperture...and appears to be cemented pair in the rear....

With the 6.3 and design, would this be considered a dialyt? Unfamiliar territory...

Thanks,
Dan

cdholden
4-Feb-2011, 16:51
No. The Velo IV is a dialyt for sure and a different f6.3 instead of 6.8

Going from memory, I thought the Series IV was what used to be the Vinco. I can't say for sure of a design change without looking, but I know the 6.3 was newer than the 6.8. I'll check my Conley 12" 6.8 in a day or two to see what I can see. I always thought it was a rebadged Vinco, just from what I read in the docs on Seth's site.

Chris

CCHarrison
5-Feb-2011, 15:30
The Vinco was introduced in 1913 as an f6.8 lens...but by 1915 both the 6.3 and 6.8 were advertised. The 6.3's were for the smaller hand/slr cameras and the 6.8 were for the larger view cameras.

Dont know the optical layout but the Lens Vade Mecum states its a tessar layout but the LVM has also been known to be wrong...

Dan

DanK
5-Feb-2011, 15:55
Thanks Chris and Dan,

Dan's Q15 image is the same layout as this little one I picked up....and reading the ads, it looks like this was a 'top of the line' lens.... :) ...should be interesting to experiment with, at least....

I had a copy of the VM for a few months....then had to re-format hd.... :eek:

(hate to pay for the same thing twice, so it'll be a bit before I download it again....)

Thanks again,
Dan

wboas
8-Apr-2011, 06:46
This thread is somewhat old, but I'm glad to learn something of my Wollensak Vinco.

I've had mine since l976, and can tell you that it just covers 8x10 and is very sharp.
You can't expect too much movement on an 8x10, but with bellows extention for
close up work needing movements it's fine.

One could duplicate any of Edward Weston or Ansel Adams landscapes with it very
nicely in my opinion - (given exposure, development, etc.... ;-)

I posted a photo with details of mine at: www.nyx.net/~wboas/regno.jpg
(I annotated the photo with data and details to make one nice package)