Wide-Angle Rectilinears

[Neil Purling]

That is wide angle of view. The only manufacturers promotional data I have suggests a 3" WAR would cover 4x5. I don't have such a focal length, who has?
There was no such thing as truth in advertising in those days of course.
The 3" lens may make an image into the corners of the 4x5 neg but is it going to be very sharp? If anyone has got a 3" WAR maybe you can tell me if it covers 4x5 well?
I have several examples of the sub-species: 100, 130 and 150mm, or 4,5 & 6 inches.
Only the 6" is branded (Wray) & that has not been mounted and thus used. My no-name 100mm is a jewel, a pity nobody claimed responsibility for it. If it were marked by a good maker, then I probably couldn't have afforded it.
The jury is still out in the case of the 5" lens. So far I haven't had very good results from it. It deserves further investigation
The curious thing about the 5" lens is that the mounting flange incorporates the rear optical cell. The only marks are "IXL, Extreme Wide Angle & 6 1/2 x 8 1/2". I assumed a 5" focal length from the Beck data I have.

[Ole Tjugen]

I have a 3 1/4" WAR. From what I can see (on film), the WAR is far from as sharp as a Weitwinkel-Aplanat - while I don't have both in the same focal length, a 150mm WA on 24x30cm looks far sharper in the corners than a 3 1/4" WAR on 4x5" despite the larger image angle.

WAR shot, with Speed Graphic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71733804@N00/1396906969/ - slightly cropped.

[Neil Purling]

I might have seen this image before. What FL is the lens? Was it used wide-open?
It appears as if the upper edge is going off somewhat, can't tell for sure about the bottom. Is the lens used with some rise?
Do WAR's usually follow the same way as a normal rectilinear of a extremely sharp centre and soft edges (by comparison with the centre)?
I don't know what the expected working aperture for best definition would be for a rectilinear or the wide-angle variant. The usual is around 3 stops down from widest aperture.

[Ole Tjugen]

That was shot at f:32, if I remember correctly. I used quite a bit of drop, since the stairs are really steep. Since I used an Anniversary Speed Graphic, I used all the shift it had and then balanced on its side on a wall. Focal length is, AKAIK, 3 1/4".

I haven't looked very closely at the centre of this one, but I am certain that it's significantly sharper than the egdes. :)

All lens design is a compromise, and a WAR will not be as bitingly sharp in the center as a "normal" RR or Aplanat. IMO they are about as sharp in the center as a decent Anastigmat - including the very latest greatest Super-Something-Fancies. Really good Aplanats are significantly sharper in the center...

[Mark Sawyer]

I have a 5" Neuhring WAR that covers 8x10 with almost nothing left for movements. It's quite sharp everywhere, including the corners, at least in contact prints, (which are admittedly not too demanding). Don't know if this adds much to the discussion or not...

There was a nice article devoted to old brass WAR's in View Camera Magazine prehaps a year ago...

[Neil Purling]

Mark (or anyone else) if you tell me which issue of VCM that article on the brass WAR's was in I would be very interested to read what they have to say.

[venchka]

Mark (or anyone else) if you tell me which issue of VCM that article on the brass WAR's was in I would be very interested to read what they have to say.

July-August 2007, page 60.

[Chauncey Walden]

I'm not certain of its construction, but I have a 75mm Berthiot Perigraphe with wheel stops that certainly covers 4x5 sharply corner to corner.

[Neil Purling]

I 'Googled' "75mm Perigraphe" and saw a shot of a desert taken with the Perigraphe contributed by Mr Walden. If you are refering to the lens stamped with typeface letters on the front bezel infilled with white paint, maybe that one is a Protar type.
It is still a damn fine lens, whether it is a WAR or not.
I would love to try a 3" WAR, but I cannot really justify acquiring a lens with a rather limited use. When has such a sensible reason ever stopped any of us buying another peice of brass ware?

[Chauncey Walden]

Neil, I had forgotten all about that thread. Reading it again reminded me that I have that 135mm Dallmeyer WAR which I will try on a 5x7 and see how it does in the corners - it is all over sharp on 4x5. I also have a whole plate one (New York Scientific Lens Co?) somewhere that I did try on whole plate. I'll dig up the dirt on that one, too.

[Neil Purling]

I would like a really wide WAR. Their beauty is their compactness. For that you have to accept the loss of speed.