Wollensak 8" f4.7 Raptar Telephoto Coverage

[Scott Teven]

I own a Wollensak 8" f4.7 Raptar Telephoto. I bought it several years ago to use with a Century Graphic. It covers the 6x7 and 6x9 formats of this camera fine.

I recently bought a Cambo 4x5 monorail camera. I did not think it would cover the 4x5 format but I put it on a lensboard and viewed the image on the ground glass and it seems to provide adequate coverage. Does anyone have experience using this lens for 4x5 ?

[Archphoto]

If you have a friend with a 8x10" camera or bigger it would be easy to measure the Image Circle.
8 inch=203mm, a tad short for 5x7"

I would put it onto your Cambo and use shifts to determine how much you have to play with, make a test or two on B&W and see what comes out.

If you have enough coverage it should be a usable lens between the standard 150mm and the 210mm, although more closer to the 210 ofcourse.

Peter

[Dan Fromm]

Scott, are you sure it is a telephoto? I ask because Wolly made an 8"/5.6 tele that was the second-longest standard issue for 2x3 Graphics; it covers 2x3, doesn't cover even 4x5. For all I know it was sold as a 203 mm lens as well as an 8 incher.

If your lens is a tele, it will have a positive front group and a negative rear group. And if it is a tele it will cover considerably less than its focal length.

There are major disagreements about what "circle covered" means. Some think it means "circle illuminated," others that it means "circle with good definition." The second definition is the standard one. Since "good definition" depends on how the negative is to be used -- contact printing demands less than enlargement -- even the standard definition is a bit vague.

[Scott Teven]

Yep, its a telephoto. Says so on the outside barrel of the lens. Also the maximum aperture reads f4.7 but it says 5.6 on the outside barrel of the lens.

Regarding coverage, the lens appears to cover rise and fall but darkens quickly on the left & right sides with shift or swing.

Scott

[Archphoto]

So it is more or less safe to say that it covers 4x5" barely without any movement.

In that way you could use it on 4x5" , but it would not be ideal and changing lens boards is a hassle of sorts, I would keep it for your old 6x9 camera and get a new/used lens for your Cambo.

Peter

[Chauncey Walden]

The Wollensak catalog lists it for 2.25x3.25 and 3.25x4.25. The first one to include 4x5 is the 10 inch.