A rapid lens

[swmcl]

Hi,

Does anyone know what these are and what one could expect from them?

Is the focal length really over 31 inches ?? Are they really f4 ?? What should one pay ??

The Bay item # 150460077013

Rgds,

Steve

[Dan Fromm]

Visit http://www.cameraeccentric.com/, click on Information, and hope that there's a Wolly catalog that explains it.

The focal lengths given are for the single cells, not for the lens as a unit.

Not f/4, probably U.S. 4 = f/8

Damfino. I wouldn't give a penny for it.

[Steven Tribe]

In their very early years, Wollensak was a specialist in shutters rather than own designed objectives. Note that there appear to be no Wollensak identification on the two lens cells. The fact that the cells can be used separately suggests 3 glass cells. Something like the Gundlach Rapid rectigraph. I can't find this combination of focal lengths though.

[swmcl]

Many thanks Dan,

The website doesn't come up in Google searches very well. It is a very great resource on the matter though. I have spent some time reading the catalogues of 1903 through to 1922 or so and it does seem that Wollensak was more into shutters as Steven has said.

I have asked about the diameter of the barrel and was told around 55mm which is 2.25 inch. One of the catalogues reckons a focal length of some 18" !

So this is way too much for my setup.

Thanks for you efforts both.

[W K Longcor]

It is a triple convertible -- the front cell alone is 31" focal length. I don't see any mention of f/4 ??? The photo shows the scale on the shutter as having max. f/stops of 11 - 16 -- and 22 .