Couple of old lenses

[Raidahl]

Hi,

Hope you could help me a little bit, firstly I have B&L 16,5cm f3,5 Tessar which has focusing system like this http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v483/cochinco/?action=view&current=2tesar165.jpg
I couldn´t find any information about the lens, age or anything.

Second thing, I bought Voigtländer Euryscop 4, and now I am wondering what would be the focal length of it? It also has one waterhouse stop. What is the aperture value and what it will be wide open ?

Thanks

[cdholden]

Tessars are common. Some are better than others, plus the coated ones are less troublesome with flare. The lens mount you link to, referred to as a "helical focus mount", allows you to change the focus of the lens without great changes in the focusing of the camera. This would be good if you're using larger apertures and changing the selective focus in order to focus on different subjects within the field of view. Shoot and enjoy.

Which Euryscope did you get? If there is a series number on it, it will tell a lot more about the lens. Also, what is the serial number? Dating the lens can tell what designs were offered at the time.

[Louis Pacilla]

Hi Raidal

As CD has pointed out, there are several Series in the Euryscope line. You may want to provide photos of your Eurysope or provide the script on your lens .

Here's a link & a bit of info on Euryscope Series & max f stop.


The official "PORTRAIT" Euryscope's came in two series . Series II f4 & Series III f4.5.

The Rapid is the Series IV which is f6

Medium Rapid is Series VI f7.7.

The wide angle Euryscope Series VII not sure of Max f stop.

The extra Wide angle Euryscope was also made but I'm not sure of Series # or
max f stop


http://books.google.com/books?id=tsJGAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP4&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3RjtNLJ3hYwj_Mx158g4R-3zJ27A&ci=58%2C857%2C893%2C380&edge=0

[Emil Schildt]

speaking of these eyroscop'es..

I have a beautiful one. (Portrait eyroscop)

But there is only one numbering on it: 4

FL approx 10"
F approx (I havn't mesured it precisely) 4.5

serial number 31749 makes it 1887 (?).

what serie?

[goamules]

Another great resource is this 1890 catalog, which lists all of the Euryscops:

http://www.antiquecameras.net/1890lenscatalogue.html (http://www.antiquecameras.net/1890lenscatalogue.html)

[Emil Schildt]

Another great resource is this 1890 catalog, which lists all of the Euryscops:

http://www.antiquecameras.net/1890lenscatalogue.html (http://www.antiquecameras.net/1890lenscatalogue.html)

yes - thanks for this.

I don't know how I missed that....:o

[Steven Tribe]

Emil, it looks like yours is the 4A of series III in the old BF & Co catalogue.
In the corresponding list in the Prochnow book, the additional numbers 1,2,3,4 etc are printed alongside the 1a, 2a etc. in bold.

[Emil Schildt]

Emil, it looks like yours is the 4A of series III in the old BF & Co catalogue.
In the corresponding list in the Prochnow book, the additional numbers 1,2,3,4 etc are printed alongside the 1a, 2a etc. in bold.

hmm - not quite sure I understand.

If it is a 4A, why does it then only have the number 4 on it?

[Steven Tribe]

The technical specification from Voigtlländer IS 4a - but the lens was only engraved with the 4.
We could look at another (more complicated) example - Series V 1:6.
The increasing sizes are 0,00,1,2,3,4 and 5.
However, the engravings on the lenses that correspond to these sizes are 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7!
The engravings on Portrait Euryscope series III become real nightmare. A later production started at engraved no.9 and went up to 17 (66cm!). So that number 13 is about the same as your early production 4.
I think this right but would welcome corrections to my understanding of Euryscope number engravings?

I'll take a couple of bad photos of parts of the page - with respect to recent copyright - tomorrow.

[cdholden]

Steven,
I have one of these also. Mine has the 4a marking, but not the series. I concluded it was Series III from its aperture, f4.5, and that I found no other series that used "a" after a number.
Emil's lens appears to be with rack and pinion where mine is just a solid barrel.

Chris

[Steven Tribe]

cd - That sounds like a very good explanation of the two rows of size number digits.
The Series VI 1:7.7 also has the double columns of size - with a 4a, too!
But here the sets don't match - 4a is the same as the plain size 6!

[Tim Deming]

Hi Steven,

My understanding of the numbering in Prochnow's book is:

first column: his numbering of lenses in a series (assigned arbitrarily, I assume).

Second column: the numbers actually engraved on the lenses.

FWIW, I have portrait euryscopes, all Series III, where some are marked as "#" and others are marked as "#a". I think the "a" designation appeared on more recent lenses. a similar scheme is seen in other Voigtlander lenses (such as petzvals: earliest f3.7: no number; redesigned f3.16: #, then followed by #a).

All my portrait euryscopes are marked "series III", I think the only way to be sure if no series number is marked, is to measure the aperture, as noted above.

I have a few early series IV euryscopes with no series number.

cheers

Tim

[Steven Tribe]

I suppose that must be right, Tim.
But what about 23 - 631 PR3444 - where he starts at /0, followed by /00, then 1 etc - another typo?

[Tim Deming]

I suppose that must be right, Tim.
But what about 23 - 631 PR3444 - where he starts at /0, followed by /00, then 1 etc - another typo?

good point. I dont have the book handy, and am going off of memory, so I may be messing up my columns! When I get home I'll have a look and let you know if I find anything sensical!

cheers

Tim

[Tim Deming]

By the way,

The #0 and #00 are real series numbers for some of the Euryscops. I've seen some Series IV and Series VI with those numbers (the smallest of the series, usually for 4x5 or 5x7 coverage).

Tim

[cdholden]

speaking of these eyroscop'es..

I have a beautiful one. (Portrait eyroscop)

But there is only one numbering on it: 4

FL approx 10"
F approx (I havn't mesured it precisely) 4.5

serial number 31749 makes it 1887 (?).

what serie?

Emil,
For identification purposes, could you measure the aperture? A Series II, No. 4 was a 9.75" focus lens, available in rack and pinion. Series II should have an aperture of f4.

Chris

[Raidahl]

Okay,my bad the other one was not B&L, it was Carl Zeiss Jena tessar 16,5cm 1:3,5

I´ll take the photo and measurements of the Euryscope.
Outfit looks the same as Extra Rapid Euryscope, but engravings looks the same as Rapid Euryscope. Confusing :(

[Steven Tribe]

Gandolfi's no. 4 (approx. 10" F.4.5) may be the no.4 of the series III:

FL is 10 5/16"
Front lens is 2.5"
Coverage listed as for full plate.

So a precise measurement of FL or F will be needed.

[Emil Schildt]

will mesure more precise and get back to you

[Emil Schildt]

Emil,
For identification purposes, could you measure the aperture? A Series II, No. 4 was a 9.75" focus lens, available in rack and pinion. Series II should have an aperture of f4.

Chris

I think you're right.

As far as I can calculate, this is slightly shorter than 10" and the aperture close to 4 (I calculated about 4.2)..

Rack and pinion (though missing).

[Raidahl]

Okay, lens is about 12cm/4.72in high and lens diameter is about 7cm/2.75in
And couple of photos of the lens also

http://www.bwportfolio.com/Voigt/IMG_0510.JPG
http://www.bwportfolio.com/Voigt/IMG_0511.JPG

Hope this information helps to identify

[Steven Tribe]

The style looks like the series III apearance (second run) - but, unfortunately, lens dimensions of many size 4's are 2.50" !

[Tim Deming]

I'd guess it's a Series IV, f6 (this is the most common Euryscop). The lack of "portrait" in the engraving makes me doubt it is a series III.

Check the focal length to be sure

Tim

[Adamphotoman]

How do you find the $value of these lenses?
I have an Extra Rapid Euryscope Series IV#7
I want to offer it up for sale