Mystery Lens ???????

[SpeedGraphicMan]

Can anyone identify this lens? It is a 5in F4.

I bought it for $1 US. It is scratch free.

I think it might be a convertable?

Anyone know what camera it fit originally?

[Tracy Storer]

Looks like a Ross, someone more familiar than I will chime in soon, I'm sure.

[Steven Tribe]

Yes, it fitted on an aeroplane (camera)!
Air Ministry stock code number (14A/ etc.). 1101 is a wide angle Ross xpres.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

Yes, it fitted on an aeroplane (camera)!
Air Ministry stock code number (14A/ etc.). 1101 is a wide angle Ross xpres.

Interesting!

Any idea what format it covers?

Any more information would be helpful.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Ross 5" WA Xpres. As I recall it is a plasmat design, and will cover 4x5. The sample I had was a reasonably sharp lens, although others report less than stellar performance.

[E. von Hoegh]

A(crown)M is Air Ministry, British. There might be a broadarrow mark somewhere. It isn't convertible, as it was almost certainly used on an aerial camera. More I do not know. Hey, for a buck?? :) Throw that on something with a focal plane shutter and see what it does!

[Dan Fromm]

For $1, how can you go wrong?

As has been stated already, a plasmat type W/A Xpres from Ross, covers at most 80 degrees. Mine was much less than stellar, flary and not very sharp centrally at every aperture from f/4 to f/11. Mine stopped down only to f/11.

These beasties were fitted to devices sold as torpedo cameras. If you look for one from time to time you'll see what the dread torpedo camera looks like. Roll film camera, shot, IIRC, 6x17 (could be mistaken), and the roll holders have been sold for use on other cameras.

[rjmeyer314]

I used to use one of these as a 4x5 format enlarging lens.

[Jim Galli]

Do some close ups / still life wide open with this. Plasmats typically work sharply at f5.6 but Ross got f4 out of theirs and not without some pleasing softness ~ glow.

[DrTang]

yup - pried one of those out of a torpedo camera set I once had



For $1, how can you go wrong?

As has been stated already, a plasmat type W/A Xpres from Ross, covers at most 80 degrees. Mine was much less than stellar, flary and not very sharp centrally at every aperture from f/4 to f/11. Mine stopped down only to f/11.

These beasties were fitted to devices sold as torpedo cameras. If you look for one from time to time you'll see what the dread torpedo camera looks like. Roll film camera, shot, IIRC, 6x17 (could be mistaken), and the roll holders have been sold for use on other cameras.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

I used to use one of these as a 4x5 format enlarging lens.

When I first bought it I thought thats what it was :o

[Dan Fromm]

When I first bought it I thought thats what it was :o
Funny, when I bought mine from Surplus Shed Fred told me it was an enlarging lens. He swore it had come off an enlarger that lived at a nearby college.

[Jim Galli]

These actually might be a nice choice wide open on an enlarger. Never thought of that. I've got 2 of the little buggers sitting around.