Wollensak 114mm f/4.5 - anyone use one?

[Keytarjunkie]

In a stroke of luck, I found a 114mm lens for my Polaroid pack film camera (the standard lens for these cameras has a 114mm focal length, which you don't come across every day, and it's best for the rangefinder if you use the same focal length, otherwise you need a differently shaped cam). I bought it to mount to the front of my Polaroid so I could have a manual-exposure lens with a large aperture to be able to shoot in dimmer light.

It's a Wollensak 4 1/2" f/4.5 W Raptar lens, in a "Heavy Duty Alphax Sychromatic" shutter, marked Wollensak Rochester, USA. The shutter is automatic! It has settings for T, B, 100, 50, and 25 (in that order) and that's it, no cocking lever.

I put it on my 4x5 and it appears to cover the entire image circle. Pack film is significantly smaller than 4x5, but still, maybe I should try it out on 4x5 first.

Has anyone ever heard of these, or used one? I'm kind of curious to hear/see how it performs, I am building my pack film camera out of some wood parts and it won't be ready for a few months.

[Lynn Jones]

Hi K

Wollensak Raptars were 4 element tessar type, usually quite good. I've never seen a 4 1/2" before, however. The alphax shutters were as you say, self cocking, but that is also the weakness. The Rapax set and release shutters from Wollensak will last several times longer than the Alphax, while the alphax can be used repetively by mechanical devices they will tear themselves apart eventually. One of my "antique" cameras, a Bolsey B2, has already crashed, but when I was a B&J VP and head of the "Lens Bank", I bought several WWII lenses and shutters for it so that when the shutter wears out I can replace it (I'm on the second replacement now).

Lynn

[J. Fada]

While the focal length of the pack film cameras is 114mm it doesn't matter because you won't be able to mount the lens at the proper depth. I built one with a 100mm Schneider Componon in a Synchro Compur by removing the front plate of a 250 and that reached infinity perfectly. Most people just put a 127mm on the front of the standard which is about where it needs to be and tweak the rangefinder a little. It is easy to do. The lens you have is going to fall somewhere in between and will be difficult to mount.

[TheDeardorffGuy]

Raptar is a trade name not a design.

[Keytarjunkie]

Thanks guys! Lots of good info. I will be careful not to overuse it, it seems to be working perfectly at the moment.


While the focal length of the pack film cameras is 114mm it doesn't matter because you won't be able to mount the lens at the proper depth. I built one with a 100mm Schneider Componon in a Synchro Compur by removing the front plate of a 250 and that reached infinity perfectly. Most people just put a 127mm on the front of the standard which is about where it needs to be and tweak the rangefinder a little. It is easy to do. The lens you have is going to fall somewhere in between and will be difficult to mount.

I'm actually rebuilding the front standard (and the cheap plasticy parts of the camera) out of wood, so....:)

Also I have it on my 4x5 and it appears to not only cover 4x5, but have quite a bit of room for movements! Wow! I wonder if it would be worth putting the cells into a better shutter? Maybe I'll look into that after the Alphax dies.

[Dan Fromm]

Also I have it on my 4x5 and it appears to not only cover 4x5, but have quite a bit of room for movements! Wow! I wonder if it would be worth putting the cells into a better shutter? Maybe I'll look into that after the Alphax dies.

Not possible. The lens is an f/4.5 tessar type, its circle of good definition is no more than 115% of its focal length. You're confusing the circle of good definition with the circle illuminated


I wonder if it would be worth putting the cells into a better shutter? Maybe I'll look into that after the Alphax dies

Not possible. Alphaxes aren't compatible with other shutters. See http://www.suaudeau.eu/memo/pratique/Les_obturateurs_centraux.html

[Keytarjunkie]

Oh. Sorry. I forgot to mention that I'm very new with this stuff and don't know what I'm doing. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

So once the shutter's toast, there's nothing I can do with the cells?

[Jim Noel]

Don't get too concerned that the Alphax will fail. I have at least three lenses of various lengths mounted in these shutters,and have no problem with them. My 15" lens has been in my possession for more than 25 years and I bought it used.

[Dan Fromm]

You can always look for another Alphax or for another 4 1/2 incher from a Polaroid ...

And Jim's right, shutters can often be resurrected.

[Carsten Wolff]

You can always look for another Alphax or for another 4 1/2 incher from a Polaroid ...

And Jim's right, shutters can often be resurrected.

Old thread, sorry; Just adding that Alphax (newer, "Synchromatic" versions support flash) and Betax (older, never synched AFAIK) shutters are largely interchangeable; they're also fairly simple and sturdy (there seem to be various versions (e.g. Heavy Duty, Synchromatic, 3M brand, Pi-Alpha, etc. (I own e.g. a #4 synchro, with modern speeds (!)). I use many lenses in Alphax shutters and find them to be excellent. Carol at Flutots groans when I send her one for service, but she does a good job on the very rare occasion one needs servicing.

Re: 114mm f/4.5: A small, lovely lens that I had for a short while; I think I sold it on because whereas it was nice and bright on the ground glass, its image circle was a bit limiting, even on 4x5. Could have been good for macro perhaps though. I still regularly use a 104mm W.A. Raptar, - a completely different animal of course -; it even handles 5x7" without issues.