1864 Voigtlander Lens Catalogue listing

[CCHarrison]

While I located an 1846 Voigtlander lens listing written in German, this listing from 1864 is in English.

See

http://antiquecameras.net/blog.html


Thanks
Dan

[Steven Tribe]

This is quite an important find.
The first series 1- 9 match with the corresponding list in Prochnow for the 1861. The A versions with waterhouse slots has been introduced.
But the slower series (11 - 13), I havn't seen anywhere else. But is logical, consider what Ross and Dallmeyer were offering at the same time.

[Tim Deming]

Good find! This certainly helps sort out the differences between the various Voigtander petzvals that show up with similar glass diameters but different focal lengths and/or overall lens lengths. Interesting that the orthoscops are not present, but most of these seem to have serial # in the 7000-8000 range

cheers

Tim

[cdholden]

As I've said many times in the past, thank you for sharing.
Your website is a great resource for both knowledge and entertainment. My other half questions my sanity at times. If she catches me reading fiction or biographies about historical figures or events, she may ask my thoughts on the book. When she finds me reading tech specs and manuals for work or for cameras and lenses, she looks at me like she's thinking of calling the asylum to take me away. I rationalize reading about old equipment as a connection to the historical people, places and events that I also enjoy reading about.

[Tim Deming]

Having a closer look at the list, some of these lenses are very common (#3 & #6 are the ~3" and 4" dia. lenses with f ~3.4- 3.6), but some, such as #5a: ~3" diameter glass, focal length 2 1/16" (!) are pretty wild. This lens would be f ~ 1 ! Some of these must have been made in very small numbers, if at all. I've never seen one of these in approx. 20 years, has anyone else?

cheers

Tim

[Mark Sawyer]

As I've said many times in the past, thank you for sharing...

My thanks as well. I can't count the number of times I've been to your site, sometimes looking for something specific, sometimes just poking around to see what I run across. And this catalog is another fine addition!

[goamules]

... but some, such as #5a: ~3" diameter glass, focal length 2 1/16" (!) are pretty wild. This lens would be f ~ 1 ! Some of these must have been made in very small numbers, if at all. I've never seen one of these in approx. 20 years, has anyone else?...

To really understand Voigtlanders, we'd need the full set of catalogs. Dan, you better continue your hunt!

For example, I have a Voigtlander Petzval marked 5A, that is 12" and F4, approximately. The closest to your reference above I've seen are the Voigtlander Portrait Quick Worker, at F3.16. But they sure made a lot of Petzval variations.

[Jim Galli]

I believe I have the No. 11 in this catalog. Nice to see a confirmation in print. Thanks!

[drewallen]

This is a great find! How relevant do you suppose this is to Voigtlanders made a few years prior? I have 9595, which I gather is from about 1861. However, the description for the 4a seems to fit my lens to a tee. While it's described as a half-plate lens, I've made images with it at 5x7 and whole plate, using some homemade stops.

[cdholden]

Half plate is only sliightly smaller than 5x7. Besides, people today take a lot more liberty with the use of a petzval design lens than they used to. Way back when, these lenses were used for the sharper center. The swirly bug that has infected so many people in recent years is outside of the lens' original intended use.