What design is a Wolly f/9.5 "yellow dot" 159mm WA?

[John Kasaian]

I've got one---a beautiful lens that serves as the "really really" wide on the 'dorff. I've been told or read that it is a tessar design, though I've also been told or read that it is a dagor design. Kingslake dosen't really get into it in his book(the one I have, anyway) so I was wondering if anyone of you could tell me what kind of lens my Wolly actually is? Thanks!

[Ernest Purdum]

Ir's a rather elaborate design, eight elements in four groups of two elements each. The design intent was not to gain additional coverage over the more common f12.5, just a gain in speed. The added elements would have given the designer opportunity for better corrections also. To what extent this may have been realized, I don't know. The lens was made long before coating, however since it has eight air to glass surfaces, coating was a major improvement.



My source is the "Wollensak Lens and Shutter Guide".

[Donald Brewster]

On the Wisner website, it is indicated that the Wolly extreme wide angles are from the "Gauss" family of lens designs. I think that makes it more Dagor-like than Tessar-like. At any rate, a great light weight 8x10 wide angle.