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View Full Version : Who knows this B&L Shutter?



Steven Tribe
17-Jan-2013, 04:00
This is an odd landscape lens, made by B&L.
Can't find it anywhere.
Standard budget type landscape meniscus lens mounted to 1890 - 1910 folders.
It is unusual (to me anyway) as the whole front cell (no lens, of course!) revolves to adjust the iris.
Metal leaves in the iris, but synthetic shutter blades. Everything works like a dream.
No help in the B&L engraving, as it says "patent applied for".
Front rim says Symplanat (doesn't make sense - symmetrical?) Rapid Achromatic lens.

This will be fun to use as it is very fast, without modification, for a simple achromat.

Help gratefully received.

Google will just return this lens (e**y).

To add even more mystery, apart from the modern F scale - there is faint additional scale underneath which can only be the "new" Zeiss scale.

Steven Tribe
17-Jan-2013, 16:40
I can supplement information a bit, as there is a single reference to the lens on an old Netherland's sales website.
It was on a, not well built, folder with a metal front standard. 1/4 plate/1910?
Ring any bells?
Focal length is just under 4" - F5.6.