Search:

Type: Posts; User: Whir-Click; Keyword(s):

Page 1 of 13 1 2 3 4

Search: Search took 0.01 seconds; generated 57 minute(s) ago.

  1. Replies
    5
    Views
    413

    Re: barrel and other lenses and thead size

    Thank you for the illustrative photo: that is definitely an adapter going from the shutter’s original 2.422" threads to ~57mm. Another way to confirm is by measuring the shutter’s overall thickness....
  2. Replies
    5
    Views
    413

    Re: barrel and other lenses and thead size

    Perhaps your Betax has adapters threaded in. A photo would help to know for sure. Without thread adapters it looks like this:

    244687244688
  3. Re: Late Wollensak Process Lenses: Designs and Specifications

    Mark, I enjoyed that anecdote, thank you for relating it! I’m a Wollensak enthusiast, but I can readily understand why comparing a razor sharp EL-Nikkor to a mid-century Raptar enlarging lens would...
  4. Re: Late Wollensak Process Lenses: Designs and Specifications

    A belated confirmation that the 299mm f/6.8 Wide Field Graphic Raptar is also a Dagor-type design. It looks like it was added to the series in late 1963, after the aforementioned Wollensak brochure...
  5. Re: Recommended lens for Chamonix 8x10 for portrait/landscape

    The Fujinon L 420 ticks a lot of boxes: single coated Tessar design, agreeable 8x10 focal length, modern shutter, reasonable weight burden on a Chamonix.
  6. Thread: Betax no.4

    by Whir-Click
    Replies
    6
    Views
    591

    Re: Betax no.4

    Flash sync wasn’t a factory option on Betax shutters, so it’s hard to say with certainty what you’re dealing with as a later alteration.

    A photo would help, but I’d guess there’s a 90% chance...
  7. Re: New Resource for Wollensak Lenses and Shutters

    Depends on the era. You are right that pre-coating Tasopes were Rapid Rectilinear designs, essentially identical to Wollensak’s Voltas f/8 lenses. After the advent of coating the Tasope switched to a...
  8. Replies
    10
    Views
    927

    Re: 11.5" Verito in a different shutter?

    The Studio shutter has no timed speeds, it operates solely in Bulb mode. The speed will be however fast you can open and release the blades; probably around 1/5th of a second on a well-working Studio...
  9. Replies
    10
    Views
    927

    Re: 11.5" Verito in a different shutter?

    Here are the 11.5” Verito’s diaphragm openings at different apertures. 65.7mm is tough. A Compound #5 gets pretty close.

    Regarding Studio shutters, with the significant caveat that no parts are...
  10. Re: Wollensak Velostigmat Series II lens question

    Same lens design with progressively less engraving on the lens itself.

    The original text on the lens read “Wollensak Velostigmat Series II F4.5 No XXXXXX Focus 12 inches”. The word “Focus” was...
  11. Re: Interesting (to me, at least) Kodak portrait lens realization

    I share this view entirely, and I love coming across manifestations of it in products. Even where companies overlapped, there was ample room for specialization, collaboration, and goodwill. They all...
  12. Re: Interesting (to me, at least) Kodak portrait lens realization

    Good point of clarification! The baffled filter holder that screws into the front is Eastman Kodak. The black lens barrel in the rear that holds the optical assembly, as well as the flange, are also...
  13. Replies
    9
    Views
    1,072

    Re: Vintage Prontor Shutter needs service

    This is a great way to move old oil and grease from their proper, predictable locations onto escapements, shutter blades, and iris leaves. When a shutter “serviced” in this fashion eventually arrives...
  14. Interesting (to me, at least) Kodak portrait lens realization

    I’ve been ogling the 16” f/4.5 Eastman Kodak portrait lens for years and I recently broke down and purchased one. Upon receipt, the Wollensak enthusiast in me rejoiced: the 16” Kodak portrait lens...
  15. Re: Bellows replacement for Burke and James 8x10

    I recently had Custom Bellows in the UK replace my 8x10 Rembrandt bellows. Excellent work; cost was 190 GBP and turnaround time was less than two weeks.
  16. Replies
    37
    Views
    4,439

    Re: Re-assessing my (un)sharpest lenses

    This is a fantastic comparison, thank you very much for posting!
  17. Replies
    13
    Views
    14,558

    Re: Introducing Alphax Betax Shutter Services

    I have added a “shop” page to my website, offering a small selection of interesting Wollensak items that I’ve picked up, worked on, and am releasing back into the wild.
    ...
  18. Replies
    17
    Views
    2,091

    Re: Current LF shutter manufacturer

    Copal ceased leaf shutter production in 2016.
  19. Replies
    4,232
    Views
    3,265,689

    Re: Show off your Large Format camera!

    The Eastman All Metal Commercial View was only made from 1938-1942, discontinued due to the war effort’s need for magnesium. The camera certainly resembles a metal version of the 2D, but it was...
  20. Replies
    4,232
    Views
    3,265,689

    Re: Show off your Large Format camera!

    It’s a pleasure to see this excellent camera in excellent condition. I find my own to be a joy to use.
  21. Re: Gundlach Radar 12” anastigmat, a soft focus portrait lens?

    Is there anything you can turn on your Radar that changes the distance of the front crown element relative to the front flint element? If not, if you remove the front crown, do you see a shim or...
  22. Re: Gundlach Radar 12” anastigmat, a soft focus portrait lens?

    Everything I know about Velostigmat designs, specifications, and production dates is captured here: https://alphaxbetax.com/wollensak-lens-and-shutter-compendium/

    The above posts are spot on:...
  23. Replies
    6
    Views
    1,311

    Re: Wollensak Verito 18 weight?

    A Studio shutter can work very well if it’s in good condition, the essential thing is to ensure the blades are not cracked or chipped. You need a cable release with an extremely long throw to fully...
  24. Replies
    6
    Views
    1,311

    Re: Wollensak Verito 18 weight?

    The 18” Verito was in production for 35 years and underwent design changes over time, including a significant variation in the overall length of the barrel which affects weight. Mounting in an iris...
  25. Re: Eastman Ektar 14 inch: serial number and coating

    Thanks to court records from Dean A. Lyon suing Bausch and Lomb, Eastman Kodak, and Wollensak Optical for infringement of his lens coating patent, we have an interesting and fairly detailed account...
  26. Re: F/9.0 lenses, what's your tips/trick for better viewing?

    Fully agree, my Maxwell screen has been among the best money I’ve spent in large format.
  27. Replies
    5
    Views
    646

    Re: Wollensak Process lenses 20" f/10

    Is this an uncoated lens in a black enamel barrel with Art Deco font? I ask because these pre-war Wollensak process lenses are poorly documented, but many are the same double Protar design as...
  28. Re: "When did pre-war Zeiss start applying coatings?" and other questions about Tessa

    Just to elaborate, Wollensak Velostigmat Series II (f/4.5) and Series IV (f/6.3) were Tessar designs.
  29. Replies
    4
    Views
    1,002

    Re: Wollensak Studio Shutter disassembly

    I undertake work on Studio shutters. The limiting factor is replacement parts. But, if a CLA or modest repair is all that’s needed, Studio shutters can be effective and very reliable. I have half a...
  30. Replies
    102
    Views
    18,107

    Re: What equipment is hard for you to find?

    Bellows. Custom Bellows in the UK is superb but I would love to have a closer option of comparable quality.
  31. Replies
    15
    Views
    5,340

    Re: Verito 14.5 inch

    I’d propose 1914 since that was the year Wollensak’s catalog first described the lens barrel as “polished black” as opposed to the earlier “lacquered brass.”

    You can find a reference on the Verito...
  32. Replies
    30
    Views
    7,248

    Re: Harrison vs Wanderer 8x10 Dark Cloth

    Is the Wanderer cloth plain fabric that stays supple in cold weather? I like my Harrison cloth very much, but the treated, silvery surface gets stiff in the cold.
  33. Replies
    9
    Views
    1,457

    Re: Velostigmat for 8x10

    Wollensak changed the 15.5” Series II Velostigmat to 16” in 1922, but I am unaware of a 14.5”, 15”, or 19” version of the lens.
  34. Replies
    9
    Views
    1,457

    Re: Velostigmat for 8x10

    The Series II Velostigmat was made in three sizes for larger than 8x10: 14” (for 10x12), 15.5” and later 16” (for 11x14), and 19.5” (for 14x17).

    Of these, the 15.5/16” lenses are not uncommon...
  35. Re: References on the meanings of colored lens dots

    Found one more: a white dot on the rear of a Wollensak Graphic Raptar f/4.5 indicates that the measured effective focal length is within a tighter specified tolerance than the + or - 2% acceptable...
  36. Re: References on the meanings of colored lens dots

    No expectations, just a place to pool references.
  37. References on the meanings of colored lens dots

    How about a thread for references on the colored lens dots that fuel so much speculation? No claims without citing sources, please.

    A yellow dot indicates the use of synthetic thermosetting...
  38. Replies
    53
    Views
    7,167

    Re: 90mm f8 vs 5.6

    Mine is the Maxwell 4x5 Ultra Brilliant Matte focus screen, and the the source is Bill Maxwell of Maxwell Precision Optics.
  39. Replies
    53
    Views
    7,167

    Re: 90mm f8 vs 5.6

    I use a Maxwell focus screen with the Nikkor SW f/8 and am pleased with the brightness and ease of focusing in low light conditions. It was basically an investment on the rear to save weight on the...
  40. Replies
    3
    Views
    916

    Re: Photex/Verito Mystery Lens

    Are the front and rear cells single elements or cemented doublets? If the latter, then I would posit Wollensak was re-purposing surplus trim ring hardware from the short-lived f/5 Verito, but that...
Results 1 to 40 of 485
Page 1 of 13 1 2 3 4