Voigtlander lens identification.

[Jim Galli]

Sounds like an ordinary early - ish Serie IV #7. Why so stingy with the pictures? Voigtlander had patent concerns from other makers and left engravings off the early ones.

[anton orlov]

Well - Steven and Tim were right - I finished the lens board and tried putting the lens on a camera while stupidly using the Crown #4 tripod... let's just say that I'm on the way to Home Depot right now for some wood glue and clamps. Thankfully the lens seems to have survived the meeting with Mr. Pavement.

[CCHarrison]

Benster shutter

Dan

[goamules]

Well - Steven and Tim were right - I finished the lens board and tried putting the lens on a camera while stupidly using the Crown #4 tripod... let's just say that I'm on the way to Home Depot right now for some wood glue and clamps. Thankfully the lens seems to have survived the meeting with Mr. Pavement.

That would have been a shame if it had smashed the front glass, after surviving 4-5 generations of owners for 120 years. You have to be careful, and not try fitting a studio lens on a field camera. It's too risky, and this size Euryscops are valuable.

[Tim Deming]

That would have been a shame if it had smashed the front glass, after surviving 4-5 generations of owners for 120 years.

Too true. I was fortunate to buy a Voigtlander orthoscop lens a few years ago, in a lot of different lenses. The seller shipped it across the Atlantic, with all the lenses thrown together in a box, no padding. The rear element on the orthoscop was smashed by flying against other stuff in the box. These lenses are very hard to find, and this one lasted 150+ years until someone didnt bother to think and was very careless. I wasnt too happy either, even after getting my refund.

Fyi, I used my euryscop on a 9"x9" board on an Anthony studio camera. No problems.

Tim

[anton orlov]

That would have been a shame if it had smashed the front glass, after surviving 4-5 generations of owners for 120 years. You have to be careful, and not try fitting a studio lens on a field camera. It's too risky, and this size Euryscops are valuable.

Yep... I am so thankful that the lens is OK... I have a high degree of reverence for vintage equipment and this was the first bad move I've made in over a dozen years of being a serious photographer. I think it can still work on that camera, but I'm going to have to hunt down a Majestic tripod (or something similar) before I attempt to use it again and will indeed back it up with a second tripod as now I did find that second place for it.
Well - I guess I'm stuck with a Goerz for now as my portrait lens, which is not at all the worst lens to be stuck with

[Steven Tribe]

Tim's experience is something I have thought about a lot - especialy when buying a "lot" of lenses. Years ago, I received cars parts for a vintage car (Singer) where a heavy loose item had hurtled around inside the package and destroyed brake lining sets. I had a near miss a few weeks ago with a 3B where the front achromat was loose in the burnished mount and could have fallen out inside the lens during transport!

My personal thought about the Voigtländer and 2D is that you have had a "wake-up" call. This situation will arise again - even though you buy a more substantial tripod or supporting tripod. These long heavy lenses can only be secured safely on Studio cameras or very heavy duty Tailboard cameras. I have a number of similar lenses that I would to try out in the field ( Graf variable, large Petzvals etc.) but make do with the miniature versions which just cover the format. The only long lenses I dare use are things like large landscape meniscii (PortLand, Plasticca).

Unless you have a leaning towards Portrait or Still life and have room for a Studio Camera set-up, then I would repeat what I said earlier about using this as a Trading article for an equally exciting brassy which will give you safer and more convenient photographic experiences. Of course, I am not so logical about my own purchases/collection!

[Jac@stafford.net]

I sometimes use an exceptionally heavy lens on 4x5, but this would work for any view camera: I have a long, stout rail that supports the camera and up front it has a vertically adjustable 'V' shaped rest for the lens. It was made just for this purpose. The pictures of it are in one of my archives. If you like, I will look for it and post a link.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Here is the platform I use for managing large lenses on a view camera. The lens shown is not the largest I've used, but it is as heavy as the whole camera, and tended to pull the lensboard off.

Attachment 91998

[anton orlov]

Thanks for the ideas folks, I'll work on making a better support for this lens before I attempt to use it again.

Here are a couple of pictures of the beast.