Dallmeyer 8D Portrait Lens

[embree photo]

My father (Glenn Embree) was a commercial photographer in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. I have been going through his photo equipment and found several items of interest including a Dallmeyer 8D portrait lens (Number 30519) and shutter box. Is the number a serial number, patent number, model number or what? The lens is 6.5" in diameter and ~12" long with an additional 3" long/8" diameter hood. From my on line research it should be an f6. It has a slit apparently used for Waterhouse stops, as it has no markings for an iris. Therefore I am guessing that it probably dates back to the 1850-1870 period. Is that a reasonable conclusion?

The shutter box is 12" x 12" and 10" deep. It contains a three blade shutter (Packard?) and has a 7.5" square lens board with 6" opening. I have attached photos of the lens and shutter. For reference, I have also attached a photo of the camera the lens was attached to in the late 1940s - early 1950s when my father used it.

I am interested in anything you can tell me about this lens and shutter and any corrections to the information above

Thanks.

[pierre506]

Treasure & expensive finding ~

[jodyake]

thats a very rare and awesome lens. if you give the serial number we can find the production date.

[Steven Tribe]

This the largest D lens available for general sale. Focal length is 30". Dallmeyer describe it as being for portraits up to 22x20" or for views up to 25x21".
It was made after the period you suggest - I don't have the Dallmeyer serial numbers in front of me.
It is not a common lens for Studio use as the A and B series are a lot faster and will manage the more usual formats (up to 8x10") . He must have specialized in very large negatives!
Anything with a diameter of 6" or more must be considered a "trophy" lens with implicit value! It is a bit hard to imagine who will be able to use it? It will require a large studio, plenty of lighting (see your photo!) and solid camera/stand set. Your studio set appears to show a bipost stand which is over 3 meters tall!
It is from 1880.

[anachromatic]

If 30519 is the serial number, your lens was sold in November 1882.

[brandon13]

there are few people out there who are making 16x20 and larger wet plates. They would probably love to shoot this lens. Not me personally. Although I am on a quest for the smaller 6d or 5d for 11x14 inch plates.

http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenses.html

[brandon13]

Ballpark only. One 8d in the last couple years.

http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenssales.html

[Monty McCutchen]

I shoot a Dallmeyer 8D for my 20 x 24 Wetplate work. I use it mainly for Still Life and Portrait work (full body, 3/4 and the occasional head and shoulders). I have also used it for some landscape work, but less so. Due to bellows extension I do not use it for one to one portrait work. I use smaller focal length lenses for those. It is an incredible lens and I waited many years to find one. Yours is a very nice one indeed. I know Alex had been looking for one and quite frankly I hope he finds one as I believe him to be arguably the finest modern practitioner of wet plate in the world today, and I would love to see his work with such a wonderful lens. He is consistently producing enviable work. I still believe his portrait of Redmond O'Hanlon is a work of genius.

I have digitized very few of my large plates due to the cost it takes to have someone competent (you can read into that that I am not competent at digital reproductions) shoot them digitally so I will apologize for reposting images I have posted before but I like putting examples of work into threads that apply for search purposes. I hope I don't offend by doing so.

All 20 x 24 wetplate, done with the Dallmeyer 8D.

[brandon13]

Monty. It looks like you found a really nice lens for 20x24

[Taija71A]

This the largest D lens available for general sale. Focal length is 30"...

Question/Clarification:

Is this Lens (Dallmeyer 8D)... 30" in F.L. or perhaps even longer (37" in F.L. ... With a 'back focus' of 30")?


http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenses.html
http://www.cwreenactors.com/phorum/read.php?1,6937
http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_L88.html

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... I know Alex had been looking for one and quite frankly I hope he finds one as I believe him to be arguably the finest modern practitioner of wet plate in the world today, and I would love to see his work with such a wonderful lens. He is consistently producing enviable work. I still believe his portrait of Redmond O'Hanlon is a work of genius...

http://collodion-art.blogspot.ca/201...d-ohanlon.html

+1

Thank-you,

-Tim.
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