Hi all,

I just bought an Industar-37 for my DIY 5x7. Mine is brand new, but most that are for sale are seriously worn. I'm a Photojournalist and my gear goes through the ringer but isn't as worn as most of these lenses. Most modern LF gear is almost always in excellent shape so why are these lenses so beat up? What are they actually used for? They all say that they are used for aerial photography. Are these things pulled off of old spy planes or something? Just curious if anyone knows where most these lenses come from. They almost never come with a mounting ring either.

I guess while I'm at it, any other comments (sharpness, built quality etc) or advice about this lens?