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Thread: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

  1. #1

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    Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    Hi ALL!

    I'd like to ask if anyone has any info (or knows of a place online where some is tucked away) on Emil Busch lenses. In particular I'm looking for info on larger than average Pezvals, but of course any catalogs are always educational. The only thing I found is the 1904 lens adds on Antique Cameras site - http://antiquecameras.net/petzvallens.html However, largest one I see in Petzval designs there is a Seris I 12.5in FL, which is just over 3in glass diameter... I know I've seen these lenses much larger before, so how does one go about researching them?

    Thank you.

  2. #2

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    Not a lot of help from me. But Lens VM notes the three series , I, II and III - all of which I have seen in the last ten years.
    I have also seen the earlier Petzvals marked as Preussen (Before German unification) but only at auctions. Lens VM says they were specialists in the bigger sizes - up to 10" in glass diameter!

    series I F4 to 4.5 max size 12.25"

    series II F3.5 to 4 max size 11"

    series III 3 to 3.5 max size 10"

    This range suggests they were using identical brass barrels for all the series! Looking through the Busch entry in lens VM, I would give credence to most of what is written there.

    I am sure that Westlicht or Breker have sold these bigger Petzvals, so a search perhaps? They are not very good at giving focal lengths or glass diameter, though. Early Busch lens ( and just about everyone else )have very little specification data engraved.


    There is this one, which at bit longer in focal length. Note it has the soft adjustment as used on the Darlot Universal,

    http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Obje...&inA=11&inO=32

  3. #3

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    OMG Steven - you really think it's 10in GLASS Diameter? I think it's focal length.... I mean in a museum in Rathenow there's a 6in glass diameter lens and it's said to be either the only one ever made by them or like one of two...

  4. #4

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    Also bummer they apparently didn't put serial numbers on any of their lenses - I mean what gives?...

  5. #5

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    Also in the ads here you can see that that's not glass diameter that was 10in - that was focal length http://antiquecameras.net/1904buschlensads.html
    A 10in glass f3.5 lens would be 35in long - that would be quite something though...

  6. #6

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    VM has mistakes, especialy outside the anglo-saxon "comfort and language zones".

    I was about to start a new thread about Busch Petzvals in a few minutes, but this thread suddenly popped up again!

    I have now two of the aforementioned series 1 Petzvals. These are from the late 90's or early 00's. No serial numbers - as usual - but one is 21cm (ROIA) and the other is 260mm. Sizes 2 and 4. Busch was still using the Portrait Doppel Objectif engraving which had been given up by others decades ago.

    Amyway, the interesting thing is the rack and pinion drive. Unlike all others I have seen with the tangential system, these have the rack gears cut at an angle. I have seen these oblique cut racks on many German cameras, both reisekameras and Gorlitzer type studio cameras. Sometimes the pair of tracks on the two sides of the camera are oblique at the same angæe - but they can also be mirror images.

    My logic tells me that oblique cut tracks will provide less starting friction and easier movement. Certainly, the movement on these two Bush Petzvals is far better than anything I have had before!

    photos are reisekamera, two Busch Petzvals
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails image.jpeg   image.jpeg   image.jpeg  

  7. #7

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    Oh, so THAT'S what lens my extra pinion is from.
    The only other lens I've seen that does that is Zeiss Tele-Tubus. My guess id that angle cuts are more precise and also don't slip at all.

    The Busch Petzval I have is a 20in or so f5 - I still need to test it, but that' my guess based on the fact that it's set in a Wollensak Studio shutter (a very early version with brass finish) and shutter is marked to f5 while the glass on the lens is 4in across. So I'm thinking it may still have been considered a series 1 but would have been a custom order... It doesn't have an R&P mechanism, but what it does have is a radial lock like the one you previously linked to. I am no sure if that system, which allows you to pull the front lenses out away from the rear, was meant as SF or was it meant to help correct aberration at various focusing distances.

  8. #8

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    The Darlot Universal has the same pull and lock system - but with only 7mm of expansion. The english language guide I have says:

    - with the portrait combination, the adjustment of the barrel length controls the "flou".

  9. #9

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    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    On the Busch I have that extension is like 3in at least. I'm gonna mess around with it once I get the studio set up and can actually play with the 11x14 Century that's been awaiting in the wings....

  10. #10

    Re: Emil Busch Petzval Lens Info

    as far as i know the biggest Busch lens (petzval) is the 10 Zoll Mammoth which had a front glass diameter of 275mm and a focal lenght of 860mm. probably at least 2 of those were built. so i guess there were more inbetween, which didnt belong to any series (like there are many Voigtländer lenses which didnt belong to any series). they were made for special customers or showcased (like the mammoth lens).

    @steven: the lens you described can be found in D'Agostinis book as the Busch convertible lens.


    there is also this thing ghosting on ebay for a long time now, Emil Busch Ratenow, Preussen (so before war):

    http://www.ebay.de/itm/Emil-Busch-Ra...IAAOSwXY5ZWZf7



    seems to me like at least a 20" Fl petzval. the design is rather interesting and something i have never seen before. to sad its completly overprized to just take a look there..

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