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Thread: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

  1. #1

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    Jun 2006
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    Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    A couple of years ago I bought this lens at Bièvres Foire Photo. It is a Petzval type that follows exactly the lens design we find in Kingslake's book (History ...): a front cemented doublet and a rear air spaced doublet. Even the thickness and relative surface radius match the scheme. But the serial number is 46559, that points to a very late production of a very old design. Lenses diameter is 80 mm (all the same) . Does anybody know the manufacturing year for this lens? and/or provide any info about it, like advertising, listing in sales catalogue... whatever.

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  2. #2

    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    its a portrait petzval made by Hermagis, probably around 1900-1905 (see serial number). petzval lenses were quite successfull for quite a long time so the manufacturers (especially the ones who lasted longer) made alot of those. look in D'Agostini s book for more info.

    i would guess (from your description), that it has a focal lenght of about 300mm at ~ F4

  3. #3

    Join Date
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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    Thank you, Studiochrom, for the information. I checked D'Agostini but he only mentions the early Petzval lenses from Hermagis (up to 1862). Do you know any chart with Hermagis serial numbers x year of production I could refer too?

  4. #4

    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    he mentions the models when they came up. that doesnt mean that the lens types (see aplanats...) werent produced after that in same or similar outfit. sometime the manufacturers made some changes to the models over the years/decades, sometimes they were produced almost the same like when they were presented the first time.

    in this case it really was a succesfull design, which was produced over many decades.

    you can check out dans site (http://www.antiquecameras.net/petzva...ldarticle.html) and narrow down the lens to early 1900ies..

  5. #5

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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    Click image for larger version. 

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  6. #6

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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    This is described as the series I Portrait in the 20th Century by Hermagis, but is, in fact, a continuation of the first Portrait Petzval made early on by Hermagis. Series II are similar, but a lot faster (F.2.7 - F.3.5) and are a later design. The series III portrait is the Eidoscope!

    My separate source agrees with Jaytral's table.

    This series eventually got a black enamel finish, like the later Eidoscopes!

  7. #7

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    Brazil
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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    Thank you!!! It is always a sort or relief when we get to know the pedigree of these survivors. It is like rescuing and reconnecting them to history.

  8. #8
    Alex Timmermans
    Join Date
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    Holland
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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    Have you checked the glass for writings?
    Most of the time the year of build was written on the side of the front glass.
    "You dont take a picture, it's given to you"

    www.alextimmermans.com
    www.collodion-art.blogspot.com
    email : collodion-art dot onsmail dot nl

  9. #9

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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    Exactly.

  10. #10

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    Re: Help with Hermagis Petzval lens info

    Besides Hermagis Opticien à Paris I have the following figures:

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ID:	172015
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ID:	172016

    Those are in the doublet and rear meniscus. The biconvex has such a thin border that nothing is written on it.
    None is a clear "year". Should I take the 09 as 1909?

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