Calling on all owners of Hypergon lenses...or those with knowledge/experience of them

[Corran]

Yes Ed you've found the sale. One large curved element and one of the smaller elements do create an image. Will have to try assembling four elements into a barrel of some sort.

[Greg]

Just picked up a copy of Warren Smith's book on eBay. Should have kept on looking... now there's a copy to be had for $6.29!!!

[Tin Can]

Abbie Hoffman wrote/said, Steal This Book and it was his book!

I see copies for 99 cents and $100 at Abes!

I have never stolen a book...

Just picked up a copy of Warren Smith's book on eBay. Should have kept on looking... now there's a copy to be had for $6.29!!!

[Dan Fromm]

Yes Ed you've found the sale. One large curved element and one of the smaller elements do create an image. Will have to try assembling four elements into a barrel of some sort.

Bryan, you were had.

[EdSawyer]

at the very least, it will be an interesting experiment. Goerz did make some of those military wide-angle lenses, so it's at least plausible. Price-wise it's not a huge loss if they don't turn out to be all that useful. I've bought more expensive paperweight lenses than that.

[Louis Pacilla]

Price-wise it's not a huge loss if they don't turn out to be all that useful. I've bought more expensive paperweight lenses than that.

Me too Ed. Me too.

[Corran]

Bryan, you were had.

As I always tell those wary of eBay - you can always do a return. Regardless of stated policy. We'll see.

[Greg]

at the very least, it will be an interesting experiment. Goerz did make some of those military wide-angle lenses, so it's at least plausible. Price-wise it's not a huge loss if they don't turn out to be all that useful. I've bought more expensive paperweight lenses than that.

Here's mine. Front and rear glass diameter 2.5". Looks like it throws a 100 degree plus image. Can't wait to hot glue it on a black Foamcore lens board and put it on my 11x14. Attached image makes the front element look a lot flatter than it really is. Can't put down the optic face up or face down cause it will be resting on the glass. Was told by the seller that the optic was US Govt. surplus, but I think it's just from a common overhead projector. What the heck though, the postage was more than the purchase price...

[EdSawyer]

I have a nice Military 300mm f/4 lens that came in a gigantic shutter, that I need to build a barrel mount for the cells. It should cover 9x9 at least, from what I could tell, it's a 6/4 construction, looks pretty symmetrical. The shutter is an amazing piece of work (Fairchild Night Shutter I think it is), with built in electric motors for charging and firing it, plus an aperture too. but it's just too enormous to use. But, the whole thing was only $40, and in mint condition. Someday I will get around to mounting the lens cells to see what it can do.

-Ed

[Mark Sawyer]

Looks ex-military or at least ex-aerial mapping/surveillance. Seems most like parts of a Planigon, (sort of like a metrogon) but hard to say. Do they form an image if two are put together?

That would be my guess too. Below are a couple photos of my Goerz Planigon and a front element from a Metrogon. I measured the lens diameter to be about 1 7/8 inches, and you can see the curvature in the first photo.

I'd say set up a crude optical bench or mount system, and just see what they do, which sounds like your plan anyways.