Wollensack Velostigmat 12" - your judgement please

[Oren Grad]

I did not used seller name nor nick, nor link to the auction. Lets keep it.

Yes - any comments about experiences with the seller of this item should be posted in the "Buyer-Seller Advisories" subforum.

[Andrzej]

I didn't mean to sound like you don't have a reason to be unhappy, I just didn't want to get into the judgement debate and was trying to remain neutral (may not have succeeded there). I can totally understand you not knowing who the seller was and not being satisfied. I was just fortunate that I had connected the dots a while back. In your shoes I would be dissatisfied as well and feel you are justified in returning it.

Thanks. Never mind...
I will keep it as "one of a kind" SF lens . Maybe I will get nicer one in the future. There are several options to repair it, but I`m not sure it is wort it.
My curiosity how Vello works will have to wait a while....

[Jody_S]

I have few lenses that look like that

I call them keepers

Shoot one

I second this. Try it and see. You may eventually realize it performs better as a sf lens than a pristine copy with the limit pin intact.

I spent a lot of money (for me) last year on an Hermagis Eidoscope in beautiful cosmetic condition, but with serious delam in the front group. I took it out and shot with it, loved the results. But I had my lathe going and a jar of mdk stripper for another project, so I "fixed" it. It looks beautiful and I doubled the value of the lens. But I hate it now. Completely unsuited to panoramic landscapes (just like my Velo II). Went back to shooting uncorked pillbox landscape lenses.

[Bernice Loui]

File a buyer claim with eBay. This is part of the eBay buyer protection plan aka "insurance".

Bernice

[Andrzej]

I second this. Try it and see. You may eventually realize it performs better as a sf lens than a pristine copy with the limit pin intact.

I spent a lot of money (for me) last year on an Hermagis Eidoscope in beautiful cosmetic condition, but with serious delam in the front group. I took it out and shot with it, loved the results. But I had my lathe going and a jar of mdk stripper for another project, so I "fixed" it. It looks beautiful and I doubled the value of the lens. But I hate it now. Completely unsuited to panoramic landscapes (just like my Velo II). Went back to shooting uncorked pillbox landscape lenses.

Yes, Eidoscopes are nice for portraits and stills. Never used them for landscapes. I should try. Are you sure you aligned the front group correctly? on a optical bench? Maybe the problem is here - two foci close to each other and lots of softness but slightly doubled... It is far not enough that both lenses are aligned physically. The possible error is than enlarged by rear cell. Maybe it worth to check it and recement it again if needed.
I do have some damaged lenses that I love. Among them is the really ugly Perscheid that I love for portraits.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I would only buy a lens online if I get good pictures of the glass - however that does not help always > last year an Austrian seller did hide a damaged part at the far edge of the lens in a darkened picture on Ebay and sold me what I thought was an almost perfect lens. He stated that the chip on the side of the lens was due to my handling. However I was able to enlighten that same picture which showed clearly that the lens was already damaged before the sale and .... got a refund from paypal....

Advice: as soon as you see something is wrong get in contact with the seller, and if he does not respond; open a dispute with paypal....and keep hold of the original advertisement and pictures

[Andrzej]

I would only buy a lens online if I get good pictures of the glass - however that does not help always > last year an Austrian seller did hide a damaged part at the far edge of the lens in a darkened picture on Ebay and sold me what I thought was an almost perfect lens. He stated that the chip on the side of the lens was due to my handling. However I was able to enlighten that same picture which showed clearly that the lens was already damaged before the sale and .... got a refund from paypal....

Advice: as soon as you see something is wrong get in contact with the seller, and if he does not respond; open a dispute with paypal....and keep hold of the original advertisement and pictures

Yes. The world is not perfect...

[LabRat]

For 10 or 20 bucks... :-)

Steve K

[pjd]

A few years back I bought the cells for a 15 1/2" Velostigmat II on eBay. The cells have some deep scratches and no shutter, I expect someone figured the shutter was more valuable than the cells at some point. I got them cheaply and later had a barrel made by a machinist (that wasn't cheap). Despite the gouges the lens works well (maybe it works better for soft focus) and I'm glad I got the barrel made. Try the lens and see how it goes and if you can't make it work out, you can always look for refund or recourse from the seller or eBay.

[Andrzej]

A few years back I bought the cells for a 15 1/2" Velostigmat II on eBay. The cells have some deep scratches and no shutter, I expect someone figured the shutter was more valuable than the cells at some point. I got them cheaply and later had a barrel made by a machinist (that wasn't cheap). Despite the gouges the lens works well (maybe it works better for soft focus) and I'm glad I got the barrel made. Try the lens and see how it goes and if you can't make it work out, you can always look for refund or recourse from the seller or eBay.

Good for you! I bought CZJ tessar and made it sf lens. This shortened the FL to ca 300 mm f3.7.