Pacific Optical 18" F4

[Dan Fromm]

Ok thanks, I was wondering if there was a more extensive catalogue from Perkin Elmer

None that I'm aware of.

[Mark J]

I have a copy, I think it's in my books at work.
I'm not sure how valid it would be to copy it, but I'll check. This came to us because our company was a joint venture between Pilkington and Perkin Elmer. in 1968.
I will at the least try & copy the 18" f/4 for you.

[Mark J]

None that I'm aware of.

I found the Perkin-Elmer book at home.
It is actually a report prepared for AFSC Wright Patterson Air Force base in 1975.
Entitled "Report no. 12071 - Lens Data Handbook"
As such, I might have to find a contact at Perkin Elmer to ask if it's safe for public consumption, now, after 49 years.

The 18" f/4 is a 6-element double gauss ( 6/4 ).
Its waveband is from green 546nm to red , 656nm, so implies a yellow filter for best performance.
Image circle 160mm.
It will resolve over 100lp/mm over the majority of the picture at f/4, with something fairly fine grain ( SO-130 given ). Over 200 lp/mm with 3404.

[Mark J]

I just carefully checked the lens that Dan and Knackebrod showed, this is the same 18" f/4 lens as I just posted, above.
The Perkin Elmer lens picture shows much of the same script on the narrow front rim, including the design number 7438-5010-1
So, I assume the design was taken over by Pacific Optical.

[Dan Fromm]

So, I assume the design was taken over by Pacific Optical.

Taken over? Perhaps not. For some, not all, of the lenses USAF bought it contracted with >1 manufacturer to make them, all to the same design. For example, 3"/4.5 Biogons from Pacific Optical, Goerz, Delft and Viewlex. Charlie Barringer believed that some of these were actually made by Zeiss and rebadged to comply with "buy domestic" requirements.

[Mark J]

OK, well are Pacific Optical the makers of the camera system ?
In that case maybe Perkin Elmer kept making them.

[Dan Fromm]

OK, well are Pacific Optical the makers of the camera system ?
In that case maybe Perkin Elmer kept making them.

No, Pacific Optical made lenses. Perkin-Elmer made lenses. Chicago Aerial Industries made the KS-87B camera that used the lens the op is thinking about. Fairchild made both aerial cameras and lenses for them for USAF; Fairchild is the big exception here.

Think back to the UK's MoD practice in WWII. A number of lens makers, Dallmeyer among them, produced 8"/2.9 Pentac lenses as L. Booth designed for Dallmeyer.

[Mark Sampson]

An interesting mountain of glass. Perhaps you could mount it on a tailboard camera, like a B&J Rembrandt.
Should provide an unusual perspective for portraits..

[Knackebrod]

I found the Perkin-Elmer book at home.
It is actually a report prepared for AFSC Wright Patterson Air Force base in 1975.
Entitled "Report no. 12071 - Lens Data Handbook"
As such, I might have to find a contact at Perkin Elmer to ask if it's safe for public consumption, now, after 49 years.

The 18" f/4 is a 6-element double gauss ( 6/4 ).
Its waveband is from green 546nm to red , 656nm, so implies a yellow filter for best performance.
Image circle 160mm.
It will resolve over 100lp/mm over the majority of the picture at f/4, with something fairly fine grain ( SO-130 given ). Over 200 lp/mm with 3404.

Thanks a lot Mark! That's some really useful info!
Looks like it has a smaller image circle then I was hoping for. Would have hoped to use it on 8x10".

I don't really understand the values in the last sentence because I simply don't know much about the theory behind a lens design. Could you translate that to language I might understand?

[Knackebrod]

An interesting mountain of glass. Perhaps you could mount it on a tailboard camera, like a B&J Rembrandt.
Should provide an unusual perspective for portraits..

That's what I was thinking. Contemplating building a camera myself and starting off with looking for some glass! Unfortunately the classic Petzfal brass lenses are out of my price range...
Haven't bought this lens yet, came across it on my search and wanting to find out more about it.