Gundlach RADAR Anastigmat

[Roger Thoms]

I have a beautiful and late Gundlach Radar 8x10 6.3. It is in fact a 4.5 coated from the 60s. A limited number were made for NASA in response to an RFP. Both Gundlach and Kodak (Ektars) supplied lenses. The Radars are in Ilex No. 5 shutters and were designated f/6.3 under the specs required by the RSP. The aperature opens to f/4.5. I dont know how many were supplied to NASA, but the serial numbers all appear to have this format: REXXXX. I've seen 3 others show up on Ebay in the last 20 years. All conformed to the serial # format. Two were in the nineties (as is mine) and one was RE0100. Two of them still had NASA inventory tags indicating NASA in Langley, VA.
Attachment 214056

Here’s one that I picked up on Friday, just mounted it to a lens board today. It does need the shutter CLA'd, the 1/2 and 1 second times are definitely slow. Glass looks nice!

Roger

[focantee]

I have a beautiful and late Gundlach Radar 8x10 6.3. It is in fact a 4.5 coated from the 60s. A limited number were made for NASA in response to an RFP. Both Gundlach and Kodak (Ektars) supplied lenses. The Radars are in Ilex No. 5 shutters and were designated f/6.3 under the specs required by the RSP. The aperature opens to f/4.5. I dont know how many were supplied to NASA, but the serial numbers all appear to have this format: REXXXX. I've seen 3 others show up on Ebay in the last 20 years. All conformed to the serial # format. Two were in the nineties (as is mine) and one was RE0100. Two of them still had NASA inventory tags indicating NASA in Langley, VA.
Attachment 214056

Thank you for sharing! I have been looking for a solid answer as to why the 6.3 version of this lens is slightly different from the rest. I also have a 6.3 version in an Ilex 5. Serial is RE0058.

[Brian Bullen]

This lens definitely makes a great image. I removed the limiting screw and it’s now a f4.5 instead of f6.3

[Chauncey Walden]

Interesting, RE would be 1954 in the Kodak world. I had a 300 Radar on an 8x10 back in the dark ages (well, maybe the early 80s) and I had no gripes with it.