CP Goerz Berlin Dagor - strange mount

[goamules]

Hi,
This was in a box of projection lenses I bought. I didn't know what was there, until I disassembled a strange aluminum fixture. Thought it was junk. It looked like a movie camera lens fixture or maybe something to take pictures of scientific stuff. The fixture had a 4 screw, square flange and some alloy pieces that rotated. Heck, for all I know it's off a U-boat periscope.

Anyway, I started unthreading and finally found there really was a lens in there, under quite a bit of oil. I wiped the rim with a q-tip, and saw:

C.P. Goerz Berlin - Dagor 1:6,8 12cm

It has a nice working aperature, but really isn't in a barrel mount, too much exposed machining.

I mostly shoot wetplate, 4x5 and up. I do have a Speed Graphic that could perhaps fit this. Yet, I don't think the rough collodion process would benefit from what I hear is a great lens. Is this a great lens? Will I kick myself if I sell it, perhaps if I later move into B&W film? Would it make some money so I could get that Dallmeyer I'm wanting!?

My best,
Garrett

[Peter K]

Hi Garrett,

with 56° angle of view the Dagor 120 mm fills only 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches.

Peter K

[Ole Tjugen]

The Dagor has significantly more than 56° angle of view, and the 120mm should cover 4x5" well.

[goamules]

Thanks to both for covering (no pun) what format this lens might work with. I used the experiment method a minute ago and held it up in the lensboard opening of my Eastman 2D 5x7. It seems to cover a lot. Tiny lens though. Perhaps I could find a compound shutter.... The datasheet will help.

[Dan Fromm]

Thanks for the image. The lens seems to be in a perfectly normal barrel. If so, it will have a diaphragm.

It isn't obvious that putting the cells in shutter will make economic sense. Having an adapter made to hold it in front of a #1 shutter may, however, be worth doing. I've had skgrimes make such adapters for me. IMO, the ideal shutter for this application would be a diaphragm-less Copal #1 Press shutter as sold for the Polaroid MP-4 camera. These shutters are quite inexpensive.

[Jim Galli]

I had 2 of these recently. A 12cm just like yours and a 125mm. Oddly the 125 was happy reaching around 5X7 while the 120 would not. It would cover 4 1/4 X 6 1/2 though. 4X5 would be easy for it. Many of these were in a "sunken mount" with focusing helical so the front of the lens was roughly parallel with the front of the camera and the back of the lens stuck inside. Both of those mentioned above were that way. Sounds as though someone may have stripped yours out of the helical mount and cobbled it for who knows what. It's about the right focal for many of the 35mm 1930's movie projectors.

They are well loved, but not totally uncommon. Yours would make a good candidate for a Copal 0 shutter.

[Toyon]

I have one, it is a fantastic little lens and covers 4x5 with moderate movement. Mine's in a compur #0 (one of the early dialset versions).

[goamules]

Good info all. For fun, I attached the picture of the periscope or whatever that the Dagor was in. All you treasure hunters keep an eye out for this piece!

Also, a side view of the barrel. Note the rough slider button for aperature, and no way of knowing what the setting is, but there is a II in one place on the side, and a white line and dot. The iris is nice, lighter fluid got it all cleaned and smooth, it's got a lot of leaves. The lens itself cleaned very nicely.

Jim, I'm thinking of cutting a tight hole in a board for my speed graphic, and just screwing the lens into wood. It's light, should stay. Perhaps a dab of hot glue on the back. It's not that the barrel/fixture is that fancy. The focal plane shutter should work well. And why add cost on a shutter search to a $15 lens! (5 projecton lenes were $75).

Garrett