Help with Wollensak IIIa 6 1/4" f12.5 lens

[Jeff Bannow]

I won one of these via ebay, and have received the lens. Everything looks to be in good shape, but it's a little .... unusual of a design.

Here's the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120335415098

The lens is mounted in a Ilex No. 4 Universal shutter. It has what looks like a brass adapter to make the threads fit. Is this normal for this lens?

Also, should it have a rear element?

Thanks!

[Dan Fromm]

The lens is not in its shutter, it is hung in front of the shutter. For more on front-mounting, see http://www.skgrimes.com/lensmount/front/index.htm .

It has a rear element, in the barrel and in front of the shutter's blades.

What you have is entirely aftermarket. Someone bought the lens in barrel, bought the shutter separately, and made or commissioned a threaded bushing that fits in the shutter and accepts the lens.

The only risk with bodges like this is that the shutter will vignette the cone of rays projected by the lens. Whether this matters for you is an empirical question, ask it as quickly as you can.

FWIW, I have a small heap of lenses that I use on my 2x3 Graphics hung in front of a #1. Coverage isn't an issue for me.

[Jeff Bannow]

I had a feeling it might be something of the kind. Unfortunately I can't test the lens yet as I don't have the camera for it! Any thoughts on how I might test vignetting otherwise?

[Dan Fromm]

I had a feeling it might be something of the kind. Unfortunately I can't test the lens yet as I don't have the camera for it! Any thoughts on how I might test vignetting otherwise?

Estimate the angle at which the rim of the shutter's barrel starts cutting off the lens' exit pupil. Hold the lens in front of you pointing straight ahead and rotate it slowly.

[Mark Sawyer]

...or hold it in front of a wall and meaure the image circle.

[john wilton]

These were supplied in a Betax No. 3 shutter. It a pity such a small light lens is in such a big heavy shutter! Lens cell thread OD = 45.2mm, shutter thicknes ~24mm. If your lens cells and barrel are this size you could look for an inexpensive empty Betax 3 or one with a shot lens; I or someone else here could scan the aperture scale for you. You'd have a nice big shutter left over for front-mounting a narrow angle lens like an Artar. Or perhaps someone here has some lens cells that would be a direct fit. (e.g. Ilex Caltar 6.3/12", maybe Commercial Ektar 6.3/12"). Or just use it without shutter.

[Glenn Thoreson]

At f/12.5 it's a wide angle lens. It will probably cover 8X10 but I doubt if it would do it front mounted on that shutter. Depending on what you paid, the shutter alone could be worth as much as the whole thing.

[Jeff Bannow]

I checked and it seems to still cover 8x10 pretty good in this shutter, but it's pretty big. Any idea what the shutter would be worth?