Strange 355mm/f9 G-Claron

**Colin Myers** · 7-Dec-2008, 04:28

Perhaps one of the lens guru's can shed some light on this. I recently acquired a couple of barrel type G-Claron lenses. A very nice, but ordinary 210mm and a rather older and more interesting 355mm lens. This is clearly marked G-Claron on the outer part of the front cell, with serial # 10737773. It is mounted in a chromed brass barrel, also marked 355, with aperture scale from F9 to f90. When I unscrewed the cells to inspect them, I was surprised to find that both front and rear threads were 55.7 mm. From previous threads, I undertood that the earlier, 355 G-clarons had threads of 67mm in diameter. Any ideas, is this the famous missing "Dagor" style, 355?
Colin Myers

**Ole Tjugen** · 7-Dec-2008, 04:36

It's really quite simple: Your G-Claron 355mm fits a Compound #3, not a Copal.

Mine is just the same.

**Arne Croell** · 7-Dec-2008, 04:46

Ole is right; however, where did you see the 67mm quote? The thread size for the newer cells fitting directly into a Copal 3 should be 58mm. I first thought you quoted the filter thread, but that is 77mm for the 355 according to Schneider.

**Jan Pedersen** · 7-Dec-2008, 08:56

Colin, Count the reflections with the iris closed or unscrew the cells and put something dark behind them. Two strong and two weak reflections in both front and rear is a Dagor design.

**Colin Myers** · 8-Dec-2008, 08:50

Thank you all for your input, The figure of 67mm came from a May 18th 2008 thread, entitled, G-Claron 355mm, Dagor Type
Colin

**Chauncey Walden** · 8-Dec-2008, 09:55

Colin, 67mm was the filter thread diameter of the early 355 vs 77mm for the later 355. Apparently, no one has yet come up with an early one that is not a plasmat.