Fell in love with a 15" W. Watson & Sons Landscape Meniscous lens and ended up with the highest bid.
Anyone on the Forum have any first hand knowledge about Watson lenses?
According the the VM Watson made some good lenses but searching for additional information did not come up with much.
I will ask the lens when i get it but until then i am just curious.
Thanks.
This is a nice period cone lens. There have been a series of cone lenses this year with a similar design, different UK sellers' names but all of these were from the 1890's as opposed to this nice Watson. The achromatic meniscus pair will be Chance glass which is usually problem/bloom free.
Steve,
Thank you for the reply. There is now some concern over the lens element in this Watson, it appears that it focus at 10.5" and not 15" and the lens element also looks small. The seller is thinking that it could be a front element from another lens.
Any chance that someone on the Forum have photos of a W Watson Meniscus lens?
Thanks.
The rear landscape lenses I have seen - less than 15" though -(Dallmeyer and Lancaster) fill the rear element. 15" would have a coverage of about 12x15"! If the rear thread is an exact inch measure than it would have been easy to fit an RR element from another UK maker as standard threads were becoming popular (mostly flanges - but also cell threads). I can't find any photos either!
Fortunately this is an honest seller and he did not want to ship something that aparantly has been altered. Instead i have a Swift & Son 16" Portable View lens coming. This is also a Meniscus lens, and maybe a little overkill for 8x10, time will tell.
The same quality and a cute engraving included! I think this is the model with an f8 for composing.
Since last I contributed, I too, have become the owner of a Swift Portable View meniscus landscape lens but 12" serial no. 3145. With a nice focussing aperture of f10.
How is yours?
Steven, The 16" that i got is almost to good to be interesting, glass was a little dirty but cleaned up nicely. I have only exposed one sheet so far but will take it out this weekend and hopefully get something i can show.
It seems to cover 8x10 pretty well. The serial number is in the same range as yours.
Have fun and post an image taken with the lens.
Did you uncork it? I love the look of some of these with no aperture at all hindering them. JOriginally Posted by Jan Pedersen
My posting will have to be a winter landscape as this has joined another objective (a huge RR) which needs reglueing this autumn before use. Interesting breakdown of the balsam with a central "hole" and striations out to the side - makes a change from yellow edge rings. Very nice glass and super solid brass construction.
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