I just received a Premo No. 12 Folding Film Pack Camera that has a tiny little lens in a tiny little Compound shutter. I've looked at cameraeccentric.com's 1919 B&L catalog. It says on p.35 that the Premo #12 took a #3 B&L Tessar IIb, focal length 4 3/8", says it was offered in Compound.
I'm not 100% sure that's what I have. All that's engraved around the front cell's rim is "Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat 1 - 6.3 Pat. Feb. 24 03 Bausch and Lomb Optical Co." The serial number, 1536868, is on the shutter's speed setting dial. The lens seems a bit small to be the #3 characterized on p. 22, a bit large for the #2a also characterized there.
At infinity the camera's flange to film distance is roughly 4 1/2", making the lens closer to a #3 than to a #2a.
Any suggestions?
Cute little thing. The shutter functions fairly well, but since its actual speeds are unknown and the piston tube on top moves a little when touched so I think I'd better send it to Carol Miller.
Oh, yeah. The camera came with a pack holder and a single sheet film holder. Their gates are 2 1/4 x 3 1/4, the sheet of film in the holder is (ta da!) 2 1/4 x 3 1/4. I'm looking forward to trying the lens out on a 2x3 Graphic. If the VM correctly assigns 18625xx to 1914, the lens is pre-WWI, not just pre-1917 or so.
Cheers,
Dan
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