Busch Nicola Perscheid ?

[community1313]

Yes I am curious about that lens but I was smart enough to put the 8X10 camera apart for a rebuild and it's still in a box (shame on me).

[Stephane]

I got this info with my 480mm. Could be useful if you speak German (not my case).
Any German friend out there who could sum-up this?

[Steven Tribe]

This is interesting! I can't supply a total translation but it contains more info and tips than the usual catalogue description. It gives separate prices for the objective and the appropriate yellow filter - so it was possible to purchase without the yellow filter. The prices are Reich Marks which can help put an approximate date on it - strange things happened with the German currency in the interwar years!

[Steven Tribe]

As nobody has attempted a translation, I struggled through the yellow filter description. It seems that the yellow filter was used for focussing with orthochromatic plates and the filter removed for exposure. That is, the usual system for objectives which are not fully corrected.

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Steven, it mentions that only when using a blue sensitive emulsion, a yellow filter is needed, but not if using a very orthochromatic emulsion. It does not mention what you said, so I would assume one focusses and exposes with or without filter depending on emulsion (= film type) used. It also mentions that if a too string yellow filter is being used, the (wanted) softness of the image might get partially lost. They also give advice to use a lighting setup which is contrasty, but hot harsh.

[Steven Tribe]

Thanks for providing the correct translation/summary - there are some complex sentences in the key area.

[Stephane]

Putting things together slowly, here is a translation/summary by a German colleague.

The perscheid effect
The objective makes pictorial pictures especially for portraits with balanced depth of focus. It is not a simple soft focus lens. Yes it is the best objective of the world and a lot of tests were necessary for its construction.

Now the interesting things

Light (Beleuchtung)
It it recommended to use high contrast but not hard light

Yellow filter (Gelbfilter)
For the usage of blue sensitive Fotoplates (it is an old description before the film) the usage of the yellowfilter is recommended.

Adjustments (einstellung)
Best pictures if things with intermediate brightness are sharp.

Aperture (blende)
To get a good effect of the diffuser not use aperture smaller than F:8

Light exposure (Belichtung)
For portrait a bit longer than usual, for other things normal time.

The last point (entwickeln) is about how to develop the negatives. (?)

[Stephane]

The last point about developing the negative (just called the translater to fill in the gaps):
the developer must be diluted twice than usual (i.e. rodinal 1:50 to 1:100), temperature should be colder (18degC) so that development is slow.

[Jim Galli]

I've been tracking this thread from a distance for a while. Somebody please show me a Nicola Perscheid that is a triplet??!! That's just wrong I think.

[community1313]

Jim it is a Triplet and next time I am in my country blues house I will perform some home made surgery and show you an inside view!
Three large glass air spaced!