Hermagis ?

[gliderbee]

..and be happy to own it!

Make images - it is highly addictive - and of more worth than using time to figure out how expensive it might be!!

You'll love the results!!

Have fun - I know I do!!

I do intend to keep it and use it: I paid 50 euros for it, so I guess I don't need to resell it for a profit

Stefan.

[Steven Tribe]

There are plenty of posted photos here for you to see the possibilities.
The Waterhouse stops just function as fixed aperture openings like an iris with "click" settings. Used from around 1860 until (with big studio cameras) until around 1900.
Most Eidoscopes from Hermagis are black enamel. The no. 3 "translates" into a focal length and what size film it will cover - but I don't have these handy.
What the thing in the last picture, I have no idea and it is certainly the original box. Unfortunately, the flange is still on it's old lens board!
You will find a couple of hours reading here on various threads.

[gliderbee]

There are plenty of posted photos here for you to see the possibilities.
The Waterhouse stops just function as fixed aperture openings like an iris with "click" settings. Used from around 1860 until (with big studio cameras) until around 1900.
Most Eidoscopes from Hermagis are black enamel. The no. 3 "translates" into a focal length and what size film it will cover - but I don't have these handy.
What the thing in the last picture, I have no idea and it is certainly the original box. Unfortunately, the flange is still on it's old lens board!
You will find a couple of hours reading here on various threads.

Hello Steven,

>The Waterhouse stops just function as fixed aperture openings like an iris with "click" >settings

That I understood, but how do I calculate the aperture ? Is it as simple as taking the focal length (should be 275mm according to info I just found) divided by the diameter of the Waterhouse stops (thanks for the name) = aperture in use ? The numbers on these stops don't mean anything to me, but they must mean something, I guess ..

[Jim Galli]

Silly me. I missed that completely. Eidoscop, of course. Better than a petzval (monetarily) and one of my all time favorites! It is a classic soft focus lens of the best kind.

[taulen]

That I understood, but how do I calculate the aperture ? Is it as simple as taking the focal length (should be 275mm according to info I just found) divided by the diameter of the Waterhouse stops (thanks for the name) = aperture in use ?

Correct =)

[Paul Fitzgerald]

"As for the diameter, it's about 58mm (the hood is in the way to measur it exactly), so that would make it 58 x 5 = 290mm ?"

"Anybody who knows how these aperture slides work ? E.g. if I insert the "1" slide, what's the resulting aperture then ?"

Fairly easy, just measure the diameter of the openings in the stops and divide into 290mm. This should get you very close the the f/scale. They should be a bit off because the 'apparent aperture' relies on the optical illusion of the lens.

Have fun with it, it is a very well appreciated portrait lens.

[gliderbee]

Ok, I think I understand now how to define the aperture value on the Waterhouse stops.

Now just out of curiosity, I would like to know the significance of the numbers on those Waterhouse stops. I'll try google; since I know the correct name of these stops, there should be an explanation somewhere.

Thanks all for your help.

Stefan.

[maurits]

Gliderbee, Eidoscope No. 3 is a 275 mm focal length lens that covers 5x7" film and smaller. It is great on 4x5".

Yours was made somewhere in between 1900 and 1910. The largest aperture of the oldest Eidoscope version -which you have- is f5. Do the math from thereon.

Cool find and keep it and use it...

Portraits made with the exact same lens look like this (one stop from wide open).



Cheers, Maurits


.

[gliderbee]

Maurits, thanks for the info !

Great picture you posted; I'll certainly use the lens; as it is, there's a small chance the lensflange is still with the seller, as he is also selling an old camera that has a mounting flange that could be the one that belongs to my lens. I'll contact him today, hoping ...

Regards,
Stefan.

[jumanji]

Congrats, a beautiful lens! I did see an early Eidoscope no 2 with waterhouse slot, and this is a No 3. FL 275mm, max aperture f5. Later verison with black barrel painted is f4.5
Portrait, landscape,... you can do everything with an Eidoscope .