Uncommon Common Lenses

**Steve Hamley** · 27-Dec-2012, 18:27

Folks,

O.K., I have some spare time over the holidays and was thinking about some of the lenses I've tried to find over the years that were "common" lenses, or so I assumed, but never or almost never found. So share your uncommon common lens thoughts.

The first lens I'm still looking for is a Kodak 14" Commercial Ektar with a "RO" number since that's 1956, the year I was born. Never seen one. I have an outstanding RR (1955) lens, but wondered if they made them at all in 1956.

The second is a single coated 135mm f/5.6 Fujinon W. This is the 80 degree lens, and I looked for one fairly often on eBay and never found one until about 10 days ago. Fantastic lens, as are all of this series, but I bought the only one I've ever seen. 125mm W-series are fairly common, 150mm W series less so, and even the 250mm f/6.7 is seen fairly often. That means 135mm W-series lenses are not common even though your intuition might say otherwise. Anyone else have a 135mm single-coated Fuji-W?

Cheers, Steve

**dap** · 27-Dec-2012, 20:32

There was a 14" ektar that just sold on ebay that was a pretty uncommon version of a common lens. It was mounted in a silver compound shutter. I've never seen a 14" ektar mounted in a compound shutter much less a fancy pants factory polished compound shutter (I wonder if it was standard issue for that year or some kind of kodak prototype). I placed a bid but ended up losing out on it - too bad, it might have been the prettiest shutter mounted lens I've ever come across (normally I'm not much of a sucker for the way equipment looks but this thing was gorgeous - too bad kodak eventually moved over to using Ilex shutters).

**Steve Hamley** · 27-Dec-2012, 20:34

Got a link?

Cheers, Steve

**dap** · 27-Dec-2012, 20:41

I don't have a link handy (I don't know how to copy links when I'm using a phone) but I'm sure that if you did a search for "ektar" in the ebay completed auctions you would be able to find it.

**Roger Hesketh** · 27-Dec-2012, 22:58

I have a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inch Gundlach Turner Reich Anastigmat mounted in a Rapax shutter. I bought the only one I have ever seen and have never heard anybody else ever mention one.

**IanG** · 28-Dec-2012, 02:55

Bought from this forum

an f5.3 165mm CZJ Tessar in a Compur, both made around 1926. No references in books etc but two older similar lenses have been sold on Ebay.

Ian

**MIke Sherck** · 28-Dec-2012, 07:58

I used to have a single-coated Fujinon 420mm L which was a superb performer but rather large and heavy to carry around. I sold it in favor of a 420mm RD Artar in Ilex shutter, which is also a superb performer but lighter and smaller than the Fuji. Not sure I made the right choice but I see the Fuji so rarely that "what's done is done," I think. One of my favorite focal lengths for 8x10.

I've seen but never owned (but would like to!) the Fujinon 125mm f/8 which almost covers 8x10. I haven't seen one for sale in years.

Mike

**domaz** · 28-Dec-2012, 09:14

Curious is your single-coated Fuji 135mm 5.6 W in a Seiko shutter? Mine was (until I put the cells in a modern Copal 0). I'm wondering if they ever made these lenses in a shutter other than the Seiko. As far as performance, I have used my Fuji 135mm on 5x7 and it covers just fine.