Dan Dozer
15-Mar-2010, 13:43
I picked up this lens a short while ago on the auction site. Have not had an opportunity to shoot with it yet because I still have to figure out how to mount it to a Linhoff lens board. I've been told that it might be a Deguerrotype lens. Size is about 2" in diameter x about 3 1/2" long. The lens has a flange mounting piece that the lens slides in and it has the brass flap on the front. There are two lens elements spaced about a half inch apart and an internal iris in front of the front lens that is about 1 1/4" in diameter. I've tried to do a little reserach on it and from the info on AntiqueCameras, it seems to be similar to the Chevalier type. The front of the front lens element is pretty flat (reverse telescope?), although the lens can't be disassembled to check out the front lens element. The rear element unscrews.
I stuck it on my 8 x 10 Deardorf and the image circle is much small than the camera back so it appears to be for a quarter plate (or slightly smaller) format size. I couldn't get it focused on the deardorf back so the focal length appears to be about 4" or a little less.
There are no markings on the lens at all.
BTW - the seller thought this was a "microscope lens" and I ended up getting it for $10.
As I said, I haven't yet been able to check it out on my 4 x 5 camera yet. Any thoughts on what I might expect from it and how old it might be?
I stuck it on my 8 x 10 Deardorf and the image circle is much small than the camera back so it appears to be for a quarter plate (or slightly smaller) format size. I couldn't get it focused on the deardorf back so the focal length appears to be about 4" or a little less.
There are no markings on the lens at all.
BTW - the seller thought this was a "microscope lens" and I ended up getting it for $10.
As I said, I haven't yet been able to check it out on my 4 x 5 camera yet. Any thoughts on what I might expect from it and how old it might be?