A Protar lens for 11 x 14 format?

Mark Crabtree

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I thought I'd used that focal length before, and had. The combined cells make about a 7" lens. I used one on an 8x10 camera a couple times when I didn't have anything else wide enough. I came surprisingly close to covering 8x10, just nicking the corners. The one one I had looks to be a similar vintage to the one in the auction (mine was barrel mount).

The B&L catalog I have (probably the same as in Ian's link) indicates that the relatively common (for not very common lenses) 11 7/8" (18 7/8" and 23 1/4" cells) should cover 11x14 when stopped down. I have that lens, but nothing larger than 8x10 - except Cirkut Cameras.

I think for any useful movements you are going to need the far less common #20 combination with individual cells of 27 1/8" and 23 1/4" and a combined focal length of 14 5/16". I believe that is the combination Walker Evans used on 8x10 for his RA/FSA work, though his was the Zeiss version marked in cm or mm. It is mentioned in the "Walker Evans at Work" book, but I believe they have the combined length wrong (my book has failed to come back from loan, so I can't check).

B&L made longer cells up to 39 1/4". Ken Hough found some of the longer versions in the Chicago area I believe. Any of the Protars with cells longer than 23 1/4" are hard to find.
 

removed account4

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hi normmamiya

i don't know about that particular protar
but i have a itty bitty 14cm f14 that supposedly
has a very large ( 48cm ) image circle .. it isn't in a shutter
 

Mark Crabtree

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hi normmamiya

i don't know about that particular protar
but i have a itty bitty 14cm f14 that supposedly
has a very large ( 48cm ) image circle .. it isn't in a shutter

The eBay lens is a series VII lens that has coverage similar to a Dagor; I find them to cover just a tiny bit more than the Dagors I've had.
 

johnielvis

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the convertable protars series vii do cover quite a bit when used as a convertable--the indivudual cells cover much more than the double protar set

the smallest protar vii that covers 11x14 is the 690/480 combo to 330 (I believe)...the combined cells JUST cover 11x14 and the other 2 cells used along have coverage to spare---like the 690 has super huge coverage....any other protar set smaller than that combo and the combo won't cover 11x14 but the individual cells may...check cameraeccentric for the zeiss protars or b and l protars...they have tables in them.
 
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