Carl Meyer 85mm f1.5 speed lens?

[Mark Fisher]

I was cleaning out a lab at work and found a barrel lens labeled Carl Meyer 85mm f1.5 Speed OT-453. The mount is about 66mm or so (have mount ring). with a very nice round aperture. If I adapted it to a shutter, I I have absolutely zero luck finding out anything about this lens. It was in a university lab mounted on a long forgotten optical set up. Anyone know anything about it? I think it might cover 6x6...? Might give me an excuse to find a Baby Speed Graphic or an F-series Hasselblad...

Thanks -- Mark Fisher

 

[shutterboy]

Check out http://forum.mflenses.com/carl-meyer-videostigmat-f1-0-1-5-38mm-t32564.html

Not exactly the same lens, but speaks about the heritage of Carl Meyer.

 

[Ian Grant]

It sounds like it might be an Oscilloscope lens, these have poor coverage except for close up work, would be interesting on a small sensor DSLR.

Ian

 

[Dan Fromm]

Carl Meyer was Burke and James' house brand for lenses. B&J acquired complete lenses, lens elements, floor sweepings from optical shops, ... rehoused the lenses and sold them as their own. Some, it is said, were assembled from elements that failed QC and were horrible. Others were perfectly good. Carl Meyer Dagors are supposed to be in the first category. My friend Charlie Barringer bought a Carl Meyer Sonnar for pennies and said it was a very good lens.

Mark, take a close look at your prize. On the one hand, OT-453 feels like a Kodak serial number. It might be an f/1.5 Fluoro Ektar, if so many elements in three groups.

 

[Mark Fisher]

Well, there are three groups. I'm pretty sure it isn't an o-scope lens just from the lab it came from. Probably the easiest way to find out is to mount it on a very ancient speed graphic I have and see what it seems to cover. From taking it partially apart, it seems to be a Sonnar. If I use it, it won't be for its cutting sharpness so I don't really care if it is optically perfect anyway. I really hope it covers 6x6 .

 

[binglebugbob]

I have heard Burke & James bought surplus lens elements from (among other sources) Germany at the end of WW-II. They did have some good lenses...those were the older uncoated lenses they bought and coated. they did sell a pseudo Dagor and the labeling can bite you. Even at Goerz, there were apparently only a couple of people who could assemble them correctly. Carl Meyer was a composite name that sounded German (carl zeiss, Meyer Optic). In some cases, "Oscar Meier" might have been as appropriate. B&J went out of business about 1975, give or take.