help with some HUGE brass lenses

hi all,

attached are some pictures of some "new to me" lenses that came out of the infamous lens mine...

i am looking for any and all info that i can get about them. i am interested in their coverage, performance and value.

i learned that the Hermagis and C. Berthiot are Aplanat designs. they are about 22-25 inch focal lengths, i will try them soon to confirm. they are old and BIG. in the attached photo from L-R they are Voitlander 7B, a Dallmeyere 2a (already mounted to a kodak 2D by our favorite soft focus guy, Jim Galli), the Hermagis Apl No. 2 and last is the C. Berthiot.

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=840954

you will all be happy with this story.....the "Little Green Man" that i got these lenses from told me he got them minutes before they were to hit a 12 yard dumpster.....isn't that the type of story we all love to hear?

thanks for the help. please note that is some of the best IPA beer available!

eddie

hey mister galli can you post a picture of it on a 2D?

some one must know something about these babies......

Eddie, Go to camera eccentric website and you will find the catalog with pics and specs on the 2D I have a 5D that I just picked up for wetplate.

OOPs! I thought you were talking about a Dallmeyer 2D lens. My bad, I guess I should read the entire post before I chime in.

Hey Eddie, maybe Gandolfi/ Emil will give his experience with his Hemagis. I believe it is one size smaller than yours.

eddie gunks said:

hi all,

attached are some pictures of some "new to me" lenses that came out of the infamous lens mine...

i am looking for any and all info that i can get about them. i am interested in their coverage, performance and value.

i learned that the Hermagis and C. Berthiot are Aplanat designs. they are about 22-25 inch focal lengths, i will try them soon to confirm. they are old and BIG. in the attached photo from L-R they are Voitlander 7B, a Dallmeyere 2a (already mounted to a kodak 2D by our favorite soft focus guy, Jim Galli), the Hermagis Apl No. 2 and last is the C. Berthiot.

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=840954

you will all be happy with this story.....the "Little Green Man" that i got these lenses from told me he got them minutes before they were to hit a 12 yard dumpster.....isn't that the type of story we all love to hear?

thanks for the help. please note that is some of the best IPA beer available!

eddie

Click to expand...

hey Eddie.
how lucky can one get??

I am not an expert in these old lenses, as I am more an admirer and user of them...

I bet Ole or Jim will see this post and chime in!

what I do kno wis, that I have th eHermagis Aplanat Nr 3 series 2.

it illuminates my 16x20 camera without problems.
Jim tells us that Hermagis numbered their lenses "backwards", so the nr 2 would be slightly bigger than mine..

the image looks fantastic on the camera screen, but I havn't actually used it yet..(will though, in the near future..)

the Dallmeyer 2A is a (according to the Vademecum) rapid rectilinear "ordinary intensity type". it is supposed to be for cabinet size.

there is another series of Dallmeyer lenses called "series" A-B-C-D...
many of these are soft focus lenses, where you controll the softness inside the camers (the back lens had markings, where you can turn the back lens more and more to achieve the softness)

I don't know what kind yours are, but if you look at the back lens, and see small, but sixtinctive markings from 1 to 4 markings, then it is a soft focus lens..

I can't find information on the Voigtlander without more information from you..

does it say anything besides 7b ?

about the value..

I don't know, but I'd surely like to have these!!

(my Hermagis cost me about 200$ which I consider cheap, but I can be wrong - I just bought a Dallmeyer soft focus 4D for 8x10 for about 300$...)

I am so jealous of you!!

EDIT: found this Hermagis for sale somewhere else on the net. price 200$ approx.
it's a nr 4 15 inch aplanat..
(maybe I'm buying this too...)

http://www.mwclassic.com/acatalog/46141L.jpg

Great story, great save! Wish I could try one out they look fun.

What's the focal length of the Hurricane Kitty bottle? Can it go into a shutter? I bet it has excellent bokeh.
I'll take it whatever your asking price. Just don't drink it before you send it out!

found this one:
http://www.mwclassic.com/acatalog/45775L.jpg
a 20 inch (Estimated) 4A large brass sells for about 800$( quite expensive, I think, but what do I know )

thanks gandolfi! this info helps! i appreciate your input. that first hermagis you posted looks very nice....maybe you do need to buy it! oh! what is the focal length for your Nr 3?

you will all be happy to know that i have contacted my friend who has a newly acquired 20x24. i plan to meet up with him and see what these babies will do! based on what gandolfi said about his covering 16x20 am am looking forward to seeing this baby light the corners of a 20x24. we can only hope. it may take a few weeks to set it all up but stay tuned.

cheers

eddie

Eddie, you're welcome.
My Hermagis is a 540mm (about 21.5inch). Nr3 series II

it is a beauty.

The Dallmeyer 2A has a new home in Tonopah. Threads on the flange also matched my Dalmeyer 3B which had no flange before. It would start and them bind after about 1/4 turn. It was also binding badly on the 2A. I got some coarse valve lapping compound and started working working working those threads. Now it is very smooth on the 2A and the 3B makes it over half way. I'll get a picture for you later this week. This 2A is the patent petzval of 13.5 inch focal length. Perfect for a little walk around 8X10!