Hermagis - which one?

so - I've been lucky again... (I think)

I got an Hermagis 540mm for a bargain price.

I have fitted it on my huge 40x50cm (16x20") mahogany camera, and it seems that the image circle is good for this size.

Th lens it self isn't that big or heavy, and it isn't mentioned in the Vademecum of lenses (nothing on that long foci):confused:

So the question is: do any of you (Ole?) know about this lens?

I've attached some images here..

it says (hard to read) "Apla." nr 3 serie II and 540cm

serial nr 27.111

not that it is that important... I'm going to have fun using it - and the image on the screen looks right! swirley bagkground - but not too much.

Lucky you!

I'm guessing "Apl." means "Aplanat", and that since it "isn't that big or heavy" the max aperture is somewhat smaller than f:7.2 - my Suter Aplanat B No. 6 (640mm) f:7.2 certainly is BIG if not very heavy. The proportions of the lens look quite "normal" for an Aplanat, so it's not a wide-angle or wide-field lens. So my bet is that it's about f:8, and that nominal coverage is 30x40 which increases at smaller stops - or gives soft corners, the circle of illumination can be quite a bit larger than the image circle.

Have fun!

Ole said:

Lucky you!

I'm guessing "Apl." means "Aplanat", and that since it "isn't that big or heavy" the max aperture is somewhat smaller than f:7.2 - my Suter Aplanat B No. 6 (640mm) f:7.2 certainly is BIG if not very heavy. The proportions of the lens look quite "normal" for an Aplanat, so it's not a wide-angle or wide-field lens. So my bet is that it's about f:8, and that nominal coverage is 30x40 which increases at smaller stops - or gives soft corners, the circle of illumination can be quite a bit larger than the image circle.

Have fun!

Click to expand...

I think I am lucky!

I messured the aperture to be aroung F:9 , maybe it is not too far off...
it has waterhouse slot.

the image on the screen looks besutiful, allthough maybe with a little dark corners, but that's fine by me...

I am lucky also in the regard, that my father in law just gave us about 200 (!!) old glass plates in the size 43x52cm, so if I cut it a little, I have glass for negativer to last my lifetime..

gotta try that!

I have a similar but smaller lens. HERMAGIS. No. 23,969 Apl. No. 5, f= 310mm, serie II Its aperture scale is 3/4 to 32. It's a f/6 lens in modern terms. It covers 8x10 and quite sharp. It comes with an aperture.

Something interesting about Hermagis is they numbered their lenses opposite everyone else as far as size, ie. a No.3 is much bigger than the No. 5. I noticed this with the eidoscop series and it seems to carry with these mentioned also. ie Hugo's no. 5 is 310 and Emil's no. 3 is 540.