I have a few lenses I dont know if I can adapt them to my use.Any Ideas?

[Jiminee]

I have a four of these lenses. I might be able to use the Wollensak

Image # 101_2944 Lens on left is a C.P. Goertz #375353 Dogmar 1:6,3 F 165mm D.R.P.
On the right is a Compur No.81646 Anticomar 1:42 F 18cm Plaubel & Co.

Image # 101_2937 - Wollensak Rochester NY USA Enlarging F4:5 to 32 Velostgmat 6 3/8" Focus

Image # 101_2936 Kodak Antistigmat F-7.7
The ones with shutters all seem to work well and glass is decent. Any Ideas of what I can use these for? I do not know the history behind these. I found these cleaning out my father-in-laws basement. They seem to be old but still functional.
I currently shoot 35 mm film and develop and print B&W I would have to think on mounting the Wollensak enlarging lens. I would need to cut a lensboard for it I think as the mount is different on my Beseler 23cII. ANy input would be appreciated and if anyone has a use for these let me know

 

[Fixcinater]

You could stack up a bunch of extension tubes, or a cardboard tube like toilet paper rolls, and use them on your 35mm cameras (carefully!). I've done that with some interesting results.

They might not be worth thousands of dollars, but they do have some value and are all usable at the very least...so don't give them away unless you just want them to go to a good home to be used.

 

[winger]

If you stick around here long enough, you'll start getting interested in shooting larger formats than 35mm and these will then come in handy. Just mentioning, since that tends to happen.

Welcome to APUG!

 

[shutterfinger]

The 165mm f6.3 Goertz Dogmar is a Dialyt, covers 4x5 with movements, has a 55° angle of view, basically a normal to slighter longer than normal for the format. Introduced in 1926. The shutter is a Dial Set shutter.
Plaubel Anticomar 18cm/180mm f4.2 is in a Dial set Compur. Covers 6x9. Possibly mid 1950's vintage.
Dial set shutters are not cocked to use the B bulb or T time setting. Set the lever/dial to B for bulb, T for time, I for instantaneous, set the speed dial to the desired shutter speed and cock the shutter. B- press the release lever to open the shutter, release the lever to close the shutter. T- press the release to open the shutter, press the release a second time to close the shutter.

Kodak Anastigmat f7.7 is in a Kodak ball bearing shutter. Focal length 170mm to 203mm. Probably off a folder that made post card size negatives or a similar size. Should be a good performer.

 

[Whiteymorange]

In other words you have a few very usable lenses should you decide to shoot a larger format negative than you currently do. The Anticomar should also cover 4x5, if you want it to. All you have to do now is start buying more equipment...larger equipment. It is a slippery slope, but the valley you fall into isn't an unpleasant place to be, honest. You just have to get used to thinking about gear, moving gear around your house, loading your car with gear, having the choices overwhelm you when you go out to shoot, talking about cameras with other denizens of the valley, lusting after that old, moldy 8 x 10 you saw in the basement of a distant relative, examining odd lenses and wondering what type of image they might make on a camera, designing lens boards, new backs, new film holders for whatever project is working away in your feverish little mind at any given time... No, it's not a bad place at all. You just have to be a little crazy, is all.

Come on in. The water is fine.

 

[pdeeh]

you'll start getting interested in shooting larger formats ... and these will then come in handy ... that tends to happen.

it certainly does ...

 

[Jiminee]

Thank you all for your help. Photography to me over the years has been very addictive. I started with film and progressed to more equipment. I started to develop film and print and my addiction grew.I upgraded my enlarger x2 and now that I am fully retired I will have more time. I never thoght about mounting the lens on an extension tube. I will try that and see what happens.It will give a good idea of the condition of the glass. They all look good to the naked eye. How would I go about building a large format body? Now you guys have me getting more inquisitive. I will have to do some research on that. I have the capabilities and resources to do this at home.
Thanks again. this is a GREAT site !

 

[winger]

If you're interested in building your own camera and doing some (perhaps) quirky stuff, look up the book "Primitive Photography" by Alan Greene. I'm pretty sure it's available on Amazon. He has basic plans there for building a camera and making some lenses. Or keep an eye on the classifieds here for something to start with. This is a pretty good group of film-using enablers.

 

[Whiteymorange]

group of film-using enablers.

Best description of this lot I've heard yet. Good choice of words, Bethe.

 

[shutterfinger]

It is a slippery slope

No, its a steep hill to climb, almost a mountain, that turns into the slippery slope once you crest it.
What makes it a steep hill you ask? The only auto exposure/focus system is that gray matter between your ears.

 

[jjphoto]

You mentioned you use 35mm film but didn't mention which camera you use. It might be possible to use some, maybe all, of these lenses on a 35mm body using suitable adapters. I've never used any of those specific lenses so I'm not sure what you can expect from them. If any of them have poor surfaces, ie cleaning marks/scratches, or have haze or fungus then your images may be quite soft and may not be worth the trouble.

All of these lenses will need some focusing mechanism such as a helicoid or bellows to enable infinity focus. I'm not sure it's worth the cost or effort but a cheap bellows might get you a long way down this track and it would probably be a bit of fun and a learning experience. I often use similar lenses on a digital 35mm body but there's no reason you can't do the same on a film body. See http://photocornucopia.com/1027.html for some examples of how to adapt enlarging or similar lenses with a helicoid or bellows. Some of these lenses might be too large to fit any M42 or similar bellows but there are other ways depending on how determined you are. I use a large format camera with a 35mm body at the rear for such difficult to adapt lenses.

 

[Ian Grant]

The f7.7 Kodak Anastigmat may well be a Dialyte it's probably a 170m and covers 5x4 it'll be off a postcard sized Kodak 3a. The lens cells fit Supermatic and Rapax shutters. Actually a very good lens excellent at all distances.

Ian

 

[winger]

Best description of this lot I've heard yet. Good choice of words, Bethe.

And you're one of them! I, uh, mean, one of US!

When I joined APUG, I was using medium format and still mostly 35mm. Now, I barely use the 35mm stuff and am even contemplating an 8x10 (I have two holders that I bought for pinhole stuff). I recently bought a new 4x5. I blame/thank APUG for the fact that I now have 4 working 4x5s, 3 or 4 folders that take 120 (6x6 and 6x9), and a few pinhole cameras that I didn't have before Jan '05. I started trying out 4x5 because I saw APUGers (Whitey and papagene included) using them at an outing and because someone gave me an old lens for 4x5. That lens still has not been used by me, but I've acquired all the other stuff partially because of it.

It may be a slippery slope or a wild ride, but it's a good way to use some brain cells and produce something you can be proud of. I like being able to say "I made this." And the added bonus of starting with an oddball piece of something and making a way to use it is lots of fun.

If nothing else, they are great little subjects for some still life shots. I hope none of this scares you off and that you find a cool way to use these lenses.

 

[Ian Grant]

Good to hear you're moving up formats Bethe. It's a few years since I went MF then LF and I've never looked back. I enjoy shooting 5x4 hand-held while in Turkey (I do use a tripod of permitted) and it's fun.

When it's not fun I'll stop

Ian

 

[Whiteymorange]

As I recall, Bethe, the outing your speaking of (with Art liam, etc. at the Quabbin) was just before my brain surgery. I had brought partial kits of three different formats, unable at that time to get my act together at all. I was lucky to have even found my way there! If you thought that looked like something you wanted to try, you were already well on your way to perdition and I had little to do with it. Papagene, on the other hand was cool, collected and efficient (god, I hate that guy!) He was, and is, a good example of a photographer who knows what he's doing and gets it done. He has saved my bacon, and my camera, more than once on a shoot (did I tell you how I hate that guy?). I suspect it was his example that made large format seem like a reasonable choice.

Still, years, and many cameras later, I too am very glad I went this route. Large-format photography is an experimenter's dream, filled with discovery, adventure and surprise. Using the brain cells, problem solving, creating in the moment... all of the above. It's worth the small amount of money you can spend to get started. Many items are free or almost free if you let people know you are looking for them.

After you get started, of course, you have to watch out you don't spend all of your money.

 

[John Koehrer]

I've tried a 135mm Tessar in leaf shutter mounted on the front of a bellows and got some neat results on ektachrome.
The problem may be the length of bellows needed. 6"+ for 180 @ infinity. Don't forget bellows factor either.

 

[winger]

Well, there was also a LF portrait day in Springfield (might have been my first get together) when the gallery was still in the old bank and there were a few LF prints hanging up. And the day at the Quabbin, something at your school (other than the show opening) - demos of different stuff, and the weekend down the Cape (might not have been much LF then, though). I think it was the day at the Quabbin that had a bunch to do with it, though, and Gene was doing his best to be an enabler.