I mounted a 120 yo Magic Lantern lens to my camera.

Stolk

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Aug 3, 2025
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I thought people here might appreciate this:

I took a Williams Brown & Earle (Philadelphia) lens from a Magic Lantern and used it on my DIY ULF camera and made a photograph.

I think it may have been a rebadged Darlot? As Williams Brown & Earle typically used Darlot on the Magic Lanterns that they sold In the US.

Here is a video I made of the process.

 

Ian Grant

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Aug 2, 2004
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When J.H. Dallmeyer introduced the Rapid Rectilinear lens in 1866 it largely killed the market for Petzval lenses, except as portrait lenses. As a consequence, many were sold off as projector lenses because they are 2 stops ir more faster than the typical f5 RR lenses,. Dallmeyer had also improved the Petzval design in 1860, correcting many of the aberrations, so there are no swirly effects with his Petzval lenses..

Williams, Brown, & Earle were importers of scientific and photographic equipment, from the UK & France, from 1885, They were agents for Beck & Darlot lenses,Darlot as brand disappeared in 1901, In the 1888 BJP Almanac, Darlot is selling RR lens cells that can used in Petzval barrels of some of his. Think more like late 1880s, 1890s, in terms of that lens' age.

I'm lucky my Dallmeyer 2B Petztval is listed with its serial number by the Dallmeyer archives, so I have a definitive date 1864, of manufacture.

Petzval projector lenses based on improved designs remain in use.

Welcome to Photrio BTW.

Ian
 
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