Just won a Jamin Darlot Petzval lens...

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format
I just got a Jamin Darlot petzval lens, claimed to cover full-plate.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=320045544637&rd=1&rd=1

I figure for the price I can't go too far wrong. Anyone here have some more information on this lens? I'll be sending it off to SK Grimes for a flange unless I can lay my hands on a universal iris clamp thing. When I can get it set up, I'll put some film behind it and post the images...
 

photomc

Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2003
Messages
3,575
Location
Texas
Format
Multi Format
Congratulations, nice looking lens. Can't wait to see what it can do.
 

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
19,974
Location
Honolulu, HI
Format
Large Format
A friend of mine got a Darlot Petzval as well as a Voigtlander Petzval from a camera shop that had closed up. He traded some film for his Voigtlander. I don't know if he'd managed to use the Darlot, but it seemed pretty similar to the Voigtlander when we made a comparison side by side.

Does yours have a slot for Waterhouse stops? I got a flange and set of stops for mine from SK Grimes, and they came out great. It covers 8x10" at portrait distances. I posted a shot of the lens with stop and flange and an 8x10" Polaroid test shot in this thread about 3 pages in--

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
OP
OP

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format

I don't know if it has the slot or not - couldn't see one in the pics and they didn't mention it either, but some people don't know what that slot is for anyway. I'll certainly be sending it off to Grimes for a flange, and I'll ask them about doing the stops if it has the slot- if it doesn't, I'll see what they'd charge to put one in.
 

smieglitz

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
1,950
Location
Climax, Michigan
Format
Large Format
TheFlyingCamera said:
I just got a Jamin Darlot petzval lens, claimed to cover full-plate.
Click to expand...

The fact that both names Jamin and Darlot are present restricts this lens to a very brief timeframe. IIRC both names appeared from 1860 to 1861 on lenses and then when Darlot took over, the name Jamin was dropped the following and subsequent years,

Joe
 
OP
OP

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format

After doing some digging on the web, that's what I understand too. This one as far as I can tell ONLY has those words on it, no serial # or other vendor marks. It will be interesting to see what it is actually like when I get it home.
 

Ole

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Sep 9, 2002
Messages
9,245
Location
Bergen, Norway
Format
Large Format
No serial number, no maker's address? I thought Jamin & Darlot always put those on...

BTW, that size lens would probably be for half-plate or cabinet size. A full-plate Petzval would be about a foot long.
 
OP
OP

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format
Well, it is here in my hands now. It is HUGE. Almost 12" long. The rear element is a bit loose, and I can't adjust the retaining screw that holds it in (probably have to send it off to Grimes anyway). It is so big, even the larger iris I got won't fit it. It seems from my limited ability to discern to cover 8x10, or nearly so. No waterhouse slot either, so my guess is it was a magic lantern lens.
 

Rolleiflexible

Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
2,193
Location
Mars Hill, NC
Format
Multi Format
TheFlyingCamera said:
No waterhouse slot either, so my guess is it was a magic lantern lens.
Click to expand...

If you plan on shooting that monster, you might want to have Grimes machine a Waterhouse slot for you. I have been using a Hermagis Portrait lens, a Petzval lens with an iris, in 4x5 and 5x7. Even in those formats, the effect of the spherical focal plane is too pronounced wide-open to suit my needs as a portrait lens. In 8x10, you will have a hard time keeping both of your subject's eyes in focus without stopping down. I stop down the Hermagis to about f/10 and that gives me adequate focus across the eyes while still allowing the spherical focal plane to do its thing.

Sanders
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…