Not-so-Wideangleman...'bogus' Hypergon on ebay.

Huw C

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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380144410416&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Before you drop your hard earned thousands......please do a bit of research. Definately not the ultrawide Goerz Berlin Hypergon with 130 degress coverage. Rather, a 90 degrees coverage mapping and rectigraphic lens with a fixed f22 aperture. Some poor fool has already bid $551.

I contacted the seller (wideangleman), but got absolutely no response. I've previouly had my suspicions about them, but now they're going straight on to my blocked sellers list. No point in letting ebay know as they doing nothing, and wouldn't know the difference anyway, so I'm letting folks on apug know. This is just plain lying.
 

matt miller

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I've had bad luck with this seller too. One time I bought a 5x7 Rittreck from him off ebay. It came shipped in a shoe box with bubble wrap taped to the outside of the box. None inside. The camera had damage because of it. geez.
 

phfitz

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Too damn bad it is clearly engraved 'Goerz Hypergon' instead of 'Goerz Rectigon'.

Oh well.
 
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Huw C

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phfitz said:
Too damn bad it is clearly engraved 'Goerz Hypergon' instead of 'Goerz Rectigon'.

Oh well.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can read too. My issue with the auction isn't the name though, but the faulty description, and the fact that he doesn't care to amend it. Dollar signs in your eyes will do that.

There were two hypergon lenses. One was the ultrawide lens with 130+ degrees coverage, made by Goerz Berlin and later by Zeiss (after they bought out Goerz Berlin in the 20's). A very valuable lens, and quite distinctive with it's bulging elements, having the appearance of two halves of a marble set into an aperture.

The other was made by Goerz USA, and is a rather different, much less exotic beastie. To quote directly from a 1959 Goerz USA catalogue: "Goerz Hypergon f22 or f32 fixed stop. A special lens for mapping, plotting and rectifying equipment, for military and industrial applications. Focal lengths 127mm, 135mm, 168mm. Coverage 90 degrees. Special sizes to order." Just like the Hypergon for auction.

As far as I am aware, Goerz USA never made or sold the ultrawide type Hypergon, only Goerz Berlin and Zeiss did.

I pointed this out to the seller, but like I said, he doesn't seem to care. I just thought I'd give a heads up to folks who might otherwise be duped.
 

goamules

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I bought a lens lot from this seller about a year ago. The main lens, the one I wanted, was missing from the package. It took weeks of emails between him and his assistants to finally get a small refund for that one lens. I'd pointed out the missing one was the most valuable of the lot, and that I wanted xxx dollars back. I sent him a guesstimate breakdown of what each was worth, including the missing one.

He said, "These are in no way worth that much...I'm a dealer and know...etc." Later, obviating his point, he argued that all the other ones that I did get were "worth way more than you paid..." so I should be happy with my "deal" even missing the one lens. Literally. After weeks of pinging to see if they'd "found" the "lost" lens (they would always say they were looking for it, and would get right back to me - but never did), I finally got a few bucks back.
 

Sirius Glass

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The bid is at $787 now!

Steve
 

Terence

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I love that he has two negative feedbacks for the same item, a 10x12 film holder that he OBVIOUSLY misrepresented a SECOND time.

Burning at the stake is too good for folks like this. Thank god, the internet brought back lynch mobs
 

BradS

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I got burned by this guy too...it is irritating that he is still up to his usual dishonest crap.
 

MattKing

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AgX

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But even me who I ain't a lens buff at all realized immediately from that photo that this is not that renown 130° lens...
 

panoramic

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I have a 127mm Hypergon lens with "Hypergon Japan" engraved on it. It is definitely a "modern" lens (my guess is 1950's). The barrel housing blocks the extreme angle of view, but I believe it could be cut back on a lathe. Right now it covers about the same as my 75mm Berlin Hypergon.

The 127 should be a cheap lens since it needs to be modified. The elements look like the Berlin glass so if it were fitted with a smaller stop it should be good though.

Ron in Alaska
 
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Huw C

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Well, it may be a similar design, but I am certain it doesn't have anywhere near the coverage of the ultrawide type. That would be just plain stupid on the part of Goerz. Why on earth would they make a 130 degree lens (which is by no means easy to make) only to mount it in a barrel that vignettes at 90 degrees? A wide angle double gauss design would make much more sense.

Ron, could you count the reflections on your lens, front and rear, and perhaps look at the lens curves, so we might discover the actual design?
 
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