Old enlarger lens

[naeroscatu]

Some one sent me this old enlarger lens called Maximus No.2. The exact writing on the lens is in french and can be seen in the picture attached. Any one knows if this lens has any value other than display. thanks

 

[nze]

This may be an old double anastigmat. " objectif double" was often use for double anastigmat lens. You take one of the cell out ond you should still have an "sharp" image at about 1 1/2 the original lens focal.

 

[naeroscatu]

Thank you Chris; I would eventually cannibalize it if it proves to have no collectable value.

 

[pgomena]

It might be a lantern slide projector lens rather than an enlarger lens. Folks like to use projector lenses on large format cameras for interesting pictorial effects.
Peter Gomena

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I was going to suggest it may be a magic lantern projection lens as well.
Looks nice, can you mount it on something? I've one that is a petzval, barely fits on a 4x5 speed graphic. Takes very pretty pictures.

 

[naeroscatu]

Thanks Phillip, good idea. I do have a Crown Graphic, I will have to find a way to screw in the lens to the lens board because it has the threads on the inside. Probably find or build some adaptor.

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Are you using the metal graflex lensboard? I use plastic, harvested from anything that is opaque and flat. Flat black ABS sheeting is perfect, hobby-grade plywood from the hobby shop would even work if you had a few tools.

I take the plastic and a metal lensboard without lens, trace an outline onto the plastic. Then I take my trusty dremel and just grind out the board.
Then I bevel the top and bottom edges where the sliding lensboard lock would cover, sort of like /--------LENS-------\
if that makes any sense. I've held lenses in with those adjustable plumbing straps that you tighten with a screw, duct tape, epoxy, you name it.
If you get the lens hole a bit snug, usually you can just screw the lens into the hole and it won't budge. Heck, hot glue would probably hold it in and it would be reversible.

I know it sounds sloppy (it certainly can be) but it works. It works well enough for me that most of my lenses are mounted like this.