Schulze & Billerbech & removal of coating specs.

[JLP]

It's not a Gandolfi that's for sure:rolleyes: but, it's an 8x10 and i just had to give it a try since 4x5 is a bit small for contact printing alternative processes.
Picked up a nice B&J as a start and it came with a 9.5" 5,6 Schulze & Billerbeck Eyroplan IIF i an Alphax shutter.
The lens looks pretty good but it has some small speck on the front element. Cleaning don't change anything but i have a feeling that it could be from a coating. As far as i know Burke & James did get older lenses coated and put their little sticker on them.
My question is two fold. Does anyone know how to remove those specs if it is what's left of a coating and does anyone have information on the S&B lenses in addition to what is already written in the VM. It looks like a Dialyte but i am not sure.
Thanks much for any information you can give.

jan

 

[jacobus]

Jan,
the EURYPLAN SERIE II does not belong to the group of dialyte-type lenses ( 4 lenses in 4 grops like the Dogmar, Artar etc). It's a symmetrical 6 lens in 4 groups design quite similar to the plasmat. Front and rear outer lenses are cemented doublets followed on each side by an air-spaced meniscus with its concave surface towards the stop. There are some remarkable things about this lens:
Its designer was Ernst Arbeit to whom the patent was granted in 1901and who varied the design for what became the CLARON ANASTIGMAT, manufactured by Schneider Kreuznach beginning 1911. Both designs - the "Ur"-Claron and the Euryplan - are the immediate ancestors of the Plasmat as Paul Rudolph's patent application clearly shows.

The Enyclopedia Britannica of 1911 attested apochromatic correction to the Euryplan which may have been too optimistic for a design with 4 of 6 lenses made of the same glass type and being rather fast plus convertible and covering an angle of 80°. Anyway, this lens is more than good ( and I'm such an addict now that I have collected 10 components providing a focal range from 9.7 - 51cm.

The first Euryplan lenses were produced by Schulze Brothers, then Schulze & Billerbeck first in Potsdam (1905), then in Berlin (1906) ; in 1910 the firm moved to Göerlitz, a small town with 23 camera manufacturers at that time, where it was sold to HUGO MEYER in 1911. For a while Euryplan lenses were produced and offered both under the name of Meyer and Schulze & Billerbeck. From 1916 onwards all Euryplans were labeled Meyer.

Sorry, this got lengthy. But if you need more information ( f.i. for converting iris diameters in stops) please send a pm.

 

[JLP]

Hi Jacobus,
Thank you for a very intersting history about this company and the lens too.
It looks sharp on the ground glass but since 8x10 is new i can only use 4x5 as a reference. Should be getting some film on Friday and i can't wait to see what this looks like. The lens is in an Alphax shutter so i assume that the f scale is correct as it is but time will tell. Glass is clean except from those small circular specs which i am guessing could be whats left of a B&J coating.
I need to check but if it a convertible the deal was even better.
Thanks.

jan

 

[waynecrider]

Did you by chance take a loupe to the lens with the lens held at an angle to the sun. Maybe what your seeing is something else.

 

[JLP]

Did not but against a halogen light in my office and what i first tought were circular specs is now more randomly formed shiny dot's. Don't think it is fungus, as far as i know fungus does not appear to be shiny? Don't know what else it could be.
I did check the lens after Jacobus mention the convertible and it appears to be a tripple convertible so that is a nice surprice. Just need to figure the focal length and the f. stops now.
Thanks Wayne.

 

[patrickjames]

I seem to recall that surfaces of old lenses "tarnish" as they age giving the appearance of a coating (and having the same effect). This is what it sounds like to me. I have seen many an old lens with this type of surface. I would not worry about it, as I doubt you will ever see any difference in the images. If it in fact is a coated lens then you should leave it alone unless you want to have it recoated, which ain't cheap. I guess what I am trying to say is don't do anything about it and enjoy the lens (and camera).

Hope this helps.

Patrick

 

[JLP]

Patrick, The lens does have that little "tarnish" but the specs i have been curious about are just small shiny reflections looking at the front element at an angle. Looking through the lens from the rear i don't see them.
Just got some film today and will be enjoying that 100 year old piece of glass like it was a new CALLMESHARP SSS. XL
Thanks.

jan

 

[petesk]

I'd say you've got a little lens separation - tiny bubbles between the cemented elements. I've got an old 240mm S-K with the same thing. Despite that it's still one of my sharpest lenses (at least on 5x7).
pete

 

[JLP]

That is a very likely fact. Had a chance to expose 4 sheets on Saturday and i don't see any evidence of the imperfections on the front elements. Realize that i should not stick it up against the sun and expect the same.
Quite impressed with this lens so far. Amazing what they could do at least 90 years ago.
Thanks.

jan