The Lieber Co., 8x10 Portrait Lens f1.5

[kennethwajda]

Is this an f1.5 lens for an 8x10 camera? Is this any good?

 

[B.S.Kumar]

This lens has U.S. stops, where the US f/16 = conventional f/16. So, US f/8 = f/11, US f/4 = f/8, US f/2 = f/5.6, US f/1 = f/4. This lens is about f/4.5.
Whether it is a good lens, I'll let experts chime in.

Kumar

 

[AnselMortensen]

Hubba hubba!
That's beautiful.
That has to be the "US"- system of aperture markings, no way is that f1.5.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

f-stop = focal length / front diameter

Well, not exactly, but close enough for photrio work.

If this is a 12" lens, about normal for an 8x10 camera, and if it were an f 1.5 lens, then:

front diameter = focal length / f-stop = 12" / 1.5 = 8" -- Pretty huge for a camera lens.

As Mr. Kumar has stated - this lens isn't marked in modern f-stops.

f 4.5 is a very respectable, and very large, aperture for a 12" lens.

 

[kennethwajda]

This lens has U.S. stops, where the US f/16 = conventional f/16. So, US f/8 = f/11, US f/4 = f/8, US f/2 = f/5.6, US f/1 = f/4. This lens is about f/4.5.
Whether it is a good lens, I'll let experts chime in.

Kumar

Ah, I see. Thank you!

 

[kennethwajda]

Hubba hubba!
That's beautiful.
That has to be the "US"- system of aperture markings, no way is that f1.5.

Right? That's what I was thinking!

 

[kennethwajda]

f-stop = focal length / front diameter

Well, not exactly, but close enough for photrio work.

If this is a 12" lens, about normal for an 8x10 camera, and if it were an f 1.5 lens, then:

front diameter = focal length / f-stop = 12" / 1.5 = 8" -- Pretty huge for a camera lens.

As Mr. Kumar has stated - this lens isn't marked in modern f-stops.

f 4.5 is a very respectable, and very large, aperture for a 12" lens.

Yes, the front element may have been about 5" across max. I see now. Thanks.

 

[bdial]

It's certainly pretty, and likely good.
My first 35mm camera, a used Nikkormat, came from Lieber's, circa 1968.

 

[ic-racer]

Not much good for photography without a shutter.

 

[ntenny]

Not much good for photography without a shutter.

Pshaw. Packard, Galli shutter, hat—lots of options.

-NT

 

[BCM]

We has the same lens in a studio class I taught. It was ok for less-sharp images and did a nice job on more vintage looks. We used it on 4x5 and don't remember if it had fall-off issues.

 

[Jim Andrada]

Shutter??? What's wrong with a Derby hat? Or your hand. Or a dark slide? Or a two dark slide Galli shutter for that matter?

 

[jimgalli]

It's an excellent Bausch & Lomb produced petzval portrait lens. Probably about 15" focus f5 maximum aperture. Beautiful lenses. Get it if you can.