This is for the antique humongobrass lens sort of folk

[sun of sand]

I went to an auction tonight and saw this huge freakin' brass lens
Outside brass not in great cosmetic shape ..lots of scratches
Glass looked very good. no dust inside but lots outside, no fungus etc
It must have been 11-14 inches in length with glass about 4 1/2? inches wide

Rapid Portrait F-5
Series III, I believe? Not quite remembering now
I believe the makers name was "F.E. Adams" or something along those lines
pretty sure it was Adams

Had glass in front and back so not a meniscus but didn't count reflections
or try to estimate focal length


1 Waterhouse stop that was around 1 1/2 inch wide (about 40% the glass diameter ..I figure like f16 for large groups or something

Came with about a 6 inch lensboard


I didn't have enough money on me after buying other cameras and kodak spotting color sets/oil paints
Sold for $70 and I kicked myself home ..gentleman didn't want to sell, either



Just wondering. I would have outbid the guy otherwise ..they were dropping like flies at around $50

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

After my $90.00 Darlot, I said no more lenses....... at least for now!!

Jim

 

[sun of sand]

Hey, that's a big one, too. Not as big as the one that isn't mine -sounds like the old big fish that got away story

..and you received no replies on it? well, maybe it's just getting a bit old on the forums these brass lens threads

I won't go to another auction with less than $100 again!

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I have to stop looking! Now that I'm out of money I'd better stop looking or it gets really crazy when a great deal comes along. These big brass lenses are great and if people don't want to pick them up I'm sure you and I will. As far as mine goes I'm mounting it to a lens board today and I'll shoot with it on Saturday. With a little work the beat up lens is great. The glass is almost perfect.

Jim

 

[gandolfi]

it would be nice to see images of the lenses in question...

I have a biggy.. (see picture)

it is 28cm tall - 15 cm wide (11x6) and weighs 8kg's!!

the image circle is surprisingly small - max 8x10...

and the only camera I have that is big enough (and sturdy enough) to carry it is a 12x16 gandolfi - far bigger than the lens requires....

 

[sun of sand]

I have to stop looking! Now that I'm out of money I'd better stop looking or it gets really crazy when a great deal comes along. These big brass lenses are great and if people don't want to pick them up I'm sure you and I will. As far as mine goes I'm mounting it to a lens board today and I'll shoot with it on Saturday. With a little work the beat up lens is great. The glass is almost perfect.

Jim

I know. I don't even have a camera for such a lens ..So I would have then been forced to get one
LOL a camera came up on craigslist last night, too
I'm lucky it was a seneca camera city view 6.5x8.5 or else it would have seemed just too cruel

 

[sun of sand]

it would be nice to see images of the lenses in question...

I have a biggy.. (see picture)

it is 28cm tall - 15 cm wide (11x6) and weighs 8kg's!!

the image circle is surprisingly small - max 8x10...

and the only camera I have that is big enough (and sturdy enough) to carry it is a 12x16 gandolfi - far bigger than the lens requires....

This one looked quite similar to that one.
I think the lens board was more 8x8 now that I think about it
Printed lettering not script and more info written on it than yours, it seems
I remember Series III or maybe a b somewere and maybe there was a 7 haha
It once was used with a packard shutter or whatever as there were remains of a bulb hose in the same box
It was a nice lens ..not at all ugly cosmetically, just not museum quality.
Glass was perfect or close enough to it.

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Well, I got mine on my Seneca 8x10 and it sure looks nice. I will try it out on the 11x14 camera I built this weekend to check coverage. The Seneca holds it easily and I'm not sure about the 11x14. I had the front standard different than my Seneca but we will see.

Jim

 

[sun of sand]

"this weekend"
?

..what are you doing nex

At least someone got a neat lens to try out

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Sunday I have a Portrait/Nude workshop. I hope to use a couple of my lenses for this. The camera is at the studio and if my lens fits I will use it there. What else to build....... I have some ideas!!

Jim

 

[jimgalli]

Just as well. Another addiction narrowly averted.

 

[sun of sand]

I was wrong on a few details
I still think the lens is longer than some 8 inches. My hand length is that.

Anyway
I FOUND IT ON EBAY the other day doing a random crawl
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-RAPID-PORTRAIT-8X10-F-5-BRASS-CAMERA-LENS_W0QQitemZ250276282713QQihZ015QQcategoryZ3323QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



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