Voightlander & Sohn 5 (24" f8)

Well, despite all efforts to curb my addiction and NOT pick up old barrel lens.....another has come my way. It is a Voightlander & Sohn 5. I calculate it to be a 24 inch lens with an f8 aperture. It did come with one waterhouse stop which calucates at being f12. I am still trying to get a flange for it...approximately 3.58 inches with course threads, so that I can try it out. Anyone out there have a spare flange of these size? Please let me know.

In the meanwhile, any lens gurus who have any insight, praise, dire predictions, etc. as to what this puppy will do, please let me know.

I also have two 12" Voightlander & Sohn lens (like what they produce) and also a 15" Voightlander Euryscop #4 (still playing with it).....But I seem to like these Voightlander & Sohn lens as much as my Dallmeyer Patent lens.

All observations and thoughts are appreciated. Thank you and may one and all have a Safe and Happy New Year.

Jon

There have been lots of different "Voigtländer & Sohn" lenses, in lots of different "Series", with lots of diffent names and designs.

First of all: Is it a "Wien", "Wien und Braunschweig", or just "Braunschweig" lens? That makes dating it a lot easier.

Is there any other designation or number on the barrel?

F:8 would indicate an Aplanat, but most of those were named "Euryskop" in some variant of spelling. Also those "series" tended to start at pretty short lenses, so a #5 would normally not be more than 420mm to 480mm focal length - a step longer than your Euryscop #4, in fact...

Ole, it is a barrel lens which has a "5." near the front lens/lenshade. No. 25028, then the waterhouse slot, "Voightlander & Sohn," "Wien," then next line "Braunschweig".

The lens focuses from an image on the wall to the rear cell 24 inches and to the front cell 28 inches. The diameter of the lens is 3 inches.

Again, I have not been able to get it setup on the Deardorff for my adjustable iris flange is just a hair too narrow and I do not have a flange for it.

Thanks again for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Jon

I was reading somewhere that one technique for mounting a lens that you do not have a flange for, is to cut a lensboard a little loose, then line it with felt, (glued to the inside of the opening) and screw the lens into the felt. Of course you could also cut the lensboard tight, and screw the lens right into the wood.

The measurements seem to fit a Rapid Euryscope Serie VI no. 5A; which would be a 24" f:7.75. Coverage was (in 1890, yours is older) rated to 17x20" at smaller stops, 16x18" wide open. It seems as if the "A" in the number was not engraved on the lenses, not was any of the other information. Just "Voigtländer & Sohn, Wien und Braunschweig", the serial number, and the number in the series.

So everything fits well enough that I would say we've found it!

BTW, I still believe it's an Aplanat (AKA "Rapid Rectilinear"). Even if my 1890 catalogue doesn't say so. It's just the simplest explanation that fits the description.

I search all over the net and my bookshelf for something, and eventually find it on my own harddisk:

Ole, thank you for your assistance. I truly appreciate you sharing your wealth of knowledge and research sources. Another mystery solved by a fellow apugger ....Love this site!

In looking closer at my "5" Voightlander lens and my "4" lens, neither have an "A" designation by their number, but the "4" has inscripted on the barrel "Euryscope." My "4. Euryscope" has ssn 30922 so it would seem that it is "newer" than my "5" Euryscope which is ssn 25028. Both of these barrel lens have the same Voightlander maker inscriptions. My "5" Voightlander just does not have the "Euryscope" or the "A" designation.

A closer examination of my "4" Euryscope lens...shows that it appears to have the same lens confirguation as my "5" Voightlander.

Thank you again. Jon