well, this could make me not buying lens for a while or maybe not:)

[highpeak]

Got a bunch of them. Just want to show them off and ask some questions.
These lenses are mainly for my up-coming whole plate camera.

First one is a little Dallmeyer wide angle, covers 8X10, focal length 6.25", glass is perfect, my question is what kind of performer is it? I know, I know, I will test it, but it would be nice if you guys can let me know what should I expect from this lens.
here is the pic

Next up is a extreme wide angle for whole plate, it has a wheel with differ size openings, glass is ok, some dust inside, the screw inside is little loose. Does anyone know how to take the lens cell out?
here are several pics

This is big one, a 12" dagor in Ilex #4 shutter! The glass is coated, but the coating showed some degree of degradation. My question is how should I clean it, is the old coating very soft? Am I going to damage it further by just use normal lens cleaning stuff?

The last one is another little dagor, 150mm F6.8, rear lens cell has a air bubble in it. My question is what kind of shutter I can put it in?

I know it's a lot of questions, but I am so excited, can't resist to ask. Thanks for the help.

Alex W.

 

[jd callow]

nice score...

 

[Mark Sawyer]

I have a Nehring Extreme Wide Angle that looks extremely similar to yours. I think it's about 125mm in focal length, and covers 8x10 at infinity. B/W contact prints made at smaller f/stops are quite sharp even in the corners, and the lens has a generally nice feel to it.

The 12" Dagor has too early a serial number to be factory coated (I think; hard to say for sure as the particular "Goerz" who made this isn't identified),, so that's probably either "bloom" or a later coating. It looks like someone tried to make a "gold-rim" dagor by stripping tjhe black coating off the glass. But it still should be a very nice lens to use.

 

[Jim Noel]

I regularly use a similar 12" Dagor on my 7x17. Great coverage when stopped down.
I also use a 6" Dagor on my 5x7 with same results. It will cover 8x10 when I choose to move it over.
The previous responder is correct that someone tried to emulate a "Golden" Dagor by removing the paint. They are terrific lenses.

 

[Anscojohn]

FWIW, re: the 150 Dagor. The received wisdom in my early days in photography in the 1950s was that such a bubble was a sign of quality glass and had no impact whatsoever, except for a miniscule, undetectable, decrease om contrast.

John, Mount Vernon, Virginia, USA

 

[highpeak]

;597556. It looks like someone tried to make a "gold-rim" dagor by stripping tjhe black coating off the glass. But it still should be a very nice lens to use.

Mark, thanks for the input, but I don't think the owner try to make it looks like a gold rim dagor, it's just a sign of wear because of it's age. The owner told me he add the shutter for the lens later on and maybe then he decide to coat it also.

 

[jimgalli]

I think, but am not positive, that the Dallmeyer is the same as my Cooke WA f6.5. A double gauss wide field affair that is one of my favorites. I would venture that performance would be very close as Dallmeyer and Cooke were Ford and Chevy in those years. My Cooke is quite susceptible to flare out of doors. It really shines on interior shots. It has a very crisp sculptured look quite different from say a modern Super Angulon. Dagor's are dagor's. Always reliable. I don't know about your shutter question. As to your other little Ex WA. I raise my eyebrows at the bright white lettering behind the glass. Seems like asking for trouble. It may have been a cheapy even when new. Both cells should spin out of the smaller center barrel that has the aperture wheel. Then they may come apart further to seperate the individual cells for cleaning. Be careful. Don't mix them up.

 

[highpeak]

Thanks, Jim and John. I can't wait to test them on film.

 

[highpeak]

As to your other little Ex WA. I raise my eyebrows at the bright white lettering behind the glass. Seems like asking for trouble. It may have been a cheapy even when new. Both cells should spin out of the smaller center barrel that has the aperture wheel. Then they may come apart further to seperate the individual cells for cleaning. Be careful. Don't mix them up.

I will try my best not to damage it when I try to pry the lens cell out.
As for the bright letter, they are not that bright really. Thanks, Jim

Alex W.

 

[Dan Fromm]

I think, but am not positive, that the Dallmeyer is the same as my Cooke WA f6.5. A double gauss wide field affair that is one of my favorites. I would venture that performance would be very close as Dallmeyer and Cooke were Ford and Chevy in those years. My Cooke is quite susceptible to flare out of doors. It really shines on interior shots. It has a very crisp sculptured look quite different from say a modern Super Angulon. <snip>

Jim, there's just something about the Cooke Ser. VIIb. I don't know what it is. The VM is considerably more positive about it than the roughly equivalent Dallmeyer and Wray wide angles. You're starting to sound like eBay sellers who try to portray, um, ersatz as as good as the real thing.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[jimgalli]

Jim, there's just something about the Cooke Ser. VIIb. I don't know what it is. The VM is considerably more positive about it than the roughly equivalent Dallmeyer and Wray wide angles. You're starting to sound like eBay sellers who try to portray, um, ersatz as as good as the real thing.

Cheers,

Dan

Dan, I've paid very dearly for 3 of the Cooke Series VIIb's and have never owned a Dallmeyer. That same "something" is present in every Cooke lens I own. They just sparkle. Maybe I'll talk up the Dallmeyer so I can afford my next Cooke. :rolleyes:

 

[RobertP]

Jim, My 16 1/2" 1903 Dagor (that was before they actually started calling them Dagor) Has about 3 small bubbles in the rear cell out near the edge. They have never been a problem and I have heard it being considered quality glass way-back-when these were made. Naturally mine is very old and uncoated but it has a character all its own wide open and doesn't start to get really sharp to the edges on my 8x20 and 12x20 until f32. I love that old lens and it is a good focal length for my old Korona 12x20 banquet that only has 24" of bellows. Robert

 

[RobertP]

Jim, I have an old pretty rough Dallmeyer 3A.. f4 that I use for wet plate. The hood is beat up, the front element shows separation and it still takes great photos. Lots of charater for wet plate. I was thinking about sending it off and having it cleaned up and recemented but I'm afraid to do anything to it for fear of changing how it sees/looks. Robert

 

[phfitz]

highpeak,

If you go to:

U-NEHRING-N-Y-Interchangeable-wide-angle-lens-cells

you can see what they should look like apart.

Nothing to do with the auction, just saw it.

 

[Ole]

The little Nehring looks like it might be a WA Rectilinear, in which case there is nothing more to dismantle when the cells are removed from the barrel.

Some of the WA Rectilinears perform surprisingly well, even if I believe the WW Aplanats are visibly sharper.

 

[highpeak]

highpeak,

If you go to:

U-NEHRING-N-Y-Interchangeable-wide-angle-lens-cells

you can see what they should look like apart.

Nothing to do with the auction, just saw it.

Thanks, phfitz, I tried to take the cell from the barrel, but very hard to do, so I have to figure out how to remove it, I am sure it will looks like in the aution.

 

[highpeak]

The little Nehring looks like it might be a WA Rectilinear, in which case there is nothing more to dismantle when the cells are removed from the barrel.

Some of the WA Rectilinears perform surprisingly well, even if I believe the WW Aplanats are visibly sharper.

Well, I'll tape this thing to my 4X5 and do some test with it. Hope it's a good one

Alex W.