This lens if it is sold at all will go to an imager, not a collector. The images that I will show further down in the ad that were made with the lens will prove that it's imaging capability is full on Pinkham & Smith. Beyond that, it is among the rarest of the rare of Pinkhams.
This is a Pinkham & Smith Series IV Visual Quality #2b. There are lots of Series IV #2's and less Series IV #3's but there may in fact only be 2 Series IV #2b.
A Series IV #2b is a 13 1/4" f4 lens. It lives in a Wollensak Studio #4 shutter like the 14" #3. A normal Series IV #2 lives in a STudio No. 3 shutter and is a magnitude smaller in size.
You've already gasped at the amount of damage. The only back story I have is that this lens was bought in 1991 by a San Diego photographer from the late Pinkham's widow. No one knows how it incurred it's damage. Did the photographer pull up to the Grand Canyon rim in his new Model A coupe in 1931 and get a bit too close to the edge? Or did a Soft Focus Widow take a hammer to it? I know, I should have hired Dagor 77 to come up with a suitable tale.
Never-the-less, it is what it is. Besides the BIG damage to the front light, the rear glass has a good size scuff. Add to that the shutter is completely gutted. OK, now we're getting down to $1300 bucks instead of the $4400 a more common Series IV #3 fetched on Ebay within the past month.
If you've read this far, I hope you'll look at the comparison images made with this lens and an identical (2 serial numbers different!) #2b last weekend. These are un-retouched scans. If I were going to be the long range user, I could improve most of the flare loss you see by painting out the crack with black paint. That and bumping the asa of the film by 1/3 to 1/2 stop would make the 2 lenses virtual equals.
Of course putting the crack in the rear where it's not seen would be less heart stopping, but for real practical use, I'm afraid it probably needs to stay in the front. That said, I did not test it in the back, it was in the front when I made the photos.
$1299. Wise Crackers, have at me. You'll only be bumping my sale......
Yes, I'm serious as a heart attack.
This is a Pinkham & Smith Series IV Visual Quality #2b. There are lots of Series IV #2's and less Series IV #3's but there may in fact only be 2 Series IV #2b.
A Series IV #2b is a 13 1/4" f4 lens. It lives in a Wollensak Studio #4 shutter like the 14" #3. A normal Series IV #2 lives in a STudio No. 3 shutter and is a magnitude smaller in size.
You've already gasped at the amount of damage. The only back story I have is that this lens was bought in 1991 by a San Diego photographer from the late Pinkham's widow. No one knows how it incurred it's damage. Did the photographer pull up to the Grand Canyon rim in his new Model A coupe in 1931 and get a bit too close to the edge? Or did a Soft Focus Widow take a hammer to it? I know, I should have hired Dagor 77 to come up with a suitable tale.
Never-the-less, it is what it is. Besides the BIG damage to the front light, the rear glass has a good size scuff. Add to that the shutter is completely gutted. OK, now we're getting down to $1300 bucks instead of the $4400 a more common Series IV #3 fetched on Ebay within the past month.
If you've read this far, I hope you'll look at the comparison images made with this lens and an identical (2 serial numbers different!) #2b last weekend. These are un-retouched scans. If I were going to be the long range user, I could improve most of the flare loss you see by painting out the crack with black paint. That and bumping the asa of the film by 1/3 to 1/2 stop would make the 2 lenses virtual equals.
Of course putting the crack in the rear where it's not seen would be less heart stopping, but for real practical use, I'm afraid it probably needs to stay in the front. That said, I did not test it in the back, it was in the front when I made the photos.
$1299. Wise Crackers, have at me. You'll only be bumping my sale......
Yes, I'm serious as a heart attack.