wollensak 12" triple convertable

Does anyone know anything about this lens?

Ray Bidegain

hi ray -


i am not sure if the lens i have is the same one - but i have a wollensak 13-20-25 triple convertible lens. it is mounted in a betax#5 shutter and it can trip inbetween the marked shutter speeds. i have read that some people have had trouble with the lens not being sharp unless both elements are being used but i have not had any sharpness issues in all the various configurations the lens offers. i don 't enlarge 8x10, but do contact prints with paper and film so maybe sharpness hasn't really become an issue with me, i don't know. it has a large image circle and covers a 8x10 negative with ease.

-john

Ray, I have a Wolly triple. It's all black and my guess is it's from the mid 1920's. The era when brass went away and Model T's were just black black black. Anyway it's a triple. Rapid Rectilinear well after anastigmats had driven them to be "price leaders". I've made a few photos with it on the 5X7 Eastman. It's a pleasure to use as the shutter works like it came out of the factory yesterday. At F64 it produces a damn fine negative on 5X7. Sharp corner to corner which it wouldn't do on it's intended 8X10 format. Excellent contrast too. I think I paid about 60 bucks for it thinking I would put it on some scruffy old 8X10 and sell them together. But it has earned a place with my "keepers." Got a scan of what yours looks like. Mine has to be fired with an air bulb and tube.

Jim:

This one is not mine yet, it is all black like you said. I am trying to decide if I want it and how much it might be worth.

Ray