Wollensak 3 inch (75mm) f1.9 Oscillo Raptar 1:0.9x in Alphax Duty Shutter

I picked up this lens on a lark at a junk shop. It was in the front of a Analab 3621 Oscillosope Camera housing detached from the camera. It carried a "A.E.C." property tag (Atomic Energy Commission?) and was in less than stellar shape. I took it out of the lensboard and cleaned it up as best I could, but it has some pretty significant rubs on the front element.

Curious, I went to Ebay and was shocked to find this combo (no doubt in better optical condition) being sold for upwards of $300 USD!

OK, what have I missed? Seems of very limited use; why is it perceived to be so valuable?

Look again. The highest sold price for a 3"/1.9 Oscillo-Raptar now visible on eBay is $202. Still pretty absurd.

The lens, as you stated, is made for oscilloscope cameras. It is designed to image on the inner surface of a cathode ray tube on 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 film. In other words, it is designed to perform best close up. Yours is intended to work with a 'scope whose screen is 1.1 times the film's size,

People have tried to use these beasties as taking lenses on 4x5 cameras at distance. The consensus is that they're not worth bothering with. They're also not very good as macro lenses.

Oscillo-Raptars' main competitors in the US are Oscillo-Paragon lenses made by Ilex. 80/1.3 Oscillo-Paragons have brought silly money.

I don't know why people pay much for them. They're poor lenses and generally useless. Against this, some are fast and there seems to be a fast pig's ear cult.

I've bought 'scope lenses, sometimes even 'scope cameras complete, for their shutters. I have a very good Ilex Universal #3 that held an Oscillo-Paragon. Against that, I have a busted Alphax #3 with its 75/1.9 Oscillo-Raptar (marked 0.5x) holding my desk down and gathering dust.

Thanks; I thought as much.

Seems the lens market has gone insane; anything can be grafted onto a micro 4/3 camera and declared the "cat's meow"!

I was thinking of making an unusual LED gooseneck lamp out of mine...

I have tried one these Oscillo-Raptars on a M43 camera with less than stellar results.
Perhaps it's "magical" on full frame or MF mirrorless?

choiliefan said:

I have tried one these Oscillo-Raptars on a M43 camera with less than stellar results.
Perhaps it's "magical" on full frame or MF mirrorless?

Click to expand...

No, these things are crappy everywhere. There's a crappy lens cult whose members chant "Bokeh! Bokeh! Bokeh!"

They seem happy. Good for them. Remember, there's no accounting for, or disputing, tastes.

(posted before, I think)
Here is the raw exposure with the Ilex_Oscillo using a RH-10 back, with the lens focussed at about infinity.
https://app.box.com/s/4tnhnaytrml2vtfpbxxg
Note the fence below.

I corrected the image for 1/r^2 and 1/r^3 as I recall, and cropped away the vignette .
This image has the rectangular border visible, showing theextent of correction for the severe barrel distortion, and lack of sharpness even in centre.
https://app.box.com/s/gl0zrlu7aohiwdj8k395

Long ago I occasionally used such lenses for their intended purposes. For that they were adequate. A fast lens was often necessary to capture a fleeting spot on a cathode ray tube. The spot wasn't really sharp, so the lens didn't have to record detail. Owning such a fast lens may give someone bragging rights. Using one is less impressive.