Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat f6.3 No.4 question

MenacingTourist · Aug 3, 2005

I recently won this Century No.2 5x7 and it came with a Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat f6.3 No.4. It's in a B&L compound shutter that fires well enough for me to send to Flutot's for repair.

Can anyone tell me the focal distance of this lens or anything else about it?

Thanks as usual

Alan.

Dan Fromm · Aug 3, 2005

What's to tell? Its a pre-US entry into WWI B&L f/6.3 tessar made under license from Carl Zeiss and sold to Kodak. Maximum aperture f/6.3, supposedly covers more and is in general better than if f/4.5 contemporary.

The best way to find its focal length is to measure it. Go measure.

I suggest this in part because based on my limited experience -- I have one in barrel, s/n 1733784 -- the numbers, e.g., No. 4, on "Kodak" lenses don't match those on corresponding B&L lenses as can be found at www.cameraeccentric.com. And I haven't found a Kodak-specific table linking "number" to format or focal length. FWIW, I measured my Zeiss Kodak f/6.3 #4 at 7" +/- a little.

MenacingTourist · Aug 3, 2005

Thanks Dan. Now how do I measure? I'm new at this

Claire Senft · Aug 3, 2005

Focus on infinity and measure from the center of the shutter to the ground glass.

MenacingTourist · Aug 4, 2005

Thanks Claire

Ole · Aug 4, 2005

I found an elegant way of measuring the focal length of any lens, including tele constructions:

In an othewise unlit room I taped a sheet of white paper to the wall opposite of the window. I drew one vertical line on the paper. I then focus the image of the window on the paper, line up one edge with the line, and draw a line down the other edge.

Having a few lenses of known length halps a lot, of course - any lens will do!

Make a curve of focal length vs. width of window image, interpolate to find the unknown lenses.

Half an hour's fumbling about with lenses and I had a neat list!

Ole · Aug 4, 2005

I posted that bit as an article (slightly expanded), to make it easier to find.

MenacingTourist · Aug 17, 2005

Cable release mystery

Our talented Carol at Flutot's has informed me while performing a CLA on this shutter that it takes a rather hard/impossible to find cable release. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what type it takes and where I could find one? See third picture on original post if you're interested.

Carol has been using a paper clip to test it but I think I might lose some street cred if I was seen using one in the field

I'm waiting Ole...(heh-heh )

Ole · Aug 17, 2005

Alan,
That's a US made shutter. I know the German made Compounds, but not those license products...

All my old shutters (1910 and newer) take standard cable releases!

MenacingTourist · Aug 17, 2005

Well, it was worth a shot
Maybe one of the US guys will shed some light on this when they get up.

df cardwell · Aug 17, 2005

Hard to see the picture clearly, but it looks like a simple air hose and bulb arrangement.

jimgalli · Aug 17, 2005

Alan, the 'cable release' will be a hollow tubing with a bulb on the end. Air trapped in said tubing and bulb will when the bulb is squeezed force a piston in the shutter forward and thus trip the timed sequence. This will please your onlookers to no end and folks with Nikon FM's and other similar ilk will say "Gosh, so that's where the 'B' came from"

bobfowler · Aug 17, 2005

MenacingTourist said:
Our talented Carol at Flutot's has informed me while performing a CLA on this shutter that it takes a rather hard/impossible to find cable release. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what type it takes and where I could find one? See third picture on original post if you're interested.

Carol has been using a paper clip to test it but I think I might lose some street cred if I was seen using one in the field

I'm waiting Ole...(heh-heh )

So YOU'RE the one!

Carol sent me an email with a picture concerning that cable release. Wackiest thing I ever saw...

Claire Senft · Aug 17, 2005

You walk around with a bullet hole in your forehead and you are worried about credibility?

This does not sound all that menacing to me.

David H. Bebbington · Aug 17, 2005

jimgalli said:
Alan, the 'cable release' will be a hollow tubing with a bulb on the end. Air trapped in said tubing and bulb will when the bulb is squeezed force a piston in the shutter forward and thus trip the timed sequence. This will please your onlookers to no end and folks with Nikon FM's and other similar ilk will say "Gosh, so that's where the 'B' came from"

Air releases for regular cameras seem to sell on e-bay for about £1. These have rather narrow tubing but you can make an adapter with a short section of larger tubing (available from aquarium suppliers, etc.). A little while back I was in a hurry to fix up a pneumatic release and bought a cheap blood-pressure gauge plus stethoscope set, which was slight overkill but yielded four pieces of tubing of just the right size and flexibility for use with a British "Day" shutter together with the bulb from a cheap secondhand air release. I am sure you will have no trouble making something suitable.

df cardwell · Aug 17, 2005

It's important, though, to only use the proper air in the bulb and hose.

Carol Flutot · Aug 17, 2005

The Cable Release is not a normal type that threads into the release socket but rather is a bayonet that twists on into the release socket. Does that help clarify what he and I are looking for?

Carol

bobfowler · Aug 17, 2005

Carol Flutot said:
The Cable Release is not a normal type that threads into the release socket but rather is a bayonet that twists on into the release socket. Does that help clarify what he and I are looking for?

Carol

I presume then, that there isn't a piston on the inside of the shutter housing by that connection and that there is a "eral" mechanical connection happening. What was it you worked out for Nathan's Compound? Any possibility to do the same here?

Just thinking out loud and in public...

Carol Flutot · Aug 17, 2005

The shutter release is a piston type (as Ilex, betax ect.), just the connection to it is different, like I mentioned above.

Carol

Carol Flutot · Aug 17, 2005

Here is a picture of the cable release, that we are looking for. This one belonged to another shutter that came in for a CLA.
Any Help!

Carol

Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat f6.3 No.4 question

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