Reference Lenses

[Whole Plate]

This page is a reference list of lenses which whole plate format photographers on the Column have experience of. The compilation is intended for reference in helping build up a database of lenses which are compatible with the whole plate format. Thus, if a new whole plate format photographer is interested in a lens, specific user experience can be asked for in the discussion column.


Which contemporary Whole Plate standard lens shall I start off with?

Qualitative reports on specific lenses are detailed in section 3.x [click <<Pages>> on the right column to access Index] All the lenses listed below are known to cover whole plate format [259mm or 10 1/2 inch approx] covering power with no/before movements are applied] at f22/infinity*

NB: I have calculated the image circle as 259mm and not 266mm: the whole plate negative on both Kodak Eastman and Chamonix film holders permit a usable image circle less than 266mm (actual diameter of image area is closer to 259mm than 266mm). Given this proviso, the lack of technical and micrometric scales for set up for most whole plate cameras entails a practical use of a lens covering at least 266mm. For further details on specific lenses, click on the activated links.

Brief Lens Reports:


Convertibles:

Hermagis Trousse Aplanastigmatique [2 cells] Casket Set**
Bausch & Lomb Anastigmat 16 1/2 inch, convertible to 7 1/2", 8 1/2", 14" and 16 1/2"
Ilex Paragon 8 1/2 inch (215mm) f4.8 convertible to 355 [also Calumet branded]


Wide:

Schneider Super Angulon 90mm XL f5.6*** (Limitations)
Rodenstock 180mm Apo Sironar-S f5.6
Wollensak Series II 8 1/4" f4.5
Nikon Nikkor SW 120mm f8.0
Ross (London) Anastigmat 8 1/2 " f4.5
Schneider Kreuznach Xenar 240mm f4.5
Goerz Dagor Series III, No. 2, 7 in. (est. 180mm) f6.8
Voigtlander Heliar 210mm f4.5


Standard:

Busch Aplanat 10" f8.0
Goerz Dagor 12" f6.8
Kodak Ektar 300mm f6.3
Crown Anastigmat Series I (est. 270 mm)
Boyer Apo-Saphir 300mm f10.0
Fuji Fujinon 300mm CMW or L f5.6
Nikon Nikkor W 300mm f5.6
Nikon Nikkor M 300mm f9.0
Auvoux, Paris 270mm [est.] No.3
Taylor Hobson Series III Whole Plate 11.18" f7.7
Wollensak Velostigmat 300mm f5.6 Soft Focus
Fuji Fujinon 300mm C f8.5



Telephoto:

Rodenstock Apo-Ronar 360mm f9.0
Zeiss Docter Wetzlar Apo-Germinar 360mm f9.0
Ross (London) Anastigmat 15" f3.8***** (est.)
Voigtlander Braunschwig Heliar 360mm f4.5
Lancaster Rectigraph 12x10" [16" est.] f10.0
Ross Homocentric 15" f8.0
Taylor Hobson Cooke Process Anastigmat Series Vb 460mm f8.0
Ross Extra Rapid Symmetrical 400mm f5.0
Schneider 355 mm G-Claron f9.0
Taylor Hobson Cooke Apotal Anastigmat 14" f9.0
Zeiss Docter Wetzlar Apo-Germinar 450mm f9.0
Zeiss Docter Wetzlar Apo-Germinar 600mm f9.0
Fuji Fujinon C 600mm f9.0

[colrehogan]

Hi RJ,
Are you going to be able to transfer all the lens information from the old forum over here?

[Whole Plate]

Probably not.....!

I had a look into how I could transfer the data from Googlegroups.

Someone who has tried to help, alludes to saving all of the Googlegroup data as .csv values and then transferring it over. However there is no easy way to migrate data from the Googlegroup.

That means either leaving the original site as before, and create a dual-site: Googlegroup for data/reference, and this one for Column discussion.

Would that be complicated? I notice on other forums like the LF one, that there are static pages and then a forum site.

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