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wrktoohrd · Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 11 Location: Washington DC

I just purchased a Graflex 103mm f4.5 Trioptar Lens and was intending to use it in the construction of a 4X5 camera but have subsequently learned that it originally was off of a Graflex Century 2X3. I was just wondering if I am screwed and need to find another lens or if it can be used as a wide angle for a 4X5. I was also wondering if anyone has this lens and can remark as to how the quality is. It is in a Century shutter with T, B 10-200. It looks very nice and is acurate, I paid $50 for the lens and shutter, did I pay too much? Thanks for your help.

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey

t.r.sanford · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:26 pm Post subject:

It won't cover 4x5, but that doesn't mean it's useless. In its day, it was said to be one of the better implementations of the "Cooke Anastigmat" triplet design. (It was said, and it was not contradicted in my hearing, but I don't know whether it's so.)

It the "Trioptar" is clean and the shutter works reliably, it's certainly worth $50 -- I've paid more and gotten worse!

As a very general rule, triplets don't have quite as much covering power as the four-element "Tessar" and similar lenses, which in turn don't cover as wide a field as the older double and triple anastigmats. You might try the "Trioptar" out on your 4x5 and see just what kind of image circle you get, and how well the sharpness holds up across that circle. Might be some interesting possibilities there.

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

I think your Trioptar is since up *******, but I have both the Graftar and Trioptars on my Centries, and they perform excellent when stopped down, but I also just got some very good results with a couple closer hand-held shots after re-setting the RF and stops on one Century, and I mean nice.
I Just got some incredible color shots at WHiteSands and Grand Canyon using Velvia 100f with the Trioptar; the exposures produced sharp images across the full 2x3 format and 8x12 prints are stunning. One print shows a very slight darkening in the corners wich leads me to believe that 2x3 is about it for this supposedly economy lens, maybe I will put it on my 4x5 one day and see where the circle falls...