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[office888]

I have a few questions about this lens. What size lensboard do these use? Also, what years was this lens manufactured? If anyone could shed some light on this lens, i would be more than greatful.

Thanks,
Richard

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"Graflex cameras are like peanuts...you get one and you just can't stop." - Me

[Les]

Well it's listed in the 1939 Handbook of Photography, covers 9x12cm and came in focal lengths of 1-2m. I suspect that's METERS. I also don't know if that's the focal range or if it came in two sizes.

From the diagram it's simply a pair of doublets, a miniscus front and a negative rear.

[office888]

Thanks Les, that helps with my current information. Just making sure the seller got the statistics correct.

[Dave]

Who would have used these things? Were they fitted to Big Bertha-type cameras for sports and the like?

[Les]

These are a variable focus lens. (Not really telephoto since that don't keep focus as you zoom) They are similar to putting a 2x extension on your 35mm gear, only in this case the magnification is usually from 3 to 8x (at least that's what it is on my tele-dagor and tele Protar), the draw back is the light loss is an equal 3 to 8 stops!

Now you can't swing and sway a Big Bertha and get that freeze shot of Joe Dimaggio sliding into second with a lens at f128.

Also you've got a lot to handle with a Big Bertha just focusing and exposing, imagine trying to zoom, focus, compose and expose at the same time.

Big Bertha lenses were not only long but fast...equal to the 300 f2.8 Canon and Nikon lenses today.

[JoePhoto]

I've got two of these lenses and they appear to be variable focal length not variable focus and I would think that they would fit on any lensboard. Neither my Graphic View nor my Speed Graphic have enough bellows extension to use them at the longest setting and an extension board is sitting on my unfinished project file. I've been diddling with digital (have to hibernate in the cold weather) but will be trying them out again now that the weather's warmer. I put a page together with information that I could figure out myself because there was so little about them on the web. It's got some photos and measurements and example photos taken at different focal length settings.

Joe Photo's Guide to the Tele Peconar

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If the best can't be had let the worst continue....

[ This Message was edited by: joephoto on 2004-05-06 19:30 ]

[Dave]

FWIW, Joe Photo's two lenses range from 154 to 584mm in focal length, rather than 1 to 2 meters.