Wollensak Enlarging Raptars

[luisalegria]

Wollensak was probably the biggest US maker of enlarging lenses. In US ebay they are by far the most common brand. There were other US makers of enlarger lenses, Bausch&Lomb, Ilex, Elgeet/JML/DO Industries and of course Kodak, but they are much more rarely found.

Earlier versions (1940's and earlier) were usually called "Velostigmat", but later ones shared the "Raptar" trademark as with all the other higher-grade Wollensak lenses. I believe all the Raptar range were coated.

Most of the Wollensak Enlarging Raptars are Tessar-copies of this design -



These are the 101mm, 135mm and 162mm of the range, all f/4.5
These are probably the most useful FL's for mounting on DSLR bellows.

This is all chromed brass with quality engraving, though some earlier ones had black front barrels. I believe these were made from the later 1940's to the late 1960's at least, with very little change. The larger lenses were supplied with the chromed brass caps, the smaller ones usually had rubber caps, these days usually deteriorated.

There was a very broad range - 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 90mm, 101mm. 127mm, 135mm, 162mm, 190mm, 210mm and 240/241mm, and probably others. Prices are usually quite low.

They had a mixed reputation then and now. Schneider, Rodenstock and all the other European makers certainly sold plenty of enlarger lenses in the USA, so maybe these weren't that good. For what its worth, I find them perfectly sharp and usable as DSLR lenses.

[Attila]

Many thanks for this valuable information!

[kds315*]

I also have a few of these and their brothers, the Graphic Raptars. Not that bad actually, but the coating is a very early type and some are even uncoated.

[Nesster]

I just ran into this ad from 1946:


Seems Leitz USA made some Leica mounts for Wollensak's 127mm and 90mm lenses & sold these in the post war period.

A quick ebay check reveals these Leica mount versions fetch good money.

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/RF-Nikkor/Leica_RF/Leica_Velostigmat90mmf45.htm

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/RF-Nikkor/Leica_RF/LeicaLSM125-127mm.htm

[luisalegria]

Interesting ad !

I have seen these fairly often, and sometimes even a similar Elgeet.

I am not sure that the lenses in these are the enlarging Raptars. There were just plain Raptars in barrel also. Of course this may all be just a matter of labelling and marketing, and they are all the same. I can't tell from my DSLR results as these enlarger lenses seem to work perfectly well as camera lenses.

[luisalegria]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wollensak-Leitz-New-York-127-90-lenses-A-NICE-PAIR_W0QQitemZ160399558339QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item25588f06c3

Here you go - a pair of these Leitz-Wollensak combinations.

These use the "Velostigmat" labelled Wollensaks, not "Raptar", and the older barrel design, but they are the same thing.

Too rich for my blood, but fascinating anyway.