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Unknown Kodak folding camera lens
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:36 am    Post subject: Unknown Kodak folding camera lens Reply with quote
Just bought this lens from the infamous "Rocky Camera". I must be crazy, but I took a chance as it is only a few quid. It might make a nice soft focus lens on my G1 + Zuiko telescopic auto tube.
http://www.alanwood.net/photography/olympus/telescopic-auto-tube.html



I can't find any info on this lens. Is it from a vest pocket folding camera or Brownie?

There seem to be some interest in adapting these lenses here:
http://forum.mflenses.com/can-a-kodak-folding-brownie-be-adapted-to-eos-t13292.html


Thx! Wink


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yours looks maybe a couple of years older than mine if I had to guess. Looks like they printed everything they could think of on that lens.



PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Woodrim,

Thanks for reply. Yeah it looks very old indeed. Rusty and dirty. Is the aperture regulated by the lever on the side? What about the shutter? Can it set to B? The lens looks non-coated, so must produce serious amount flare.

I can only hope that Keith Rock is not up to his old tricks again.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The aperture is set by the lever at the bottom. You will see that mine is set at f/32 and yours somewhere between f/8 and f/16. The shutter is set at the top where mine is on 1/50 and your is on 1/25. The lever sticking out the side is the shutter release. Yes, you would set it to B so you can use your camera shutter while keeping your finger depressed on the lens shutter release.

I bought mine over 30 years ago for $10 - an antique then. I thought it might be fun to run some film through it, but never did.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks like the lens is probably a "Rapid Rectilinear" - 4 elements in 2 groups; typical aperture on these was f/8, in the American system on these shutters its marked as "4". You may or may not find a "Bausch&Lomb" marking on the lens rim. This would have been one of the higher-specification lenses on the Kodaks.

I have a collection of these on different shutters.

The "interesting" lenses from the Vest Pocket Kodak or Brownie would be the meniscus types - 2 elements in one group I think ?

You can get a better idea of what camera it came from by working out the focal length.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
woodrim wrote:
The aperture is set by the lever at the bottom. You will see that mine is set at f/32 and yours somewhere between f/8 and f/16. The shutter is set at the top where mine is on 1/50 and your is on 1/25. The lever sticking out the side is the shutter release. Yes, you would set it to B so you can use your camera shutter while keeping your finger depressed on the lens shutter release.

I bought mine over 30 years ago for $10 - an antique then. I thought it might be fun to run some film through it, but never did.


That was very helpful. Thx Woodrim!

luisalegria wrote:
Looks like the lens is probably a "Rapid Rectilinear" - 4 elements in 2 groups; typical aperture on these was f/8, in the American system on these shutters its marked as "4". You may or may not find a "Bausch&Lomb" marking on the lens rim. This would have been one of the higher-specification lenses on the Kodaks.

I have a collection of these on different shutters.

The "interesting" lenses from the Vest Pocket Kodak or Brownie would be the meniscus types - 2 elements in one group I think ?

You can get a better idea of what camera it came from by working out the focal length.


Hi luisalegria,

Interesting. If what you are saying is true then I am going to have lots of fun with this lens as a soft focus lens:

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=8778
http://galactinus.net/vilva/retro/eos350d_rr.html
http://galactinus.net/vilva/retro/eos350d_rr2.html
http://galactinus.net/vilva/retro/eos350d_meniscus.html Smile

Seems to be related to the Brownie:
http://mconnealy.com/vintagecameras/brownie/

Thanks
Si

Last edited by stingOM on Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:24 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks to the cues, I found it Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
http://vpk.staff.shef.ac.uk/page6.html
http://vpk.staff.shef.ac.uk/

http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/vpk_slr_e.html

The strange thing is that my copy stops down to f64 Confused

Turns out someone in this forum already has one similar:
http://forum.mflenses.com/1910-vest-pocket-kodak-strobist-studio-portrait-shoot-t33954.html


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
stingOM wrote:
The strange thing is that my copy stops down to f64 Confused


That's according to the old U.S. f-scale which was based on the aperture area instead of the aperture diameter. So U.S.f4 -> f8 now, f8 -> f11, f16 = f16, f32 -> f22, and f64 -> f32. In a way that old scale was easier for lay people as the ratio of two f-values equaled the ratio between the corresponding exposure times, i.e., going from f8 to f16 required doubling the exposure time, not quadrupling as it does today. Sunny Sixteen was Sunny Sixteen even then.

Veijo


PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
vilva wrote:
stingOM wrote:
The strange thing is that my copy stops down to f64 Confused


That's according to the old U.S. f-scale which was based on the aperture area instead of the aperture diameter. So U.S.f4 -> f8 now, f8 -> f11, f16 = f16, f32 -> f22, and f64 -> f32. In a way that old scale was easier for lay people as the ratio of two f-values equaled the ratio between the corresponding exposure times, i.e., going from f8 to f16 required doubling the exposure time, not quadrupling as it does today. Sunny Sixteen was Sunny Sixteen even then.

Veijo


Thanks Veijo. Each you guys comment on the lens, I see something new. It is amazing what knowledge can do for you. Smile
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