Wide Angle LF lenses

This may better suit another forum but since I'm active here I thought I'd throw it out and see what I get as responses. I recently acquired a Graphex Optar W.A. 90mm . The price was right, but you get what you pay for I guess. It was in shabby condition and with a bit of naphta I got the shutter firing albeit not very consistent, but ok. The glass is quite ok. The real problem is the aperture. Something's seriously wrong. I think one of the lamellen (leaves) is out of place or badly bent. From F11 to 6.8. is ok but closing down causes the he whole aperture assembly to pucker inwards and then coming in contact with the shutter lamellen and creating a drag. That's what I mean about you get what you pay for. ... Anywhoooo

Generally the Optar is a Tessar design. This a 90mm lens and will or should have the same ratio in 4x5 as say a 35mm lens on a standard 34x36 frame. Does the W.A. imply Wide Angle, and is this lens a formula equivalent to the Schneider Angulon of the same number 90mm/6.8 ? There is also a nomenclature Super Angulon that is tossed around for wide angle lenses. I suspect Dan Fromm might jump in here with his lens knowledge and his super reference book . Inquiring minds want to know!

You can sort of see the aperture is not exactly round here ...

Hi Chuck

It doesn't look like the aperture leaves are seated properly. I would take it apart and make sure both ends of each leaf are sitting correctly.

Good luck

Chuck, Graphex and Optar are both Graflex trade names. Graphex shutters are rebadged Wollensak Rapax shutters. Optar lenses are mostly rebadged Wollensak Raptars, a few are rebadged Rodenstock lenses. The 90/6.8 is a four element in four groups double Gauss type. If we go by diagonals -- remember, the formats have different aspect ratios -- a 90 mm lens on 4x5 (150 mm diagonal) is equivalent to a 25 mm lens on 24x36 (43 mm diagonal).

AJG, there were actually two f/8 wide angle Tessars. The 28 you mentioned and a 55 for the VP Exakta. That's it for w/a Tessars. It can be done but there are better solutions to the problem.

Chuck, Graphex and Optar are both Graflex trade names. Graphex shutters are rebadged Wollensak Rapax shutters. Optar lenses are mostly rebadged Wollensak Raptars, a few are rebadged Rodenstock lenses. The 90/6.8 is a four element in four groups double Gauss type. If we go by diagonals -- remember, the formats have different aspect ratios -- a 90 mm lens on 4x5 (150 mm diagonal) is equivalent to a 25 mm lens on 24x36 (43 mm diagonal).

 

AJG, there were actually two f/8 wide angle Tessars. The 28 you mentioned and a 55 for the VP Exakta. That's it for w/a Tessars. It can be done but there are better solutions to the problem.

Thanks, Dan--I have a pretty extensive Contax collection but wasn't aware of that lens for the VP Exakta.

Thank you for all for your input. @ Greg... I don'T think I'm up to the job of disassembly or rather reassembly. the disassembly part I've had lots of success. Haha!

Thanks Dan I was well aware of the Wollensak connection, I wanted to know if the design was different than a Tessar.