Help identify folding 9x12cm plate camera with focusing screen

[dorothy_spaczek]

<p>Hi guys,<br>

I bought this vintage 9x12 plate folding camera with focusing screen and couldn't find model like this anywhere. The lens says Carl Zeiss, Jena, No. 61814. Tessar 1:6,3 F=145mm D.R.P.angem. <br>

<br />See attached images.</p>

<p>Any suggestions?</p>

<p><img src="http://oi61.tinypic.com/2pq6mie.jpg" alt="" width="1002" height="600" /><br>

<img src="http://oi57.tinypic.com/20fym91.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" /><br>

<img src="http://oi59.tinypic.com/hvq6o9.jpg" alt="" width="359" height="600" /></p>

<p><img src="http://oi58.tinypic.com/1scojp.jpg" alt="" width="1002" height="600" /></p>

[colin carron]

<p>The lens looks to be non-original so the camera and lens need to be considered separately. The lens has come from a camera where the lens is in a focusing mount. Most of these folding plate cameras just used the front standard to focus. I am a bit hazy about CZJ serial numbers. Hopefully someone can get closer than this. The camera is probably from the period 1920 - 1930's but the exact identification of unnamed cameras of this sort is difficult as they were made in many small factories in Germany over this period. The original 'brilliant' finder is missing leaving the hole in the top of the front standard.</p>

[dorothy_spaczek]

<p>Wikipedia article on tessar says:</p>

<p>Early Tessar designs by Paul Rudolph allowed a maximum <a title="Aperture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture">aperture</a> of f/6.3. Later development allowed an aperture of f/4.5 by 1917. In 1930, <a title="Ernst Wanderslab (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernst_Wanderslab&action=edit&redlink=1">Ernst Wanderslab</a> and <a title="Willy Merté (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Willy_Mert%C3%A9&action=edit&redlink=1">Willy Merté</a> of <a title="Carl Zeiss AG" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Zeiss_AG">Zeiss</a> developed Tessar lenses with apertures of f/3.5 and f/2.8.</p>

<p>So is it possible that it is one of the original tessars from 1910s?</p>

<p> </p>

[colin carron]

<p>After some thought I reckon it is possible this is an early Tessar perhaps off a press reflex camera such as the Mentor or similar where there was a focal plane shutter. But I would want to identify definitely where the lens came from before drawing any firm conclusions. The serial number would suggest a date of maybe around 1909 judging by the serial numbers from 1912 onwards but the engraving of the lettering looks different to the normal Zeiss. Any ideas anyone?</p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>The sides of the mount have been cut off.</p>

<p>According to A Lens Collectors Vade Mecum the f6.3 tessar was introduced in 1902.<br>

The serial numbers listed in the Vade suggest this copy is from 1906 or 1907 as s/n 91xxx is from 1908.</p>

<p>http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/zeiss_4.html shows the focusing mount to be for a stand camera and states the f6.3 Tessar was introduced in December 1902.<br>

The catalog has some basic information on the lens also.</p>

<p>I have no idea what the make of camera is.</p>

 

[colin carron]

<p>Charles, good link! The mystery lens looks very much like the Tessar of the 1907 Zeiss catalog in the Special Mount 'B' .</p>

[dorothy_spaczek]

<p>Thank you guys, it really does look like special mount B tessar. However, it has no aperture.</p>