Vintage Conley 5 X 7 Folding Plate Camera

[Dan Deary]

<p>Just acquired a Conley 5 X 7 folding plate camera that’s over a 100 years old with 5 film holders. Bellows is intact, shutter appears to work perfectly and the lens is clear from fungus. The back does revolve with a simple trap door to access the ground glass. The small viewfinder’s mirror is shot and the circular bubble level is long gone. The pneumatic bulb and tube was so brittle it fell apart. It all came in a “cycle” (?) leather covered case that was in very poor shape. No model name or number appears. Bellows does extend out to about 15+ inches but I suspect the lens is approximately 8 1/2 inches based on the distance scale on the side.<br /> My main question is about the lens. It reads “5 X 7 Rapid Orthographic F- 8,” made by Wollensak. I can find very little about the lens. I’m pretty sure it is not a convertible lens but I could be wrong. Is it a Rapid Rectilinear type lens? Is it one of the lesser lenses of Wollensak? Has anyone used one of these lenses? What were the images like? I did read in several places that the Rapid Rectilinear lenses while providing fairly good images for over 50 years was phased out because the Cooke triplet was not only better but cheaper to make. Any info on the camera and lens would be appreciated.</p>

[Dan Deary]

<p>1st Image</p><div></div>

[Dan Deary]

<p>2nd Image</p><div></div>

[Dan Deary]

<p>3rd Image</p><div></div>

[Dan Deary]

<p>4th Image</p><div></div>

[Dan Deary]

<p>Absolute final image</p><div></div>

[dan_fromm2]

<p>https://books.google.com/books?id=bKAxvLHQC8oC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=lens+OR+camera+%22rapid+orthographic%22&source=bl&ots=eaYOiwhM4S&sig=LXdb5kLDwnfFzHKh91ezkLj0ORU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAmoVChMIn67osLSpyAIVSDI-Ch1dswwI#v=onepage&q=lens%20OR%20camera%20%22rapid%20orthographic%22&f=false</p>

<p>According to http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensak_12.html , convertible</p>

[Dan Deary]

<p>Thanks Dan. The artical was informative and a little confusing about f stops so I will have to digest it further. Incidently I do not believe the previous owner(s) ever used the lens as a convertable as I found the lens rather difficult to unscrew from the shutter because the factory or the owner put some black thread on the lens to make it extra tight. </p>

[Dan Deary]

<p>I did find this:<br>

http://www.historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium2/pm.cgi?action=app_display&app=datasheet&app_id=1384</p>

<p>Mine is a variation of this double extension model XVIA. There are subtle differences.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p>Nice camera! It is 99.9% certain that the lens is a rapid rectilinear type – distinguishing feature is identical front and rear lens groups. This type of lens was most commonly produced with a maximum aperture of f8, which is what yours has. Rapid rectilinear lenses in good condition typically give a medium contrast image which is quite sharp over a moderate angle, with edge definition improving to a reasonable degree on stopping down. The stop markings on your lens may be a little confusing, since they are not standard f-stops. Instead, they are part of the so-called Universal System, with apertures spaced out like f-stops and coinciding at 16 (US16 = f16). The bottom scale on your lens is for the complete lens, the US4 marking corresponds to f8. The upper two markings must be for the front and rear groups respectively used alone.<br>

One easy way to get a new rubber bulb and tubing for the shutter is to buy a Chinese sphygmomanometer, or blood-pressure measuring device, and cut off the bits you need.</p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>There is a chart near the end of the page that shows the various aperture numbering systems used in early photography and their equivalent in the other systems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number</p>

<p>I bought 2 rubber bulbs with tube to use on Packard shutters several years ago off ebay. I have never used them so they are as new. Contact me via the sites systems if interested.</p>

<p>In one of the early catalogs on camera eccentric Wollensak says they offer other lens not listed through dealers. Contact a dealer for a list of the lens. A lot of good it does us now. :D</p>

[alex_hollmann]

<p>I like the lens, though haven't used it as a convertible.<br>

[jnanian]

<blockquote>

<p>My main question is about the lens. It reads “5 X 7 Rapid Orthographic F- 8,” made by Wollensak. I can find very little about the lens. I’m pretty sure it is not a convertible lens but I could be wrong. Is it a Rapid Rectilinear type lens?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>the lens is what is called a triple convertible, it offers 3 focal lengths in 1 lens by taking off/changing<br /> around how the the lens elements are on the barrel. i tried to read the # to the right of all the f #' they tell the focal lengths<br /> of the different combinations i think i saw 8", 14" and i can't see if that is 18 or 28" so the elements<br /> assembled as you have them in that image would be the 8" lens, remove the front element would<br /> be the 14", and replacing the rear element with the front is the longest focal length.<br /> some companies did it so you assembled the front and rear element in reverse<br /> ( front on back and back onfront ) and it gave the shortest ( widest ) focal length.<br>

you might be able to figure out exactly what lens you have by looking at this catalog<br>

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensak_9.html<br>

it might be listed as the symetrical triple focus lens.</p>

<p>( its after all the portrait lenses )</p>

[jnanian]

<blockquote>

<p> * double post *</p>

</blockquote>