peter_chiappini

the question marks after the numbers should be degree signs...

The dogmar is actually a convertable lens. The front group of elements give 2x focal length and the rear gives 1.5x according to the lens collector's vade mecum. I had one in a compound shutter, that was original to a 9x12cm Goerz Tenax, and it checks out.<P> This is what it says in the vade mecum:<P> Dogmar<P> Dogmar A new dialyt series was announced in Photography 26/05/1914, working at f4.5 in the shorter foci. Since it was very late prewar, most examples will be postwar. Adverts. stressed it was a very highly corrected lens, but the major sales feature was that it was separable, the front cell giving 2x focus, and the rear one 1.5x focus. It was said to be free from ghosting, and the f4.5 was initially made in up to wholeplate size, the longer sizes being in f5.5. It covers 55? or 54? at full aperture, and 60? at smaller apertures. It was suggested to use 21cm for 13x18cm plate. The f5.5 covered a slightly larger angle (54-60?) and a slower version at f6.3 covered a bit more again (60-65?). However it was not primarily sold for its angle of cover, and the slower version was short lived, being replaced by the Tenastigmats, etc. The designer was W. Zschokke, and it was covered under Patent 258,494 and sold from 1914. It is sharper than Celor, and shows better edge detail than the Q15 type designs. [Zschokke then left Goerz after the association as Zeiss Ikon, and designed rather similar lenses for Kern, possible perhaps due to the take over by Zeiss Ikon and the absence of this lens type in the Zeiss lists.] Dogmar f4.5 60, 75mm for 2.375x2in, 90mm for 2.75x2.375in, 100mm for 2.5x3.5in, 125mm for 4.25x3.25in, 125mm for 4.25x3.25in, 135mm for 4.25x3.25in, 150mm for 4.75x3.5in, 165mm for 5x4in, 180mm for 6x4in, 195mm for 6.5x4.75in, 210mm for 7x5in, 240, 270, 300mm. Use 165mm for 5x4., 14in for 10x8. (Goe005,009. Q26 type). Separable, 3 focus. It covers 55? and there is no suggestion of improved cover when closed down. The other foci of the single cells were not detailed in adverts. (eg B.J.A. 1925, p739)

I've made a bunch, mostly with lenses, as Dan helpfully pointed out to me in most cases; he also recommended the lens collector's vade mecum, which is extremely useful but just made me want to buy more lenses, most of which are very big and not very useful until I get that ultra large format camera. But the most disheartening is when I buy a camera and attempt "fix" it. I broke a poor little pax m2, I think beyond repair; I only bought it for $15 but I couldn't stop shaking for almost a week. I also completely disASSembled the optimo shutter on a Kodak 3A Autographic Special... I think these still count, because they were actually working fine before I messed around with them. I got it in my head somehow that they was broked and needed some fixin up, and that really didn't work out well. I bought a 75cm f/9 apo tessar I havent been able to do anything with except to point it at a light fixture and smile at its clumsy twin dancing on the wall. Same with a 300 f/5.6 S-Tessar that didnt have an aperture, and a gigantic aero-xenar 32cm f/3.5 I never got to do anything with, but sold. I just got a speed graphic that fixed a few of my mistakes, among many unmounted lenses there are the taylor-hobson ental enlarging lenses I thought were LTM, but are going to be glued onto 4x4 lensboards and renamed as macro lenses. I dont know how well they'll work, but it will make me happy for the time being. The sad thing is that after Tito mentioned the heliar I went looking for one on ebay, I couldn't find one though. I really can't help myself I'll buy just about any big lens with an aperture and clean glass that I can get relatively cheap even if I know I won't be able to use it. Seriously, if anyone wants to sell me a really big lens that I can't possibly use I'll probably buy it.

Oh dear... I just opened up mine to see if I could help, but I apparently just used a spool from an old roll of film and cut the film to make it fit. I actually had film in the camera too :( I gues I should have checked. I know on my fed s you have to cut the film to get it to work right, but I didnt think that was the case with the kievs. I have a contax film spool that I just pulled out of a contaflex, which would be the same they used with the kievs. It seems likely that the film spool you have isn't original, as the end of the film fits right in this one. You can probably pick up a contaflex for part for 10.00 off ebay if you dont feel like carrying scissors around; or someone on this site might even have a correct film spool they can give you. If I come across another one I'd give it to you. -Peter

The vacuum easel has to weight nearly 70lbs, its at least big enough for 20x24, but it might be a little bigger. Thanks, Peter

Sorry if this is off topic, but I just bastardized a process camera and came away with a lot of nice parts, including the vaccum easel and vaccum pump. Is it worth a lot? Its really heavy too, I bet it would cost as much to ship. -Peter

Hello, they are process lenses and are made so that there is minimun distortion right to the edges of the image. They are usually used to make copies and for aerial map making etc, where minimum distortion is needed. I have heard good things though about most of these lenses if they are coated, when being used for normal photographic purposes, you just need to make a very large lens hood when shooting outside to keep up the contrast. I just acquired a 480mm apo-nikkor and a 760mm apo-nikkor, but I didn't get a chance to use them, and won't because I need to sell them for the money, but there should be a few sites with some results posted, and I remember reading a few posts on this site about the same lens. -Peter

Kelly, thank you very much for your reply. I really don't think I have much of a use for most of this stuff, and I kind of need the money so I will probably sell it all off. Are the pulse xenon lights worth anything? How about the micrometers, I'm not even sure thats what I have though. I'm going to post a picture, maybe someone know how to use them. Thanks again, Peter

I've heard some really good things about the nikkor lenses. The pair I have are both multi-coated. I need the money so I'm goin to just sell them before I get attached. I read that pulse xenon lights can fire 3 flashes in a second that last for 2 miliseconds a piece and are a bit brighter than ordinary flashes. They plug into a 220 power source and are marked for 250volts, so they must be pretty bright. I also read something about them having stable arc lines, but I'd have to read a little more to know what they are saying.

Hello, I recently drove up to Conneticut to pick up a process camera

I won on eBay. Its obviously too big to fit into a chevy celebrity,

so I was planning on getting all of the important parts off of it.

I was really just expecting the lenses, a 760mm f/11 apo nikkor and

a 480mm f/9 apo nikkor, the very large bellows, and the huge

electronic copal shutter. But there was a ton of other things too.

There were 6 Lumax 1500L Pulse Xenon Lights with a power source that

I think converts 120 AC into 220 AC. Do these have any large format

applications other than what it was used for on the Process camera?

There were also 2 Micrometers or Dial Indicators that measure in

1/100ths of a mm; these I'm assuming were used for fine focusing.

There was a vaccum film back for I think up to 20x24 film, maybe

larger and a ground glass to go with that. I couldn't get the back

of the camera, so I just took the film back and all of the hardware

to attach it to something with. There was also a box filled with

all sorts of flashes and fuses, including a mercury vapor bulb. I

was planning on selling most of these extras on eBay at 9.99 with no

reserve, but if they do have any lf applications maybe I should keep

some of it. I can get a picture of anything if that would help

someone id it. Thank you in advance, Peter

1. Zeiss Orix (10x15cm film camera with 165mm tessar) I didn't get to use it yet but I am keeping it. Pentax S1a, partially because I sold my spotmatics, but also because I like the meter that clips to the top. KievIV because it works, and a Praktica FX2, because of the popup viewfinder and its charming good looks.<p>

2. Zeiss Orix, I really can't wait to use it. Pentax S1a or any spotmatic.<p>

3. I got my Zeiss Orix real cheaply off eBay, but even for whatever the going price must be its a great camera; any of the spotmatics which depending on the time of year go for about $40.00 and The Kiev IV.<p>

4. Pax M2 because I broke it; I went into a state of panic for days even though it only cost $12.00.<p>

5. Zeiss Juwala, a Contax rangefinder, any Leica, a Speed Graphic, a Nikon F.

The light meter switch is supposed to go back on it own!? I never knew that either. I had one where it actually worked, and a few where it didn't and I thought the one that worked was quirky. Is the freezing problem definitely related? Maybe it just needs some lighter fluid under the bottom cover on the shutter mover thing. What's that called? Will it stick on faster speeds too, or just slower speeds. There is probably just a spring connected to the light meter switch from the shutter that wore out, or maybe there is some dirt in there thats making it stick. If you can even get it so that it just stays on until you turn it off I would suggest keeping it... or giving it to me. -Peter

I think I got the pin glued down securely with superglue gel. The first time I tried it came off after a while, then I tried with jb weld but stuck it on the wrong side; it came off easily though, even after setting for a day. The good thing is that doing that left some of the epoxy in the hole and the last time I glued it it seems very secure. The other end went in fine, I just needed to stick a small screwdriver through it to get it right. -Peter

Hello, it really depends on whether or not the cameras are working right and what condition the lenses are in. A used fed 3 with just the 50mm lens and a nice case will fetch about $20.00 at the high end on eBay. The 28mm lens, if in good condition, however could be worth a lot; is it the orion-6? If you can try it out and it works good and the three lenses are good then its a good deal for a fed 3. Some Russian cameras are funny so I would definitely suggest trying them out before buying them. The lenses show a very large amount of latitude as far as quality goes... but, when they are ok then they are just about as capable as some decent lenses. The zenit E, unless its in really nice condition and works right could be bought cheaper on eBay.

Hello, thank you all for the suggestions. I would't worry about it, but it leaves a little space on the outside when stopped down to f/64 or so. There is a slot for waterhouse stops or maybe filters or both and I've never actually used an f stop that high so I guess it isn't that big of a problem. Theres 18 blades, counting the one thats off, and I did think about moving them around, but that would be a last resort thing like you said. John, when you said I would need a watchmakers lathe did you mean that I would have to grind a new peg? My friends grandfather was a jewler so there might actually be one just laying around. The epoxy idea sound like a good idea, and thank you for the tip about the floppy disks, I have another camera that needs a shutter blade, and I honestly wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks again, I'll post again if I am successful.

Hello, thanks again for all of the replies. I too have a computer with only a dial-up modem... it took a very long time to upload everything. I will definitely compress all of the small icons.<p> I have an SR-7 already but its the later version without the fancy edges and I like the one you have better, so I will take you up on your offer, Lucius; thank you very much I really appreciate it.<p> I don't like the Spotmatic with the crumby Yashinon either, but it was the only pic I had of it that was ok; my camera pics aren't organized too well on my computer so if I find one without the Yashinon I'll replace it.<p> Thanks for the link.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knew how to fix or replace the pin

on an iris blade. The pin came out cleanly and the iris blade is in

good condition. I have both but I can't get the pin to go back into

the blade correctly; the hole where it is suposed to fit is a little

too large now. Thank you, Peter

Thanks Mike, I saw your site a while ago and I remember liking it a lot. If you want to, post the link to it and I'll put in on my site. -Peter

Mark, thank you for your comments, I did find some of the logos on other sites, but none of what I found was actually usable and had to be almost completely redrawn so it didn't look fuzzy or pixelated when at the right size for the site. The Kodak one was a little tiny red and orange picture on a box for a kodak I had, as was the "o" in the minolta; these I took a photo of with my digital camera. The rest of the minolta logo, along with the olympus logo is just a typeface. The Canon IVSB is surely a beauty, I kinda wish I didn't sell it now, but I could probably pick up a less expensive one in "user" condition.<p>

Peter, thank you for your advice; I took all of the photos on the site myself and granted none of it is very original as of yet I was thinking of ways to set it apart from other websites. I thought that by doing something much like you suggested, and what I have written on the front page of the site as to what I would like to do with it in the future would be a good start on setting it apart from some other sites. What I have now is really just the skeltal system. I really don't have too many rare cameras, so the camera section will probably be more helpful to people new to vintage cameras than it would somebody more experienced. It sort of seems like the most useful section will be the lens section.<p>

Grant, I already sold some of the cameras pictured on the site before I began it without getting a chance to shoot any film with them. I'm not worried about getting pics with most of the slrs, but there are a few I regret selling before using, like the goerz tenax and the feca with the rodenstock lens. But I am really glad that I have and I look forward to shooting with the Zeiss Orix, and most of the lenses I have up on the site I kept. I really regret selling the aero-xenar lens, but without a suitable way to mount it would be impossible to use.<p>

Thanks again everyone for taking a look, Peter

Hello, I just uploaded a site I started working on a while ago. Its

pretty close to being done as far as layout and all that goes, but its

almost all just pictures right now and doesn't have any of the info I

want to include about the cameras. In any case I would like to know

what you think. Its at www.butteryourshutter.netfirms.com, which is

free web hosting with only 1gb of transfer a month which will probably

be used up after only 10 people look at it. -Peter

Hello, I have a prontor electronic shutter controller, that I

hopefully can adapt to use with an Ilex electronic shutter. The

Prontor contolled doesn't have a trigger on it, just a dial where

you can set the speed; it also has a third hole on the end of the

cord, which I'm assuming is for some kind of electronic cable

release. If any one has ever used or know about a prontor

electronic shutter could you please let me know what voltage battery

is supposed to be used with it and what the solenoid in the shutter

is rated at. Thank you, Peter

Thank you all for the information. -Peter

Thank you, the website helped a lot, Peter

The 300mm f/5.6 S-Tessar Jay posted as a suggestion doesn't have an aperture; it was used as some sort of process lens. In the picture, it also looks likes its just the front group of elements. -Peter

Thanks Jim, I have a copy of the vade mecum too, its really useful but huge and I didn't see the design specifics. It doesn't mention coverage does it?