I just got a 159mm Wolensak F12 lens for my 8X10. I'm looking for information about the lens from folks using it. I will be using it for B&W Landscape, contact, both Brown and AZO prints. Any information would be great.

-- tim kimbler (gandy2@gte.net), January 03, 2001

Answers

This cut and pasted from another news group:

"The table I have lists the 12.5 Wollensak as having a 379 mm image circle and 100 degrees of coverage. That sounds like it could be about right. I believe you need to stop right down to f16 or f22 when shooting to get rid of residual aberrations, but this is only a guess based on info provided on lenses of similar vintage (the Angulon) where the wide open aperature is for viewing only."

&

"I don't have access to pricing information of the period and was not aware that the 159mm f/12.5 Wollensak Extreme Wide Angle lens was marketed as a cheaper version of the f/9 specimen. It was my impression that the difference is somewhat like that of the Protar IV and Protar V, in that the later, though of smaller maximum aperture, has somewhat greater coverage."

&

"Many years ago I had an oppoertunity to compare the f/12.5 and f/9 versions of the two Wollensak EX. WA lenses (they were both Velostigmats) and the f/12.5 model did indeed have greater coverage. Since coverage is a really important feature this fact should explain why the f/12.5 model has a market value close to the f/9. In fact for my money the greater coverage would make the f/12.5 model more valuable."

I have the 9.5 and couldn't be happier - unless of course what they say about the 12.5 is true.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), January 03, 2001.