Casket sets, anyone?

[Soeren]

You can make your own G-claron or Symmar casket set from modern or fairly modern lens cells. The real problem is that nobody makes long focal length cells that fit into the same shutter as the shorter lengths. Most of the cheaply available plasmat series jump into a Copal 3 shutter at 240 (plasmats) or 360 (dialytes) so it is hard to assemble a set with a decent range of focal lengths.

But, with a Copal 1 and the cells from a 150 and a 210 Symmar you can get a lot done. 150 and 240/270 mm G-claron cells give you a bit more range (but with larger gaps).

This sounds interesting. I have a 150mm APO symmar so if getting a 210 what can I do with those?

Ole I don't mind lenses being old. on the contrary
Kind regards

[Bill Mitchell]

There's the Staeble Polyplast, where the rear cell is fixed and the front cell is changed through a bayonet mount - is that the one? I have a partial one of those too...

I use a Staeble Polyplast set, purchased from Dagor77 a few years ago. It has 105mm, 135mm, 165mm, and 195mm front elements, and 220mm by using the rear element alone. It is set in a tiny little Compound shutter, and the front components bayonet in, each with its own aperture scale on the lens.
It is a wonderful, sharp lens with beautiful bokeh. There is a +1/8" focus shift on stopping down (except the 220mm element is -1/8").
It came in a tiny little box for holding the three unused elements and three screw-in filters. (I don't know where I'm supposed to put the 4th element when using the rear element alone).

[colrehogan]

Diane, would that be something similar to this?

Ole,
It is pretty similar to that, but there is no maker's name on it.

[Struan Gray]

This sounds interesting. I have a 150mm APO symmar so if getting a 210 what can I do with those?

I don't know how well the single cells of the more modern Symmars perform (-S, Apo, Apo-L). Supposedly the older plain Symmars, which are often labelled "Convertible" have single cells that are better corrected for coma.

A 150 and a 210 Symmar will give you a roughly 180 mm lens if you use one element from each lens. The cells are not fully symmetric (despite the name) so there are in theory four possible combinations which will all have slightly different focal lengths and aberrations. However, because the No. 1 shutter has different front and back threads there are only two combinations which are practical, so there's not so much to test.

The rear cells of the 150 and 210 used alone then give you 265 and 370 mm. The imaging is acceptable, especially if you are using LF for creamy tones rather than edge-to-edge biting sharpness.

Not a bad spread, but there's no way of bodging the equivalent of the older sets' 750 mm cell.

[Ole]

Ole,
It is pretty similar to that, but there is no maker's name on it.

That's pretty definite then - I've got another one "pretty similar to that, but there's no maker's name on it". As far as I've been able to determine, Chr. Fr. Winter & Sohn were instrument makers and Fine Cabinet Makers, and didn't make lenses at all. But they made some very beautiful cameras, like the one I bought to get this casket set. I sold it shortly after, since I already had several better ones.

[highpeak]

Diane, would that be something similar to this?

So, it was you who outbid me on this one

Let see how big a hole can this thread make in my wallet.

Keep them coming.

Alex W.

[ongarine]

I have a very heavy brass addiction.(see Scrigno n.1)
It started many years ago with the curiosity to see how the oldies lenses for LF I saw around me could perform.
This the first part of the addiction (home collection) and the last part (office) will be, if someone is still interesting (too much is too much) next week. I tested most of the lenses I have in a undity way, for some I recorded the datas for others impressions, results sleep in some shelves.
I have a soft spot for casket sets (see Scrigno n.2) and some I collect are really bizzare like a Meyer for stereo camera or a Schulze und Billerbeck Euryplan.
Some are very similar and belong to Vademecum family, others are not so usual.
In the next days I will send photos and comments on them.

[Ole]

Wonderful, ongarine!

There are indeed many in the Vademecum family, I've got two more in the last week. One of them came with a B&L Unicum shutter, which I'll send off to Carol at Flutots for a checkup (along with a couple of other shutters and a bagful of spare parts donor shutters). I got that one cheap, since it was listed as an "old pneumatic shutter".

[Brian Bullen]

Ongarine, impressive collection! Will you adopt me?

[jimgalli]

What a lovely collection Ongarine.

Here are pics of my one casket set that is incomplete. I hope someone will have the complete set and be able to tell me about it. It is a bayonet style and someone has fashioned the copper barrel so it can be used with no aperture. Present are #1, #3, #4BIS? #5, & #7. #2 and #6 obviously with the original barrel and aperture where ever it has gone. Does anyone know what this is?