What's wrong with this lens?

[matt miller]

I just received, today, a 3x4 speed graphic that I bought on ebay. The lens that came with the camera is a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:4.5 f=15cm. It resides in a dial set compur. When trying to focus the camera, I couldn't get a focused image to show on the ground glass unless I racked it all the way in; to roughly 1.5 inches from the ground glass. What's going on here? The serial # on the front element is 1194375, the back element says 94375. I assume they're a match, but maybe not. Why won't it focus right? I'm clueless. Maybe I should buy Jim's Xenar?

Thanks for your help,
Matt

[User Removed]

If it is a wide angle lens, it will be closer to the film plane. Does the lens have decent coverage?

[matt miller]

It's a 15cm (or 150mm, or 6") lens, so to focus at infinity the lens should be roughly that distance from the ground glass. It won't show a focused image unless it's about 1.5" from the ground glass. I just don't know why.

[Jorge]

Havew you tried it without the back element? You might have a convertible lens....

[medform-norm]

I just received, today, a 3x4 speed graphic that I bought on ebay. The lens that came with the camera is a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:4.5 f=15cm. It resides in a dial set compur. When trying to focus the camera, I couldn't get a focused image to show on the ground glass unless I racked it all the way in; to roughly 1.5 inches from the ground glass. What's going on here? The serial # on the front element is 1194375, the back element says 94375. I assume they're a match, but maybe not. Why won't it focus right? I'm clueless. Maybe I should buy Jim's Xenar?

Thanks for your help,
Matt

Did someone play around with this lens, took it apart and put it back together in the wrong way? Do all the elements look as if they could be reversed? Could you show some pics of the lens itself if you thought that would help?

[jjstafford]

Can we see a picture of the camera? The images might still be on ebay. Point us to the item #, please.

[matt miller]

Can we see a picture of the camera? The images might still be on ebay. Point us to the item #, please.

Here's the ebay listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

I just tried removing the rear element & it didn't change much. I turned the lens around & held it up to the ground glass & that didn't change much either. Could improper spacing cause it to be that far off? I noticed that the rear element is missing 2 numbers compared to the front. Weird.

[matt miller]

I just wrote the seller & asked him how he knows "the lens is sharp".

[jimgalli]

You should buy Jim's Xenar

The front group on that lens can be disassembled for cleaning. All of the elements should face "out". Bowed towards the front of the camera. Maybe someone took it apart for cleaning and reassembled it wrong.

[jjstafford]

The reflections on the lens don't look right, but it is hard to see well.