Need Info on a 12" Jamine LF Lens Circa 1864

[jd callow]

Good Day,
I am hoping that the lens experts out there can give me some information on a 12" Jamine LF Lens Circa 1864. I have seen about 30-40 prints made with this lens and would like to separate the the characteristics of the lens from the shooter.

It was used on wetplates of aprox 8x10" in size in a box camera (two boxes fitted into each other opposed to a traditional lf with bellows, standards and movements)

Here is what was written about the lens in 1890

The ‘Jamine’ has a focal length of 12 inches and is 3 inches in diameter. It has a fixed stop of 1 7/8 inch diameter – in other words, works at about F6 – F7. It is a ‘Petzval’ construction and there is no outstanding spherical aberration – but there is positive chromatic aberration

Links or references to available publications is greatly desired as well as anecdotal information.

Thanks

[JG Motamedi]

I have done quite a bit of research on 19th Century lenses, and have never heard of a "Jasmine" lens, so I suspect that it was a house-brand of a camera store. These were often made locally, and can be of variable quality. Does the lens in question have a focusing rack? Is it slotted for waterhouse stops?

12" is a bit short for 8x10, but it would be about right for half-plate or 5x7. Perhaps the lens is 12" measured from the flange and 16" from the center? This would be right for a 8x10 lens.

[Ole]

Would that be Jamin of "Jamin & Darlot"?

[jd callow]

The lens did appear short for the film size, there was no light fall off but plenty of sharpness falloff.

It was not a Jasmine , but a 'Jamine’ or possibly a Jamin... The source quoted has not been corroborated for accuracy.

It was probably british made.

[Ole]

And a bit more: If it's that Jamin, he retired in 1860 so cannot have made a lens in 1864. Darlot took over, and the lenses were labeled "Jamin & Darlot" for about a year before the name of his former employer was dropped.

Most of the lenses Jamin made were Petzvals, many in the "Cône Centralisateur" housing.

(Kingslake again - I haven't put it back on the shelf yet).

[JG Motamedi]

Ah, sorry, I misread. As Ole suggests, it must be a Jamin Lens (later Jamin & Darlot, and still later Darlot) a well known maker of lenses in the 19th Century, located in Paris.

If it has the "Cône Centralisateur" and is 12" it is probably a very valuable lens. The "Cône Centralisateur" is a black cone shaped rear element which was designed to increase contrast by reducing flare.

Most 19th Century lenses were measured by the diameter of the front element. A 3" diameter lens would be about 11", or the proper FL for half-plate. Note however that an 11" Petzval will not come close to covering 8x10.

[jd callow]

The shooter started using the lens in 1864 could have been older.

I will get you exact neg size later it was about 22cm on the long edge. The author could be wrong about focal length.

Thin DOF, soft outside of center, short for the film size, very smooth/creamy rearward out of focus area, forward of focus it was smooth, but not as. No apparent falloff (as mentioned). There is some indication that the shooters standards may not have been parallel or that the area of sharp focus was not flat.

[JG Motamedi]

.. it was about 22cm on the long edge...

This would be a whole plate, 6.5" x 8.5". A half-plate petzval would JUST cover this plate at close distances, however both fall off and de-focus would be pretty fierce. If the portraits (?) were matted as was typical with an oval opening (covering some of the vignetted corners, fall off, defocus, and swirly bokeh) it would be possible to use an 11" lens.

[jd callow]

The shooter shot portraits close (for the time period). During this time the British photographic Society Journal referred to these portraits despairingly as 'photographs of heads"

[Ole]

Didn't Julia Margaret Cameron use a Jamin for a while? Until she got a Dallmeyer to replace "that horrible French lens"?