Wide angle raptar 4 1/4" f/12.5 fixed aperture barrel lens

[knutb]

I've just received such a lens, and was wondering if anybody know anything about it. Finding data on wide angle raptars is no problem, but I haven't found much about this one. The barrel has external threads, is about 25mm long and about 32mm diameter.

I have found several references to a 4 1/4" f/6.3, and was thinking my lens might be a special version of this one - with the normal iris simply replaced by a fixed one..?.. Based on the lens elements diameter something like f/6 (if the iris is removed, that is) seems to be about correct. The f/6.3 WA raptar is supposed to cover 5x7 fully open. A 100-110mm on on 5x7 would be just about perfect! I don't (yet) have a 5x7 camera, but I will do a few tests with my 4x5 by using shift and rise in order to emulate a (cropped) 5x7. Of course the fixed aperture is somehwat limiting, but the lens was cheap and I can always use it for something - I hope Any information would be most welcome!

[Jeremy]

I have a 4 1/4" f/12.5 w.a. wollensak 5x7 lens in a shutter with variable aperture. Does anyone know if the f/6.3 is just a version of the f/12.5 which allows it the lens to be opened up to f/6.3? My f/12.5 doesn't open up to "wide open" at f/12.5: there is still quite a bit of aperture blade in the glass, but the shutter (a betax) is mechanically locked from opening any wider (though the channel is cut in the shutter to allow it to open wider).

[spongeboy]

My guess is that you'd get focus shift wider open....I've got the same lens and will check it out once I find a shutter for that darn thing