A note about the Vade Mecum

John Bartley · 03-07-2007, 07:00 PM

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum, but if it's not maybe a moderator can move it please?

In the PDF version of the Lens Collectors Vade Mecum on page 72 is a discussion about the F2.9 / 8" lenses used on the Williamson F24 aerial cameras from WWII ( WW2 ). They state that while many companies made these lenses for Williamson, Dallmeyer were the only company to print their name on the lens barrels and that the Air Ministry number was 14A/7080.

I have one of these lenses and the stamp is in the form of a "J H D" in white outlined ink letters, but .... the Air Ministry number is 14A/780 , not 7080 which is why I think that the Vade Mecum has a misprint.

Just an FYI for anyone doing future research on the internet (seeing as APUG is going to be the repository for analog photography information).

cheers eh?

Ole · 03-08-2007, 05:02 AM

Misprints, mistakes and misinformation in the Vade Mecum is nothing new.

I have a growing list of them, although it's generally better on British lenses than on anything else. But it's still the best resource around...

John Bartley · 03-08-2007, 07:17 AM

It's a fabulous resource, and the reason I posted was to have an internet record. Hopefully these threads are searched occasionally and someone researching this lens will find it.

Maybe we should have a Vade Mecum corrections thread somewhere ... sort of like a wikki?

Sanjay Sen · 03-08-2007, 10:41 AM

Maybe Sean (or one of the moderators) can make this a sticky thread and all you lens gurus can post corrections/updates for the rest of us.

Ole · 03-08-2007, 10:44 AM

I could, but let's see if we get more "errata" first.

I've mislaid my own copy of the VM, so I won't be correcting anything until I can find out what's wrong...