help with nikon rf era large format lens 30cm f4

[enasniearth]

I will answer, once more. It is a PORTRAIT LENS for 8x10! The size, parameters, speed, finish, engraving, screwmount - EVERYTHING about it is exactly like all multiple element portrait lenses from the 1920s to the 1950s. How do I know? I've had hundreds of them. If 5 or 6 different 1940s 300mm portrait lenses were on a table, you wouldn't be able to tell the OPs Nikkor apart from 10 feet away.

It's not an Aero lens, it's not spy stuff, it's not a WWII battleship gun camera lens. It's a standard Portrait lens for a studio camera, like an Eastman, Century, or Ansco. These had 9" lensboards, shown above (with a much faster, longer Vitax). Read my replies above if you haven't.

You don't see more of 300mm LF Nikons because studios started shooting first 5x7, then 4x5 before and during the war period. 8x10 became less common in studio use. So the market was not really there. Nikon by 1951 was set with a good business plan with their 35mm cameras and lenses, to make them the global photo equipment powerhouse they became. LF wasn't part of that plan, though they did and do still make LF lenses.

However, the Japanese revered the Voigtlander Heliar, and appreciated other similar LF lenses like the Wollensak F4 Verito, Cooke portrait lenses (F3.5, 4.5, and 5.6), etc. I would be interested in knowing the design of the lens. The purpose is crystal clear. Are there 2 or three groups? Can the OP count reflections to determine how many elements in each group? The early Nikkor work as we know copied known designs. The F4 speed is a little unusual, I'd like to know what the glass configuration is.

Garret ,
As I mentioned earlier the lens is most likely a tessar or protar copy
After wwii the German patents were not valid and many copied German designs .
The number is low and there is no mention of it that I can find other than the other that sold .
I don't think that it is anything exotic just a large format lens of some type .
Earlier in the thread I stated that it looked like the barrel lenses German prewar .
I was interested if anyone had seen another in their travels .

 

[enasniearth]

I did get a reply from Bob, the consensus was that this is not an aero lens as all those are engraved as such.
But what was it made for?
Who knows?

Did Akiyan-san reply?

Could be a good subject to discuss in the convention.

Kiu

Kiu,
I have just now sent photos to Akiyan-San
The red book nikkor site and the meetings are very interesting reading .

The lens is probably a copy of a Zeiss tessar or protar produced
Immediately postwar ,
It is interesting as I can find only one other .
It is probably rare and unusual , but not exotic or special purpose .

There are probably a lot more interesting topics to present at the NHS
Convention .
Al

 

[sevo]

Not portrait (that was a domain of rather funky off-brand tuplets, and much longer to boot) - it will be a Tessar type, everybody had one after WWII, when the Zeiss patents were placed in the public domain. It is not fast either, the CZJ Tessar came in f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4.5 and f/6.3 - Nikon probably decided to compromise towards the average rather than offer as many variations...

 

[goamules]

Garret ,
As I mentioned earlier the lens is most likely a tessar or protar copy
After wwii the German patents were not valid and many copied German designs .
The number is low and there is no mention of it that I can find other than the other that sold .
I don't think that it is anything exotic just a large format lens of some type .
Earlier in the thread I stated that it looked like the barrel lenses German prewar .
I was interested if anyone had seen another in their travels .

I haven't seen another, but they are mentioned on the Internet. You have the lens in your hands right? Why don't you just count reflections, or otherwise tell me how many groups and elements there are? Guessing it's probably a Tessar or Protar is just a guess. How many elements are there? How many lenses in each element? It's highly doubtful it's a Protar VIIa, and no way a Protar V or IV. What Protar are you thinking? None look like that. Tessar, maybe. But also maybe a Triplet, or a Rapid Rectilinear, or perhaps a Dagor, Planar, or a unique design. The "Q" often meant 4 elements, but you can confirm that.

You have the lens, tell US what configuration it is, and we can tell you what it is. Many of the posts above were just guesses ("it's an Aero...it's a process lens....it's prewar...it's postwar...612 may be the design or production date december 1946 ....) and wrong. Guessing it's a Tessar is just a guess, it may be. But it could be anything, even a unique design.