Elcan Camera Lens

[Pablo8]

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I have an Elcan f/2.  3 inch lens designated for the F.95 Mk 6 Camera with with Vinten Ltd. London plate attached.  Any information in getting this adapted for modern camera use?

[luigi bertolotti]

I think it was made for aero use… surely very difficult to adapt it to any small format camera : maybe is possible to make some handmade plate (it has a thread on the barrel, iirc) to Mount it on some medium/large format camera like a Linhof Technika or similar…

Thinking of Leica… maybe (verifying the diameters) could be possible to mount it (Always with handmade adapter) on  the Bellows II... and see which is the focusing range… (if any) 

Edited November 15, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[pico]

11 hours ago, Pablo8 said:

I have an Elcan f/2.  3 inch lens designated for the F.95 Mk 6 Camera with with Vinten Ltd. London plate attached.  Any information in getting this adapted for modern camera use?

This might seem contradictory but most aerial film lenses do not perform well outside of their intended domain. I worked with many for well over twenty years. I have a small stockpile acquired from military sales. I have mounted them on large format cameras with great expectations. Results were uniformally disappointing except for two lenses, Pacific-Optical three-inch and the Biogon 75mm - two slightly  different designs.

Save your money - avoid that lens.

This is one of my later builds, a more successful camera with an aerial lens. I have many more of my hand built cameras I can share.

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The film format is accommodated using a Universal 4x5" back which is native to 4x5" film, or any one of many roll-film backs from 6x12cm to 6x6cm. (120 film). A 35mm back of various horizontal dimensions can be made to fit but it would be a futile exercise.

Edited November 15, 2018 by pico

[pgk]

Its a medium format lens optimised for infinity focus if I remember correctly - I had one which now belongs to a well-known Leica repairer). An interesting lens and easiest way to adapt it would be to use a suitable bellows and appropriate adapter ring. Its close up performance may not be as wondrous though.

[Pablo8]

Thanks for your reply. I realise that it was meant for distance work, the lens has no shutter, so could not adapt to my 5x4 cameras. Focussing would have to be with bellows, but such a short back -focus to the film plane. Making a good 'Paperweight' , at the moment. Got it very cheap a few years ago, with some other bits.

[pgk]

1 hour ago, Pablo8 said:

..... such a short back -focus to the film plane. 

Check, but I'd guess that it will work on some mirrorless cameras. Might be possible to have a focusing mount adapted.

[luigi bertolotti]

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Is it like this one ?

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[Pablo8]

Here is my Elcan lens. Looks like I could be able to remove the square mounting plate. At the moment, it is a good paperweight.

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Edited November 19, 2018 by Pablo8

[Pablo8]

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[luigi bertolotti]

Thanks : front writing is slightly different, but is clearly the same lens : probably it can be safely unscrwed from the original Vinten Mount, by the thread that is well visible in the picture I posted.

[willeica]

Vinten still make camera products, plates etc. http://www.vinten.com It might  be worthwhile to ask them if they have any record about camera F.95. MK.6 and how the lens was used.

William

[pgk]

From memory I think that it was used with a bulk film system (70mm?) and produced 6x9cm (?) images so was in effect a 'standard' medium format lens of high resolution optimised for infinity focus. Elcan many have some information about it too.

[luigi bertolotti]

70mm film is very reasonable : some infos on the aero cameras here… http://herma09.wixsite.com/aerial-photography

[willeica]

Thanks Luigi. It is all here http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/12fec3_22c02ba8ea8e4f82b935c9b8726dc136.pdf . The lens should come out of the Vinten mount, but it would need a new mount to go onto another camera. A focussing mount could be made, perhaps, but the Vinten mount and camera would seem to be designed to operate at infinity.

 

William

[pgk]

42 minutes ago, willeica said:

The lens should come out of the Vinten mount, but it would need a new mount to go onto another camera.

There is a fine thread just below the enlarged front section. The easiest way to remount would be to use a large enough bellows and have a front adapter ring made for this thread and adapt the rear to an evf camera. The problem being, that whilst the lens will probably be very good centrally and at long distance, its probably going to be not so good at closer distances. Aerial lenses can be useful but their larger format and infinity optimisation do limit them when used for small formats which require excellent central performance throughout their focus range. This was why mine was traded in the end. All that said, it might well make an excellent portrait lens where biting 'sharpness' is not necessarily a good thing.

[luigi bertolotti]

Great document, William ! I have never been interested in military gear, but those items are definitely intriguing; I know that miltary gear, time to time, is disposed by National Army Forces, and there is a specific marketplace for this kind of items (but don't know anything specific about) ; I noticed, in the above doc, that those Vinten cameras were also provided for Italian G91s... a plane decommissioned several years ago (when I took my Military duty as an officer of the antiaircraft artillery - 1981- the G91 was no more in line)… I wonder where those Vintens have gone..

Edited November 19, 2018 by luigi bertolotti