Graflex.org

[wlewisiii]

I have a 101/4.5 Wollensak Raptar that, IIUC, can't cover 4x5 but should be fine in that regard if I picked up a RH8 or RH12 rollfilm adaptor. So while thinking about surfing ebay for one of those today, I took a close look at the lens.

It's in an Alphax 5 speed shutter that doesn't need cocking. But I set it to "T", clicked it open and lo and behold I realized - there is no diaphragm. None. Nada. Zip. It's wide open and that's it. It looks like there is a slot behind the shutter where it should have been and a slot on the rear of the housing where a lever should be, but it's blocked off inside the housing. Anyone ever seen something like this before?

Now, this isn't much of a lens to spend good money on reshuttering, I just looking for a way to keep it from just sitting around gathering dust. Perhaps it would work on "T" as a focusing loupe?

William

[Les]

For the most part Optar is a Wolley made for Graflex.

A Raptar was a wolley made for anybody and anything else.

A Graphex shutter is a wolley shutter for Graflex.
An Alphax shutter is the same shutter made for anybody else.

So all that tells us is it weren't made for a Speed Graphic.

The 101 Otpar/Raptar was standard issue for the mini speed after about 1940. I think the Raptar name came in after 1945.

My guess is it was built for a special purpose camera or possible used as a projection lens in a larger assembly for something. The Raptar is still a Tessar formula and they are the sharpest wide open, but give a speed-sharpness-cost valuation I think the Raptar would be a better value than a much more expensive, but sharper Xenotar or an over-apertured triplet. They could also be using the lens on 35mm format using only the sweetspot. Most of the Photo-Records do a similar thing, but they have specific and odd focal lengths.