Antique c.1914 Ross London Telecentric Lens 1:6:8 F=13"

Description: An original Ross London Telecentric 1:6.8 Telecentric 13" lens. This is probably from around 1914 (production ceased in 1922) and is a beautiful piece of engineering with a brass body and five glass elements cemented in two groups, an innovation made possible by the development of new kinds of glass by Schott, a glassmaker based in Jena in Germany (and still operational today). Ross London worked closely with Carl Zeiss, a famous German optical firm, with each company making products under license from the other for sale in their respective local markets. When they came out Telecentric lenses were particularly useful for reflex cameras with limited bellows extension, but by 1922, when Ross released its handy guide to choosing a lens (pictured), they were being used for sports photography, by naturalists, for portraits of other fast-moving animals such as children, and any other subject requiring sharp focus over distance. When they were released a lens such as this cost between $2000-$3000 in today's money, but Scotland Yard invested in one to assist its surveillance of suffragettes. We are not experts and the lens is sold as is. To a lay person, it appears to be in remarkably good condition for its age. The layers of glass seem clean and, as far as I can tell, free of fungus or scratches. There is a tiny dot on the bottom glass with a faint blue patch next to it (last pictures). There is also a slight ding in the brass edge at the other end of the lens - but when you consider that this lens might have been used in the defence of the patriarchy or for snapping WW1 military action from (hopefully) a safe distance, these flaws only add to its charm.

Price: 230 AUD

Location: Bega, NSW

End Time: 2024-11-08T02:24:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: 27.3 AUD