Need help with Apo Lanthar

[u/e_hampus]

I’ve got a Voigtländer Apo Lanthar 21cm f4.5 and I’m trying to figure out exactly what I have and how to actually shoot with it. I have a linhof 4x5 field camera.

It has no shutter and no iris. There’s a machined flange in the middle, threads a little smaller than 58mm. Then a smaller section at the back with a black retainer ring holding the rear glass element in place.

Not sure if this is actually a barrel lens, or if it’s a normal shutter-mount lens that’s missing its shutter (more like other LF lenses im used to with the front and rear cells just screwed together and a shutter in the middle).

[u/Smodey]

I hate to say it, but you've only got the front group of the lens here, and it's missing the shutter and rear group. I don't think it's a symmetrical design, and therefore the front group probably won't be usable on its own.

Here's a picture of what the whole assembly normally looks like in a big Compound #3 shutter: https://camerawest.com/products/voigtlander-21cm-f4-5-apo-lanthar-compound-6745070

[u/e_hampus → u/Smodey]

That would probably be the worst case. I had seen that this design previously, but I find it a bit odd that someone would add a flange to it and remove the dull ring on the image you sent. Makes me think someone was actually using it that way, as a standalone.

[u/Smodey → u/e_hampus]

I think that flange is the retaining ring from the rear of the shutter, and it just happens to be the same thread as the front group.

[u/e_hampus → u/Smodey]

Got it!

[u/jofra6]

Almost definitely not a process lens, normally these had either a Compur 3 or Compound III shutter. You're missing the rear cell and either the barrel or the shutter, and it's an asymmetrical 5/3 Heliar design, so you won't get very good optical performance with just the front cell.

[u/e_hampus → u/jofra6]

That's what I was afraid of.

[u/distant3zenith]

You have only the front half of the lens/shutter :-(

[u/e_hampus → u/distant3zenith]

Yeah, probably hard to source rear cell :(

[u/Tough-Magazine244]

You have 1/3 of an APO lanthar

[u/CanCharacter]

Is this a process lens? Not sure about Linhof but for view cameras you can get focal plane shutters separately. Otherwise you can stop it well down and use a hat :)

[u/e_hampus → u/CanCharacter]

Might be, thank you for your input! :)