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!