Trying to date a Gundlach Radar lens

TheRealRed · Apr 15, 2012

Hello all, I'm new to the forum and hope to find some help identifying an old lens. I have an old Gundlach radar lens with a serial number of 208556, mounted in a Wollensak Betax 5 shutter. Can anyone give me some idea of how to date this combination?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

dxqcanada · Apr 15, 2012

If you look at the Gundlach catalogs Gundman-Manhattan Catalogs ... the Radars are not listed in the 1920 edition but does appear in 1922.

< this should really have been posted in the Collectors Forum >

Derrel · Apr 15, 2012

One does not simply "date" a Grundlach Radar!! One must instead court it. Romance it. Write it poetry, and bring it lens cleaning cloths from the finest makers (Hama, Pentax, Edmund Scientific) and ply it with fine, imported cleaning solutions (in moderation of course!). You don't just "date" such a fine, stately beauty! Romance it!

dxqcanada · Apr 15, 2012

Derrel, sounds like you courted a Gundlach before?

fokker · Apr 15, 2012

Derrel said:
One does not simply "date" a Grundlach Radar!! One must instead court it. Romance it. Write it poetry, and bring it lens cleaning cloths from the finest makers (Hama, Pentax, Edmund Scientific) and ply it with fine, imported cleaning solutions (in moderation of course!). You don't just "date" such a fine, stately beauty! Romance it!

:lmao: I came to this thread just to write something similar to this, but you beat me to it Derrel.

Sorry, OP. I have nothing useful to add.

Derrel · Apr 15, 2012

dxqcanada said:
Derrel, sounds like you courted a Gundlach before?

Yes, but she left me for a young, rich Wide Field Ektar with a removable rear element group..he had his own super-bad crib, a huge condo downtown overlooking the river...filled with Schneider & Linhof stuff...I got over it.

dxqcanada · Apr 15, 2012

Hmm, did you have a big enough Lensboard ?

tirediron · Apr 15, 2012

As suggested, moving this to the Collector's Forum.

tirediron · Apr 15, 2012

dxqcanada said:
Hmm, did you have a big enough Lensboard ?

Do you really want to ask about the size of Derrel's lensboard????

tirediron · Apr 15, 2012

On a serious note, the guys over at the LFP Forum might be able to help.

Derrel · Apr 15, 2012

My lens board was just fine thank you...but I had a leaky bellows...

dxqcanada · Apr 15, 2012

Rubber sealant should help with that.

dxqcanada · Apr 15, 2012

tirediron said:
dxqcanada said:

Hmm, did you have a big enough Lensboard ?

Click to expand...

Do you really want to ask about the size of Derrel's lensboard????

I could have mentioned how long his bellows extension is ... but I did not.

TheRealRed · Apr 22, 2012

Have for sale:
a GundlachRadar lens, serial #208556, EQ. 12" 304.8 mm. mounted on Wollensak U.S.A.Betax No. 5 shutter. Any reasonable offer will be considered. You can contact me directly at [email protected]