[LargeFormat] Bargain Lens

[Mike Kirwan]

I picked up a very old Gundlach Manhattan 17"+ 12" Convertible Rapid
Rectlinear Lens at a garage sale for $1.50. It is mounted in a working
Regino pnumatic shutter (speeds T, B, 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, 1/5, 1/2 and 1). I
have made one test shot using on my 4x5 using TMX-100 and viewing the
negative under a loupe was suprised at how sharp this old lens is. Also
interesting is the coverage, it has a very large image circle and looks lo
cover 5x7. It is a small lens, about the same size as my 90mm f6.8 Angulon.
I suspect it came off a late early 1900's drop bed camera like a Kodak Pony
Premo No2 .

The removable front element has a focal length of 17" the rear element has a
focal length of 12" and combined seem to have a focal length of 10". The
aperture scale has three scales, one for the combined elements and runs from
f8 to f64, the 12" scale runs from f16 to f64 and the 17" combination runs
from f22 to f64.

I have scoured my resources and searched the web and cannot find any
reference to this lens and wonder if any of you folks could help with any
information, especially how the elements should be arranged for the 12" and
17" focal lengths. It all seems to work in whatever combination you set them
up for, so I guess there has to be a preferred way,

Best - Mike