It’s surprising what you can find on FB marketplace when it’s poorly described.
This was listed as just “Vintage Antique”, no other info apart from the asking price.
I messaged to ask for some dimensions as the online images didn’t show much.
The reply was 520mm and f5.6, which was a little too specific considering the lack of other info. (It’s actually f8)
A quick ebay search brought up a Ross 15×12 with those exact measurements. A message soon arrived saying these sell for £1K and he had just increased the price, but I could have it at the bargain price it was originally advertised for.
Purely out of interest, I arranged to go take a look this evening. You never know, stranger things have happened in the past.
Now, you’ve heard the term buying “out the boot of a car” or “off the back of a lorry”, well, this surely had a feel of that. The chap was sitting in his van outside the advertised address and handed me the lens, again stating what they sell for on Ebay.
Straight away, you could tell this isn’t going to be a whopping big brass petzval. I began to explain the differences and that maybe he could get a few hundred for it on Ebay as I wasn’t really interested. He looked very disappointed, and he didn’t use Ebay and needed the cash.
He dropped the price, and me being a soft touch handed over an agreeable ammount.
Getting home and looking at it, not under a street lamp, the glass is spotless, and it turns out to be a Wray London 15×12 N.2652
I know that Wray lenses aren’t the most sought-after brass lenses, but I’m keen to pop it on my 12×15 inch field camera and see how it performs.
It measures just about 125mm x 75mm. I’ll check the focal length tomorrow.
Does anyone have a Wray serial number list, I’d like a little more info on the lens?