Search for lenses, articles and help
18” T5.6 Series VI Portrait Anastigmat – Serial 129745 – In Production from 1908 until approximately 1930 (No Patents on record!)
Introduced in 1908 “for artistic portraiture in the daylight studio and for outdoor work” this early anastigmat featured a variable soft-focus effect. The Series VI Portrait Anastigmats came in 13”, 16” and 18” equivalent focus sizes with an adjustable aperture range of f/5.6 to f/22.
Designed for plate photography and enlargers, the adjustable soft focus “enabled the photographer to introduce, at will, spherical aberration evenly over the whole plate. The diffusion adjustment [was] accomplished simply by turning the finger-grip provided on the mount, while a bold and easily read scale indicated the degree of diffusion produced.”
If used in a dark room for enlarging then “a stop device clicks off the degrees of diffusion”.
A catalogue from 1922 shows the 18” Anastigmat retailing for £40, 0 shillings and 0 pence. The series was later upgraded to become the VIa, which was branded as the “Portronic” and sold for £35 in the UK and $259 across the pond!
This slice of history is on display along with others at our London gallery and test space. Visit our ‘Showrooms’ page for more information about how you can book a visit to this unique place.
