I was rummaging throug some stuff that a photographer gave me and found a Gundlach-Manhattan 18\12\7.5 convertible lens in a Autex shutter that goes up to 1/100th sec. Slower speeds on shutter seem ok. I just need a lensboard of correct hole dia. and a threaded "nut" to hold lens onto board. This lens should give me my tele lenses for my speed graphic. Anyone have any idea whether this lens is worth the trouble? How much is it worth? Thanks.

P.S. Shot my first pictures with the speed the other night. Used some Fuji quickload Astia 4x5 film. Wanting to scan with my Epson 2450 and get digital prints.

I wish poeple would give me such 'stuff'!

I have a Gundlach 12-21-28 (possibly 12-19-25?) here that I use on 8x10. It's a fine lens even converted.

My few comments, worth as much as you pay for them

Good luck finding a flange or nuy for that shutter. I doubt it's standard in any sense, but could be. You'd have to measure thread diameter and pitch and then go searching. Undoubtedly, SK Grimes could make one for you at a good cost...

If you're happy with B&W film, use a monochrome filter on the converted lens. It will sharpen it up quite a bit.

As far as using on your Speed, the 7.5 is no problem but after that you'rte in trouble. If you try to follow what most say and remove the front element, you'll never make the 12" for infinity focus. With my Gundlach (and the T&R's), I have used the single element in front of the shutter and found absolutely no difference in the negs. Your Gundlach should be the same thread front & rear so if you want the rear element, take off the front and replace it with the rear. This will allow you to get the 12" infinity on the Speed.

The 18" is just far too long for the Speed...


Worth and quality depend entirely on your particular lens/shutter combo. Some aged well and some didn't. For me, the Autex shutter would drop it's worth quite a bit. For someone else, who knows? They might want the older original shutter? Then there's the cells themselves. Do they have any separation around the edges? Scratches or marks?

Wihtout seeing it and testing the shutter, the worth could be anywhere from 100 to maybe 250 depending on the market. If you're going to use it and enjoy it, it's worth a whole lot more!

The glass looks in pretty good shape except for some really tiny bubbles at the far edges that shouldn't affect picture quality in any way. Would this lens work with color film at all? I'll measure the threads and see about a ring retainer. I may put this on ebay and put the money into some other accessory or lens for my speed.

I put it on ebay. I didn't have another lens board and really didn't want to mess with it. It might make a wonderful tele lens for portraits, etc. I purchased a roll film back and will use that for portrait work and the standard 135 lens. The lens is listed at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7628430898&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

I won't be the one to tell you that putting ads up here are kind of against the rules... But I do hate you for it! Boy I wish I could buy it... I'm sure it will go fast... A shame you're selling it though. Would be difficult to mount without the jam nut but would have been fun to use...

I hesitated to put up the URL for the lens but I thought that people might be interested. I wasn't originally thinking of selling it and I believe I even tried to sell it about a yr ago on ebay and didn't have any luck. The jam nut is slightly smaller than a 135 optar in Graflex shutter. Also one can see what it looks like on the ebay site and I think that would be helpful.