Bausch & Lomb Tessar 1c 8×10 lens in Compound V shutter

Bausch & Lomb Tessar 1c 8×10 300mm f4.5 lens in Compound V shutter. Serial number 2687586. The glass is clean front and rear and does not have any marks or pits. The rear group has slight delamination around the very edges but is otherwise perfect. There are small bubbles in the glass, as is typical for manufacturing of that period. The shutter supports speeds of 1/50s, 1/25s, 1/10s, 1/5s, 1/2s and 1s and works remarkably well at all settings. The shutter dial turns easily. The aperture blades are oil-free and work at all stops. The aperture lever works well and ranges from f4.5 to f32. There is a small chunk missing from the rear barrel, visible in the rear photo, but this does not affect the operation or mounting of the lens. This lens does not include a flange.

The serial number indicates that this lens was manufactured before 1942. Bausch & Lomb licensed the Tessar design from Zeiss and was the American manufacturer of Tessars. There are two air-spaced elements in the front and two elements cemented together in the rear group. It has a 356mm image circle – equivalent to 14 inches, so it will easily cover 8×10 with movements. It is a good all-around performer.