AKELEY
CAMERA LENSES
Akeley Camera, Inc., 175 Varick Street, New
York City 1920's
J. H.
Dallmeyer No. 11 Kinematograph
No element...may
have been a Bausch & Lomb Tessar 4-1/2" f4.5 based on the barrel's proportions
Carl Zeiss Tessar f2.7 3.5cm matched lenses
Various lenses for the Akeley Camera, also referred to as the "Pancake" because of its shape.
As seen in the excerpt below from Akeley's catalog, nine
lens options were shown for every range of work. Other lenses could be used, as
well, fitted to Akeley's standard 2" mount. The Akeley Camera was born
from the desire to capture fast action footage in nature photography. And,
Akeley's lens system was no less, offering high-grade optics that were easily
accessed and quickly replaced by simply sliding them in or out. Each unit had a
viewing and a taking lens. Akeley recommended that lenses less than 4" in
focal length be matched, with lenses larger than 4" having a simple finder
lens of equal focal length, which yielded a finding image of the exact same
size and of the same field.
To give some perspective, according to Akeley's Price List
dated April 1, 1929, the Carl Zeiss Tessar f2.7 3.5 cm matched lens set above
retailed for $200, or approximately $3,200 in 2021 dollars. A complete Akeley
outfit consisting of the camera, lens, two film magazines, tilting and
panoramic arms, tripod, ball and socket head and field cases for four magazines
and the camera itself, retailed for $1,700 or approximately $27,000 today.
Like their cameras, lenses for the Akeley are very hard to
come by.
From Akeley's Camera catalog circa 1923
Akeley Camera
catalog circa 1923
From Akeley's Camera catalog
circa 1923