If you ask seasoned shooters what favourite lens they would name, many would say a Heliar. Those are masterpieces of german optical design and famous in the Large format community for their smooth portrait rendering and absolute stunning bokeh. Just google up the internet for sample images shot with Heliar.

This is actually the go to lens, that i always suggest to someone who starts out in wetplate or in the 8x10 format. I use the same lens for the last 8 years of my wetplate for from 8x10 up to 12x15 formats. If you never shot with a Heliar, i would suggest trying it, in my opinion one of the best portrait lenses out there.

It is a really impressive piece. The focal lenght is 360mm (or 14") and the image circle is HUGE here. As long as i remember it was advertised to cover 8x10, but it will cover up to 12x15.


The condition of this specimen is really quite good, the black laquere is mostly intact and the lens shows minor wear. The glass is clear and shows only minimal leaning marks here and there. The aperture is complete and moving smoothly. The good part here is that this is the early full aluminiunm version, which is a i much lighter in weight then the later brass version.

The lens comes with a fitting flange.





height: 10cm
width: 10cm
weight: 1500gr

Insured and tracked shipping cost:

Germany - 10 eur
EU* - 30 eur
Worldwide - 80 eur

*(the site offers only 2 shipping variations, DE and worldwide. buyers from EU please either contact me beforehand for a reduced EU cost, or after buying so i can send a refund over the difference)

Importent Note: This item comes from my private collection and is around 100 years old (antique). I try my best to describe all the faults and major damage which are relevant for the function of this item. But the actuall item can show signs of wear and also some cosmetic blemishes/damage which is not described in the auction text! When buying this item the buyer agrees to this terms.