Accura Adams, Charing Cross Road, London W C. - Lens

Abney, Sir W. de Wivelslie ( -19/10/1920)
He was an important man in English photography as Captain in India at the transit of Venus, an official in the
Royal Engineers, Director of S. Kensington and author, eg of "Instruction in Photography" eds from
01/02/1878, with a still useful chapter on lenses pp109-143, and although not especially connected with
optics, can be a name to look for in old book lists. see notice of death in B.J.A. 1922, pp300-2.
Acu-Prefix used on some Caltar lenses.
Accura
USA brand name, noted on a macro lens, f3.5/25mm in Modern Photo 06/1980 p74. The fish f11/12mm was
noted in Modern 08/1980 p147 as "surprisingly good" but the later f5.6 version seems to be less liked, though
faster.
Adams, Charing Cross Road, London W C.
Adams was essentially a camera maker, from 1885 or 1890, and they were never lens makers. Thus lenses
with the name will be bought-in items engraved for sale in the business. A fair range of items has been
reported including RR, Petzval and enlarging lenses, and others such as WAR probably were made. That
examined has no serial number.
Adams "The Club" engraved Rapid Rectilinear 9x7. It is a sharp lens especially if closed down a bit and is in
brass finish. It was made in other (?several?) sizes as a smaller one has also been seen.
Fig023026*
Adams 'The Club' about f8/12in for 9x7in.
A later lens seen was a Ross-Zeiss Protar V11a with Adams name added to the makers engraving.
Pinhole "lens" made in aluminium (B.J.A. 1905, 1928, p119, 1929, p123). This unit was graduated for the
series of holes as 1/16, 1/22, 1/32, 1/45, 1/64. In use the exposure for an f-number was calculated, and the
graduation used, but increased by the camera extension in inches squared. Thus on f22 and a meter reading
of "1/50sec at f22" for an 8in extension give 8x8x1/50=1.28sec.
Other lenses noted at auction were No38,223 in brass for 1/4plate (no details), and a French made Portrait for
a 8x8in sliding box wetplate.
It is worth noting that in 1925, this respected maker was suggesting:
(a) Ross Combinable f5.5, Xpres f4.5, Teleros f5.5; TTH Cooke f3.5, Aviar f4.5; Dallmeyer Pentac f2.9, Dallon
Tel f5.6 and f6.5.
(b) in 1932, he is was recommending the following lenses:
Ross Xpres f2.9; Xpres f3.5; Xpres f4.5; Ross Combinable f5.5; Ross Teleros f5.5 and f6.3 and Dallon f5.6, with
TTH Wide angle Series VIIB as a wide angle. There are changes here.
It is likely these were a considered choice taking quality and performance into account as well as price.
(B.J.A. 1932, p79).
Adams, Jason., Surbiton, Surrey.
A lens designer and repairer who developed techniques for the restoration of period lenses in the years after
the war (about 1950-1980). J. Greer describes him as "a very talented and a modest genius we all so sadly
miss". Lenses sent to his works were rebalsamed and repolished and coated (blue and later brown) without
significant loss in performance, and all at modest prices. He may have worked out how to adjust the spacings
to compensate for the repolishing.
After the closure of the firm in 1979, the B.J.P. said in an Editorial that there was no successor, and
emphasized the lack of training offered by Polytechnics in this field, the impossibility of finding teachers and
the lack of product support by many of the importers. (23/03/1979, p263; 24/08/1979, p801-2.) This is still true
today and the compiler knows of good lenses being destroyed in attempts to repolish where this would have
been routine in the 1970's.
Adox =Dr C Schleussner A.G., Frankfurt a. Main, Germany.
They are a German film maker, and had their own series of cameras, but it is not known if these were bought
in or made by Adox themselves. Some do seem to be bought in however. Most Adox cameras had bought-in
lenses such as Cassar, Radionar, but some had no-name lenses or in-house ones. Some are as follows:
Golf 63. This had a Adoxar f6.3/75mm lens in 1956.
There was also an Adoxar f3.5 on the Polo in 1960.
Golf IIa and other 35mm cameras had a Adoxan f2.8/45mm or an Adoxon of the same spacification.
Adoxar
f3.5
45mm
on Adox Polo (1956)
Adoxon
f2.8
45mm
on Adox Golf 1a, 1965 approximately.
AEG, Germany.
AEG made a notable fisheye lens patented in 1932. This was considered to be an improvement on Hill's lens
and was produced on a small scale. Kingslake (1963) shows an example taken with it.
Note German Pat 620,538/1932 to H. Schultz, Allgemeine Electrizitats Gesellschaft, Berlin using glasses G1
+2= 1.5400/59.6; G3= 1.6138/56.3; G4=1.6364/35.4; G5= 1.6074/56.7.
Aeronautical and General Instruments Ltd (AGI), Purley Way, Croydon, UK.
(It possibly also operated as Agilux Ltd.)
AGI purchased a small optical works called Hall Optical and continued the name on the 105mm lenses made
during WW2. These were fitted to the ARL Mk1 and 11 cameras, based on the Korelle, but with a front
extension to take a 105mm lens. Postwar this became the Agiflex and was given a better finish and
interchangable lenses on two successive sizes of bayonet mount. Later the range of miniature cameras was
developed as Agimatic, Agima and a rollfilm Agifold was sold. The most collectable are probably the Agiflex
items. Not all these lenses were coated and where they are coated, the coats can be only on some surfaces
or may be very soft when present. Remember they are quite early postwar items, and now long past the
expected useful life. In contrast, the mounts are very robust and the lens heads can be unscrewed from the
mount. One designers name seems to be Mr Bache or Back- there probably were relatively few in-house
designs after the Agiflex series ended.
"Unimar", Hall
f4.5
4.2in (106.7mm) Q15 Non-interchangable.
See Amateur Photographer 10/1953 for the sale of ex-MoD ARL cameras by Paul Studios of Eastbourne. It is
likely that this is the camera shown with 2 Wrens by D.Rendell in B.J.P. 07/03/1980, p219.
Agilux
f3.5
80mm
Q15,4-glass
These are normally in the small bayonet for the original Agiflexes. It has been noted at No55,14x.
See Am.Photo 26/11/1947 for sale new of Agiflex. It was shown at the British Industries Fair June 1948. The
Agiflex was shown in B.J.A. 1948, p164, p425 advert. and 1949, p470 but with no mention of lenses other than
the f3.5/80mm standard one, but the next years advert shows both the standard and 16cm lenses.
Agilux
f2.8
80mm
Q15
These are (usually) the later type, and are often in the large bayonet, eg. at No55,05x, 55,08x and 58,03x?x .
They are well spoken off by users. They may be a design by Mr Bache, who we think was the AGI designer at
that time.
Agilux Telephoto
f5.5
160mm
Q24, 2+2 tele This was 'new' in MCM 4/1950 which may
explain why they have rather soft coatings. (Also see above note on B.J.A. advets, new n 1950).
f5.5
240mm
same
f5.5
300mm
same
Noted at Nos 100,11x, 101,05x, 100,07x, 101,20x for 16cm; 20,38x and 20,42x for 24cm, and 400,42x and
400,41x for 300mm. Thus it is possible the first 2 or 3 digits are the type of lens and the last are related to the
number made. They seem to have been made in both sizes of bayonet. A complete set for Agiflex II is
illustrated in B.J.A. 1954, p498 Advert.
Agilux
f4.5
90mm Q14 for Agifold 1949-52 type This was noted in MCM Nov 1948,
B.J.A. 1949, p219. They were favourably impressed. The camera was shown in the B.J.A. 1949, p471 advert.
as well as the Agiflex.
Agilux
f4.5
75mm
This was used for the Agifold V (1956)
Agilux
f2.8
45mm
This was a Q14? or Q15? type for the Agimatic (1957) and
Agima (1961) at £19.38 complete. It was a 4 glass lens in the adverts.
Agilux Tele
f5.5
85mm
This was also for the Agimatic/Agima at £11.50 above.
Aetna Optics, USA.
Sevral items have been noted including:
Telephoto
f7.5
400mm
Luminon
f3.5
105mm
(1965)
Q15 type
Afiom, Pordenone, Italy.
Camera maker, eg. of Wega M39x26 mount camera, with lenses of unknown source.
Trixar
f3.5
50mm
Trigon
f3.5
50mm
Other lenses were fitted and some were common to Kristall and were from Berthiot
AFR. Paris.
They are known here from an
Anastigmat Symmetrique f6.3 135mm This is probably of Dagor layout, in brass case, at No29x.
Sine Sole Nihil
f6.8
26cm This was noted as an anastigmat Symmetrique Series A with
iris. It just may be a Dagor type.
Fig 023024*
AFR, Paris: Anastigmat Symmetrique f6.8/135mm No295.
AGA (Svenska AB Gasaccumulator), Sweden.
This major company has interests in 35mm sound projectors ("AGA Baltic"), and a very extreme, modern
(and costly) wide angle projector lens is known with their name on it. They may also have made military
ordinance in the past. Thus at least one 1950's book on p164 describes a 1500mm tele mounted horizontally
on a Saab S24c-SKa 10/150 jet recce aircraft. It carried no less than 7 cameras in all, with the Tele mounted
horizontally for horizon or chase recording.
The projector lens is thought to have been made in Sweden, but the firm assures a correspondent they have
no optical department today.
Age, effect of age on lenses.
A note in B.J.P. 05/03/1880, cited 07/03/1980 regards the effects as a deterioration in general, due to
'oxidation' or mildew, especially if kept in a damp place. Also noted was deterioration of the balsam, due to
yellowing- more serious then before colour sensitized materials were in use. Note that this was pre- Jena
glass and that the effect of self-coating was not noted, but rather was masked by the opposite effects.
Agfa, Frankfurt/Munich, Germany.
also 91, New Oxford St., London.
Agfa are major film makers and probably bought Rietzschel cameras in 1925 as a normal period
amalgamation to ensure a supply of cameras to use their films. Rietzschel were still independant in the 1926
book by Frerk but the change may have been planned at the time. In the UK these were mainly high quality
family cameras for a mass market, but in Europe it seems that Rietzschel continued with some of their
traditional business in professional equipment. Thus in B.J.A. 1926 p687 Agfa is advertising Rietzschel
cameras, and in B.J.A. 1928, p302 there is a notice of a Mentor for 1927 sale with an Agfa f4.5 lens.
Rietzschel is not a common trade name in the UK but is found and and probably was not much exported
here. In the B.J.A. 1927, p308, the Agfa plate and film cameras had a choice of Agfa f6.3 or f7.7 lenses but on
the Nitor with 2x extension, the choice was of Agfa Helostar (Agfa f6.3) or f4.5 from either firm.
Later, Agfa were a major player, and their cameras are much easier to find. One major feature was that the
cameras not only worked well within the design parameters, but also that the maker has continued to service
and supply spares long after others ceased to do so. This does increase their value and is a bigger advantage
than is often realized.
1930-1940 period
Apotar
f4.5
105mm triplet
Q14
A 1934 lens on a Speedex 6x9 was noted in B.J.A. 1935 p283, and on a Speedex Record in idem, 1937,
p269. They said of the lens "excellent definition" and the unit "it is a matter of wonder how it can be done for
the price".
Billinar
f11
Periscope (App002)
Igestar
f5.6
75mm on 6x6 Speedex Billy in 1933. Q13
f6.3
50-105mm
Q13 An example seen was in an ACG 3-speed shutter, and
was actually 100mm focus. It is a triplet, with front cell focus, stops to f32, but no serial number. The 50mm
was used on the Agfa Karat in 1938 (B.J.A. 1938, p265) and was regarded as excellent.
f7.7
105mm
Q13, App003. This was on the Billette in B.J.A. 1931,
p280. One of these is remembered with affection from the 1950's! It was really contrasty and centrally very
sharp, though the edges were less good.
f8.8
105mm
Q13
Igetar
f8.8
105mm? This version is clearly written on an Agfa Speedex in B.J.A. 1929,
p290: it may have been changed for euphony.
The slower triplets were based on the original type with a very small gap between glasses 1 and 2.There was
a transfer to the more symmetrical type as apertures increased eg. to f4.5 but the Trilinear was still markedly
unsymmetrical in the 1933 catalogue. These were well regarded in the 1950's.
Solinear
f4.5
135mm Agfa Solinear in a dial set Compur (Size 1?) at Lens
No404,719/shutter No541,539, probably about 1925? It was fitted to the Isolar 408 folding black plate, and a
9x12cm Klapp camera. It may be that this was the first version of a name later shortened as Solinar for
convenience, but Solinar also seems to be an older Rietzschel name, although there is a chance it has been
shortened after the Solinar form was in use. In fact, two examples of this Solinear form were noted in 1999 so
it may be commoner than initially thought. It seems to be Q15 type.
Solinar
f4.5
50-105mm
Type varied as Q14, Q15, or reversed Q15. Typically Solinar
was a 4 glass lens and rather upmarket of the triplet type cameras. (App006) A 105mm example seen was on
a folding camera at No497,69x in a rimset Compur No2,367,29x
f3.9
75mm on 1933 Speedex Billy, VP Billy O.
f3.5
These are known from the 1933 catalogue but no applications are known.
There was a f3.5/5cm Solinar on the Agfa Karat in 1939 (B.J.A. 1939, p262) noted as giving excellent
definition.
Solinar
f2.7
20-50mm reversed Q15, for cine.
Igenar
f8.8
105mm Triplet, Q13 on Billy Clack. It can be an achromatic meniscus as in
App001.
Agnar
f4.5
85-105mm
Q14, App008.
f6.3
75mm in B.J.A. 1957, p261. where on Isola camera.
f6.3
55mm
Q14
Agfa Anastigmat
f4.5
105mm
Q14
Trilinear
f4.5
105mm
Q13
f6.3
105mm
Q13
This is or was a Rietzschel trade name and has been noted at about No167,83x but may have been continued
on Agfa cameras until the new trade names were developed. These apparently had a bigger air-gap between
glasses 1 and 2 than the Igestar, and perhaps used more costly glass. The f6.3 and f4.5 were options on the
Agfa Standard Focussing Roll-film in B.J.A. 1931, p299.
Helostar
f6.3) Helostar is in the 1933 catalogue as a dialyt, probably in both apertures.
f4.5) Helostar was described as a high grade anastigmat and bitingly sharp and even
in illumination. It was fitted to Agfa Standard Plate/rollfilm for 6x9cm. The only example seen is marked
"Doppel Anastigmat" but the iris is f6.3 and the lens f4.5- it may have been exchanged into a new shutter.
Symmetar
f1.5
12, 20, 50mm This was a 8, 16mm cine lens. The design was said to be 5
glass unsymmetrical. It seems to have been quite a major product. The B.J.A. noted a 20mm lens in 1932,
p329, as needing a special lens mount on the Agfa Movex 16mm camera, and had helical focusing, with a
lever control, to 2ft, with click in settings at 10ft and 4ft. The attraction understandably was to take film in
artificial and poor light.
Kine Anastigmat
f2.8
12-20mm
Q14 NB This was continued postwar, and seems to be
listed at least 1937-1950. It may have replaced the earlier f3.5 below.
f2.5
11mm about 1957.
f3.5
20-50mm
Q14 This was noted about 1928-1930, in 20mm for 16mm
probably.
Movenar I
f1.4
20mm about 1958 for 8mm use.
Tele-Cine anastigmat f3.5
80mm This was a 4-glass design, ?2+2 type.
Lucellar
This was noted in 25, 50mm, and it may be a projection lens of about 19311938.
Prolinear
f1.5
Prolinear
f1.9
135mm These seem to be continuations of the Rietzschel products, and are
4-glass lenses related to the Speedic layout. Some may have been portrait lenses, or used as such. Only one
focal length has been noted.
Linear Convertible
f4.5
65-180mm This was a symmetrical portrait lens, separable so that the
elements can be used separately. The name suggests another carry-over item.
Ocellar
f2.2
36-65mm This was a Petzval Type movie lens Q3 for 20°
Oppar
f4.5
95mm Q15, App005.
TeleAnsatz
This was made for use with a 105mm triplet, the front two elements being unscrewed
and replaced with a new unit to give an f7.5 or possibly f6.3, 210 or 200mm lens. It was used on Agfa 6x9
Standard rollfilm cameras only.
Tele Satz Anastigmat This was an anastigmat accessory front lens, possibly the same as the above, from
the 1930's.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Post-1945 items These will normally be coated and most are for 35mm use. Production seems to have
resumed quickly after the War, there being 1946 models.
Solinar
f2.8
50mm The lens was not initially a Color Solinar but a coated Solinar, ?
otherwise as prewar. It was on the Karat 1V.
Solinar
f2.8
39mm This was much later, about 1966 on the Optima 935 and is probably
really a Color version with the name shortened.
Solinar
f3.5
50mm on Agfa Solinette 35mm in 1953.
Solinar
f3.5
75mm on Super Isolette about 1954.
f4.5
105mm on Billy Record about 1954.
Agnar
f6.3
63, 105mm on Billy (1945), Isola II, and on Record I 1950's, 75mm on Isola
about 1957. An Agnar 6.3 is listed on a Billy 1 in B.J.A. 1954, p211.
Agnar
f4.5
105mm in Record I as above, 85mm on Isolette I , II, V from about 1951. the
B.J.A. 1955, p222 describes it as 'modest but performs well, excellent results'. For a notice of it coated and
front cell focusing, on Record 1, see B.J.A. 1954, 224.
Agnar
f3.5
45mm on the Silette about 1957.
Color Agnar
f2.8
45mm on Silette I from about 1962 on many Silette Rapid and Silette 35mm
cameras.
Solagon
f2.0
50mm as Colour Solagon actually, on Super Silette. (About 1954)
Apotar
f3.5
55mm This was on the Karat, and was a triplet, App004.
Apotar
f3.5
45mm on Silette (B.J.A. 1954, p218), Silette L and Silette 35mm cameras.
This was a triplet design. The B.J.A. report (1955, p224) says: front cell focusing, iris to f16 and a 3 glass
anastigmat, in an excellent camera giving good results.
Apotar
f4.5
85mm on Isolette 6x6 and Isolette II and III about 1950-1956. (eg B.J.A.
1955, p220;) where the Isolette I had an Agnar f4.5. An example No628,99x seen in an Compur Rapid shutter
No6,492,289 seemed to be a triplet.
Apotar
f4.5
105mm on Agfa Record II about 1952.
Color Apotar
f3.9
60mm on 4x4cm Isoly.(1960)
Color Apotar
f2.8
42mm on Optima 500
Achromat
f8.8
3in? on 6x6 Agfa Click
Meniscus
f11 on 6x9cm Synchro Box and Clack. It was fitted to the Isoly in c.1960
Ocellar 11
f1.6
20-50mm This was a portrait lens for movie use, and a postwar Q3 type.
Color Agnar
f2.8
45mm Triplet,Q14. This was noted on a 1963 Optima.
Color Agnar
f9.5
27mm on Agfamatic 1008, 2008,
Color Agnar
f11
26mm on Agfa 2008
Color Optar
f11
31mm on Agfamatic 1008 with Tele accessory Color Optar f11/43mm
Color Agnatar
f3.5
40mm This was on the Optima 335 about 1966. It has a 4 glass design.
Color Apotar
f2.8
45mm Q14 From about 1957 on Silette series, also with Color Solinar
f2.8/45mm option.This was also a 3-glass triplet, but fitted to higher price cameras, such as the Optima II and
III where the Optima I had a Color Agnar version of the triplet. It was a long lived item.
Color Apotar
f2.8
42mm This was on the Optima Sensor about 1966.
Color Apotar
f2.8
35mm This was on the Optima Rapid about 1966.
Color-Apotar
f2.8
30mm on Parat I about 1963.
Color Apotar
f4.0
26mm on Agfamatic 4000, Traveller and 508 Pocket.
Color-Apotar
f6.3
27mm on Agfamatic 901 E about 1964. This was a 3-glass Triplet.
Color Apotar
f8.0
27mm on Agfamatic 901 SE about 1964.
Color Solitar
f2.8
40mm This was a 4-glass lens on the Optima 1535 and 535 about 1966. It
was a major product at the time on several cameras.
Color Solinar
f4.5
105mm Q15 Several reports say this can be used on formats a lot bigger
than the 6x9cm that 105mm normally covers, such as 9x12 or even 5x4in, but this has not been checked by
the compiler. (It may be valid for use in close up.)
Color Solinar
f4.0
35mm Q15
Color Solinar
f2.8
45mm on Selecta M about 1966.
Color Solinar
f2,7
26mm on Agfamatic 5008, also coded S-2 on Agfamatic 6008 macro pocket.
These seem to be 4-glass designs.
Color Solinar
f2.8
50mm Q15 This probably marks the introduction of new glass? or designs
and came about 1955, for the AmbiSilette, and later on the Super Silette. It was also the standard lens on
the Agfaflex below, and on the Selectaflex. These lenses all take 35.5mm filters with 37mm externals and
use the same hoods, filters, Proximeter close-up units. Performance is atleast good and may be excellent.
Color Solinar
f2.8
45mm This was on the Optima 500S about 1963.
Color Ambion
f4.0
35mm This was a 4-glass lens
Color Tilinear
f4.0
90mm This was a 5-glass lens.
Colour Telinear
f4
135mm A scarcer long lens for the Ambi-Silette II about 1957
Ambiflex this may be listed wrongly below as Selectaflex? The shutter was a Prontor Reflex one and the
lenses much as the AmbiSilette but with one extra:
Colour Solagon
f2
55mm This may have been required to clear the mirror unit or to
give better focusing.
Agfaflex lenses also for Selectaflex.
For further information see Modern Photography 4/1960 p9.
Color Solinar
This was noted at No448,964.
Color Ambion
f3.4
35mm
Q15
Color Telinear
f3.4
90mm Tele, 1+1+2 type
Color Telinear
f4.0
135mm Noted for Ambiflex- but these may be more interchangable than this
suggests.
Soligon
f2.0
50mm
6-glass Gauss, Q15
Solagon
f2.0
50mm
6-glass Gauss, Q15
Color Solagon DI
f4.5
70mm (This seems an exception to a 6-glass Gauss design?)
(Both versions of the name seem to occur).
Color Solagon In fact, all Solagons may be coded as 'Color' as in App007.
Color Telinear
f3.4
90mm
Color Telinear
f4.0
90mm
Agfa Color Multicoated f2.8
38mm }These were for the Selectronic I, 2 about 1966, and
}were fitted to cameras from Japan and were new
Agfa Color Multicoatedf1.9
50mm } in coating and style, as well as
Agfa Color Multicoatedf1.4
50mm }faster in the next case at least.
Agomar
f2.8
100-150mm
Triplet, Q14
Colorstar Special
f11
40mm This was fitted to the Agfamatic 55C, 108 about 1966.
f3.2
Triplet Q14
Tele Objective
f3.5
80mm
for 16mm cine.
Color Ambion
f4.0
35mm
Q15
Memar
f4.5
on Agfa Memo "rapid film" camera.
Color Solinar
f2.8
50mm
Q15
Isitar
f8.2
This was on Iso-Rapid about 1960.
Color Isomar
f8.0
Triplet on Moto-Rapid about 1966.
Achromat
f8.0
43mm on Rapid I-F
Movenar
f1.4
20mm A 8mm cine lens from about 1958.
Movestar
f1.9
12.5mm An 8mm lens from 1958-1963.
It is also listed as 13mm on a Movex 8 8mm camera.
Agfa-Geveart They made a series of copier units after the amalgamation under at least two trade name and
the lenses can be a mystery if separated from the units. The lenses noted were coded:
"Repromaster" on 135, 150, 210 f9.0 and 240mm f9.5 lenses, and it seems as an f4.5/80mm of 6g/4c Gauss
design. This has an engraved iris scale, the others merely have on stop marked, for setting up the unit
perhaps and may have used a lever with external visible scale.
Fig 007016 Agfa-Gevaert Repromaster lenses f9 in 150mm and 210mm.
"Super Intergon" on a series running up to c.300mm, as f5.6/105; f8.0/210; f9.0/305mm.
The Intergon series seem to be regarded as Schneider lenses, just as it was initially suspected the f9
Repromasters might be G-Clarons under a different name. But when two 150mm lenses (G-Claron and
Repromaster) were compared, the curves differed. Users have commented on the sharpness of the results
from Repromaster lenses, and this has been found to be true in practice both for camera use and in enlarging.
The aerial image also looked very sharp and perfect. But in purchasing it should be noted that the iris action
on Repromaster lenses is unusual (calibrated at f22 only but with click stops otherwise) and severely limits
the prices obtained. (It would be easy to mark other apertures as they are click stopped and there is space to
stick on labels. And note the rear thread and register will closely match 150mm camera lenses in Size 0
shutters. But also note the glass seems to be set in one continuous barrel and not in cells transferable to a
shutter as with G-Claron).
Actually, there was some sign of the maker when two other lenses came available to compare. The first was
a f9/150mm Helioprint- obviously a name related to print making work. The design of the glass seems the
same as the Repromaster from the reflexions on the glass surfaces, specification and external curves, which
are the same back and front and in each lens as if 'one tool made all of them'. Another point is that the
f8/150mm Ultragon has a very similar mount to the Repromaster, even thought the glass differs in aperture
and curves here. Now the Ultragon is marked Staeble Ultragon, and this may suggest that all these three
lenses were made by Staeble for Agfa or another in the case of Helioprint. See also Ekofisk below.
AICO, London.
Agents with catalogues including enlarger lenses under their own names, eg:
AICO enlarging f3.5 as 35, 50, 75mm, f4.5, 105mm.
In 04/1973, they sold two series for SLR cameras, with preset iris in 11 types and a very wide choice of
mount,- and auto in 5 types- these were a new series then, in Nikon, Minolta and Canon, and Pentax thread at
lower price.
Auto iris series:
Aicomatic
f2.8
28mm
f2.8
35mm
f2.8
135mm
f3.5
200mm
f4.5
300mm
In 1968, they included an:f2.5/85mm; f3.5/135mm; f2.8/135mm; f3.5/200mm; and f5.6/300mm.
Aicoset preset iris lenses:
Aicoset
f2.8
28mm
f3.5
35mm
f2.8
35mm
f1.8
85mm This was f1.9 in 1968.
f3.5
135mm
f2.8
135mm
f4.5
200mm
f3.5
200mm
f5.6
300mm
f5.6
400mm
f6.3
500mm
also converters for tele effect as 2x, 3x, 2-3x zoom.
Aires IndustriesLtd, Tokyo, Japan.
Coral
Coral
Coral
Coral
Coral
Coral
Coral
Coral
Rare in
f1.9
f2.8
f2.8
f1.5
f1.5
f3.5
f3.2
f3.5
the UK,
45mm 6g/4c Gauss.
45mm on Aires 35-IIIa
50mm.
45mm on 35-V
75mm on 35-V
100mm on 35-V
35mm on 35-V
75mm on 6x6 Automat TLR.
these seem to have been good lenses in the 1960's.
Aitchison, James, (1860-1911) see Dollond & Aitchison, Wray.
AKa, (Apparate und Kamerabau Gmbh), Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Aka normally fitted Schneider Xenar and Xenon and ISCO Westar etc lenses to assure good performance, but
the Arette-A of 1959 had an Arettar f2.8/45mm as a lower cost alternative to the ISCO. It was actually marked
ISCO Göttingen Isconar f2.8/45mm. They also used a Wilon f2.8-50mm on the Arette BW with a Telexon f5.690mm tele lens. These were used on other bodies, as well as a Lineogon f3.5-35mm wide angle lens.
Alba, Milano, Italy.
Active about 1900-1915.
Aplanat
Aplanat
Doppel Anastigmats
f8.0
135mm RR?
f6.0
135mm RR?
f5.6,f6.8No details
Albini Double Anastigmat
f5.5
100mm Noted at No538x.
Albinar
This has been noted as a brand in use on SLR's in the USA, though the source is unknown. An example was
an 135mm for 35mm Canon SLR.
Aldis Bros, Sparkhill, Birmingham 28, UK.
Aldis Bros. was founded by H.L.Aldis and his brother in 1901, and initially depended largely on the Aldis Uno
Anastigmat with 3 glasses in two components. Normally the cemented pair is in front of the iris, and
represents a triplet with zero separation of the front two glasses. Some have been noted however, with the
cemented pair behind the iris and a single glass in front, such as a 7in f6.0 in a brass mount at No 23,54x.
Many merely are marked Aldis and Anastigmat- "Uno" engraving is something of an exception and may
suggest a late lens. Uno is a very nice contrasty sharp lens and fully usable today if used with care and was a
real bargain. It was extended by accessory lenses which in one case seems to have converted it to a triplet.
They seem to have sold well on Lizars cameras eg a No1 at No713x and a No2A f6.3 in 6.5in on Challenges,
as well as to Ensign and others.
However Aldis tended to go over to producing triplet and 4-glass types as the patents ran out and the
collector will find these the commonest types on sale now. Often these are ex-press and large SLR's and in
sunk mounts marked as Aldis-Butcher or Aldis-Ensign. However Uno did exist still in the 1920's on the
Ensign Tropical Carbine, and was available as late as B.J.A. 1932, p303 on the Ensign Carbine rollfilm where
it was the 'cheapest standard model at £6.50 (f4.5 Uno in 7-speed Mulchro). Uno was still on the 1933 Ensign
Speed Film Reflex in the advert. but by then seems to be near the end of the normal sales period. One factor
seems to be Ensign going over to fitting their own make of Ensars to their Carbines. (There is a rather
detailed study of the Ensign lenses under Ensign.)
While working for Dallmeyer's, Aldis stated 3 conditions a lens must meet for astigmatism to be corrected:
a/ the converging lenses must be of high and the diverging lenses of low refractive index glass.
b/ the converging and diverging components must be separated by a considerable interval.
c/ thick meniscus lenses must be used.
These were stated while he was designing the Stigmatics, and represent a very different mindset from those
stated by Steinheil for his symmetrical anastigmat, but perhaps these were only proposed for a symmetrical
anastigmat.
Aldis was rather aware that some patents overlapped his work before 1900, and resisted a claim by Zeiss that
the Tessar patents of 1902 had priority, and in fact the adverts. by Aldis recounted how the Court found in
Aldis' favour when the Aldis f4.5 appeared. (Undated Aldis leaflet, produced by Nebro). An unusual item was
the Photosurvey unit of 1910, which combined a compass, level and 90° mirror so that pictures could be
properly oriented. (B.J.A. 1910).
A major diversion in WW1 was a 1914 special sniper's rifle sight (Telescopic sight) followed by the Aldis
signalling lamp, made in large numbers in both world wars and introduced quickly in 1915 owing to jamming
of aircraft radio messages, and an air-gunners sight; and this led to a stoppage of production of camera
equipments at times. They did make some aerial survey lenses in 1917 for the RAF, like others finding the
glass available prevented the direct copying of the f4.8 20in AeroTessar type requested and making a triplet
type instead. The first compromise was in aperture, which was reduced to f5.6 owing to the non-availability of
larger glass slabs. Secondly, they used a triplet design, and claimed it fully equalled the German original.
Production was from early 1918. Later bigger glass slabs allowed the production of similar f4.0 20in and f6.0
36in lenses, the latter for 10x8in. These were long focus lenses used over narrow angles, and the curves are
very "shallow" and the corrections can be amazingly good as a result. (The Photographic Journal of R.P.S.,
04/1919, p122)
A former employee working there about 1939 described seeing Aldis signalling lights in production, along with
many projectors and epidiascopes, which were sold to Germany, though the sales were unprofitable, (?
possibly due to currency changes after a contract was agreed?). The company was then owned by a Mr
Cridland who had an American wife, and Mr John Aldis was still involved in the business. Later the business
was sold to Pullin Optical and later became part of the Rank Organization. At one time after WW2 the
products were made in a factory in Scotland. Neville Brown were the Agents, at least for the UK. An unusual
note mentioned was that damage to lens surfaces, apparently coated ones, resulted from rats' feet and the
surfaces then had to be repolished to be saleable.
After WW2, when Aldis were absorbed into the Rank Organization, they seem still to have been mainly
responsible for production of projectors for 35mm slides. Initially these were a very solid design but later the
Aldisette was made with fan cooling, but of lighter design and the f3.2 replaced by an f2.5 projection lens still
of triplet type: brighter (B.J.A. 1957, p191) but from experience, rather more prone to flare.
The Uno design was unique and probably not used elsewhere as it was obsolescent when the Patent
(BP.5170) ran out. It is considered a landmark of a small but significant type for its real economy in design.
Note also the Duo and Trio accessory lenses which really extended its work, now hard to find as a set.
Collecting experience is that nice Unos are not too easy to find, but when found are often in brass cases.
Many were in shutters from the earliest examples but these shutters were often cheaper types and are now in
poor order. Shuttered Aldis lenses often do not show serial numbers, especially in the 1920's. Serial numbers
seen range from No1761 on a 6in Uno-type "Aldis Lens" up to 177xxx on an 10in f8.0 triplet and are
discussed below.
Fig 023022*
Aldis Anastigmats: 2 examples in brass.
Series 0
f3.0
It was made as:2 or 4.75-12in, in 1921 as 4.0, 5.25in for 3.5x2.5in, 7.0in for
4.25x3.25in, 8.0in for 5.5x3.5in, 8.75in, 10in for 6.5x4.75in, 10.5in, and 12in for 8.5x6.5in.
The actual foci varied a little- thus it was 10in in 1929, but 10.5in earlier. This may be a real change or partly
due to the pressure of space on the material in adverts.
This was to cover 60°, and it was a Triplet, ie a Q14 type Anastigmat Portrait lens. The adverts. suggest it
was issued after WW1 (it is not in the 1914 advert.) and sold as a Portrait lens in the longer sizes, with some
shorter ones for movie use. But it proved too big for 1/4plate (Press?) use and a smaller f3.4 version was
issued to sell in this outlet. The actual foci varied a bit over the years, and not all lists include eg. the 12in
version. Use 5.25 or 6in for 6x9cm. Thus it was made in: 4.75, 5.25, 6, 8, 10, 12in in a later list, where 12in
was for 1/1plate, and in 1929 the 5.25in was the smallest listed. Some of these may have adjustable softness
control and this is mentioned in the adverts. but is not listed in the prices shown. However the main adverts.
are of a sharp well corrected portrait lens.
f3.4
5.25, 7.0in
This was a triplet, Q14 and it was suggested to use 7in for
1/4plate. It was mainly used on Slr's and for portrait work in the studio. Thus it was on a Ensign 3.5x2.5in
reflex in B.J.A. 1927, p356. It seems to have come in for the 1926 season. Thus it is probably there as an
Aldis-Butcher below at No153,41x on an Ensign.
f4.5 This aperture was noted on a No7 Ensign Tropical Carbine as a 4in lens.
f3.0 for movie. This was listed in 1921/5 as 0.9, 1.375, 2.0 and 3.0in. The latter was
also suitable for 2.25x1.75in, ie 16 on VP. It was for cine and macro work.
f3.1 as 2in (50mm) for movie at No109,28x on a Ensign 35mm camera after 1908
from the Patent date ie. 1908-1914? It was listed on a Ensign Daylight Loading 35mm movie in B.J.A. 1926,
p195 as a f3.1/2in lens in focusing mount. This was a reliable budget wooden movie camera of the day.
Long Focus Portrait f5.6, 20in; f4.0, 20in; f6.0, 36in. These were listed in 1921 for 10x8 and 18x16in and
were sufficiently unusual to be "prices on application". They just may be related to WW1 aerial lens designs.
f6.3
0.9-3.0in
This was for cine and macro work, but the design is
unknown. Aldis mounted several lenses specially for macro work.
Series 1
f4.5
1.375-11.5in
for 60° (Q15) for large format reflexes.
This was made initially in 5.25, 5.75, 6.75in, and later in 3.75-8-16in. It was suggested to use 6in for 5x4. By
1929, the series was:
3.75in
3.25x2.25in
4.25in
3.5x2.5in
4.625in
4.25x2.5in
5.5in
4.25x3.25in
5.75in
4.25x3.25in
6in
5x4in This was still 'new' in B.J.A. 1924, p611 and seems to have been added later for 5x4in
use.
6.75in
5.5x3.5in
8in
6.5x4.75in
These were portrait anastigmats in 1925, and 16in was added then.
9.5in
8x5in
11.5in
8.5x6.5in
16in
10x8in
A soft focus "diffusion" mount were fitted to some or all 8in, and 9.5-16in examples but not if a sunk mount
lens was needed. Here they are priced separately in 1924. The soft focus is operated by rotation of the front of
the lens barrel which moves the front glass away from the other two by up to 14mm in the case of an 8in lens:
and this results in a significant change in focal length which users can find disconcerting. For a 8in lens there
was a c.2in change (shortening) in focus. The image softens but is never as soft as some makes, and some
fine detail is still retained. In regular use it was probably much more acceptable than the casual user might
think. It was seen at No131,98x. (It is uncertain if this is the same as the lens listed below from 1916, but it
probably is.)
A non-soft focus example noted was (surprisingly) a 1.4in lens No11304x which was found in a dialset Compur
shutter.
It was used in dialset Compur shutter on the Butcher Watch Pocket Carbine for 2.25x3.25in in B.J.A. 1925,
p332.
Fig 023016*
Aldis (l) f4.5/6.75in SIM; (mid) f4.5/11.5in black finish lens; and (r) f4.5/6in SIM lens
Fig 023018*
Aldis Anastigmats f4.5 (r) 3in No170,624; and (l) 4in No159,024. (in brass)
(?)
f5.6
for 85° (?)This was possibly a Uno type, or 2+2 type. It was pre-1914.
In 1916, the Series II was f5.6 with cemented pairs of glasses back and front, so there are 4 air-glass
surfaces. But the same coding was also used for the Uno type f6.0 lenses below, (while Series III was a
f7.7Uno series.)
Series 11
f6.0/f6.51.75, 2.5, 4.5, 5, 6.5, 7.25, 8.5in for which 80° coverage was claimed. This
was a classic UNO type design with 4 air/glass surfaces.(B.J.A. 1921. p661; 1925, p628) where the following
table occurred:
2in f6.5
1.5x1.5in
3in f6.5
2.31x1.75in
4in f6.5
2.25x3.25in
5in
3.25x3.25in
5.75in
4.25x3.25in
6.5in f6.3
5.5x3.5in
There is a feeling that two or more series are mixed up here!
It was suggested in another to use 5.25in for 1/4plate, 6.4in for 5x4. It was made from 1902, and it was used
on Houghton box cameras and still listed in 1910 (B.J.A. 1907 p863, where 6.4in was listed for postcard size
use.) It is one of these which was noted with a reversed layout having the doublet at the back instead of the
very thick front glass. It was later replaced by the triplet types. (ie. Al001 reversed). A f6/No2 of about 6in
focus and with the pair in front covered most of a 10x8in plate but there would be a need to stop down at the
edges: this suggests Aldis's claims for a wide coverage were well founded, as the user of a budget price lens
would expect to use it stopped down under extreme conditions of cover. The lens was No7,28x in a Koilos
shutter (Pat applied for) for Z, 1-1/300sec., at No7,56x (no shutter?) and No9,282 in a B&L Automat. One
opinion is that it is about the best Aldis for use today, as the aperture is moderate, and there is nice
sharpness and contrast.
Incidentally, the editorial in B.J.A. 1925, p197 notes that for the 8.5in f6 Aldis, the entrance node is some
1.5in in front of the iris, while the rear node is 1.07in in front of the iris
f6.8
This was a compact version of 8in in Koilos shutter. (B.J.A. 1911, p684)
f7.0
1.75-7.25in This was a Uno type, Fig A1 001 for up to 80°.
Fig 023012*
Aldis Uno f6.3/4.25in in Ensign Carbine.
Fig 023014*
Aldis Uno f7.7/11in No100,874 and Duo and Trio- (these do not fit this actual lens but seem
to be the correct period and type.)
Series 11a
f6.3
6.4in This was for up to 80°, and was aimed at a premium quality market,
having 6 air/glass surfaces (ie it was not a Uno). Both II and IIa were available at the same time in the 1924
list so there must have been a difference and Series II seems definitely to be a Uno. By 1934 it was made in
4.5-14in, 6.4 being perhaps the first version. One source says "Heliar" (Q19) but it was more likely that IIa
was a well made triplet (Q14 or Q15) Also see B.J.A. 1907, pp961-2 where it says a modified Series 11 and
covered 1/2 plate though designed for postcard. It was initially sold in a Unicum shutter. In 1929, the series
was limited to 4 sizes in the advert.
7.5in
6.5x4.75in
10in
8.5x6.5in
12in
10x8in
14in
12x10in
Series IIa: The IIa was sold as an f6.3 lens in B.J.A. 1925, p624. However the note in B.J.A. 1931, p313 says
that this was introduced as a result of the needs of the Indian and Colonial markets for a low priced lens, and
it followed the design of the f6.3 with a pair at the front and a single behind- ie Uno, and it was introduced as
an f7.7/16.25in for 12x10in, at £9.50. The advert, on p507 shows it as the longest of the f6.3 series and much
cheaper than the 14in f6.3 which also covered 12x10in and cost £19.00- so the 16.25in seems to have lower
covering power and may be more different than at first sight. It was not listed in 1930.
Series 11a enlarging f6.3 These were made in 4.5-7.5in This was a recognized variant, and made when
special enlarging lenses were possibly less common.
Small brass finish Aldis lenses are fairly common and this may explain their history. They seem to be more
common in f4.5 Triplet form however.
Series 11
f6.3 These were made in 7.25, 10, 12, 14in. (B.J.A. 1907, p862) It was suggested to
use 12in for 10x8in.
Series 11
f6.5 These were made in 0.9, 1.4, 2.0, 3.0in. It was a Uno type for use as a macro
lens for photomicro work, and for cine use. Some of these were sold in a R.M.S. thread, and there may also
be an f3.0 version in this thread.
Series 111
f7.7 These were made in 4.25in for 3.25x3.25in, 4.75in for 4.25x3.25in, 5.5in for
3.25x4.25in, 6in for 4.75x3.75in, 6.75in for 5x4in, 7.25in, 7.5in for 6.5x4.75in, 9in for 8x5in, 11in for 8.5x6.5in
and it covered up to 80° angle. They were also of Uno type. It was suggested to use 6.25in for 5x4. (Al002). A
f7.7/6.75in No1a was noted on a Boot's 1/4plate field camera. These were listed in B.J.A. 1906, p281 and
Sanderson fitted them in 1906. (Also see B.P.5170, B.J.P. 13/8/1912, B.J.A. 1925, p628 where the foci differ
slightly). They were fitted to Boots 1/4plate cameras in the period 1905-1915. It was made from 1903. An
example made later may be an f7.7/7.5in lens No108,19x on a 1/2 plate wood+brass camera.
Here the rear glass was very thin and rather flat, and the front of infinite focus, to correct it. It is well corrected
for spherical aberrations, and both light and cheap to make and to sell. There may have been an f8 version in
some sizes, as a No2, f8 No14,21x was listed at auction on a Sanderson camera.
This type was apparently used on Ensign movie cameras, about 1914/1915 as Aldis and Aldis-Butcher
lenses.
The f7.7 was noted on the Reflex Carbine of W.Butcher in B.J.A. 1925, p332.
Series 111a
f7.7 It was made in 5.25,6.25,8.11in. A new wide angle lens with 8 air/glass
surfaces available "new" in 1934. It may be a Gauss type (Q16) for 100° angle, and may be a new version of
the "Oxys" below.
Oxys This was a symmetrical anastigmat of 2+2 layout and may be a Gauss Q16 type. It was listed in
1910 in two series, differing in aperture as follows.
Oxys series 1 f4.5 This had two separate glasses back and front.
Oxys Series 11 f5.65 This was probably the same layout, for 85° angle.
NB Another source says it is an unsymmetrical cemented lens, ?doublet, and an improved form of the Uno,
made from 1908, and to cover 85°. But no example has been seen to comment on.
Plano Anastigmat
f6.8
This is a Uno type lens, in 1/4plate, 5x4 and 1/2plate sizes.
This has been seen in shutter, without serial number.
There was an f6.8 used fairly late on in the B.J.A. 1931, p294 as an enlarger lens on a Zodel enlarger. It could
be a Plano: there was also an f4.5 option, possibly a Series 0.
Anastigmat
f8.0
This was seen as a 10in lens, probably mainly for studio use. It was a triplet
type. It seems to be a late product.
Studio Lens
f3.0
eg No2, 6in. These seem to be an improved Petzval type. (B.J.A.1907,
p861).
"F4.5" The Aldis f4.5 Anastigmat was launched in 1914 (B.J.A.1914, p738) as 5.25in, 5.75in and 6.75in for
postcard, and possibly others. In the 1916 advert., there is reference to a Aldis anastigmat patent for a lens of
f4.5 with 2 separate glasses in the front cell, and one cemented pair in the rear- it sounds like a Q15 design.
The f4.5 lenses are fairly common and are probably triplet replacements of the early Series 11. But at least
one large 11.5in f4.5 in a black brass mount seems to be a 4-glass Q15 type, at serial No 10461x. The 1916
advert. lists:
5.25in 4.25x3.25in recommended.
5.75in 4.25x3.25in recommended.
6.75in 5.5x3.5in recommended.
8.0in
6.5x4.75in recommended.
Aldis Butcher
f4.5
These were sold for large format reflexes, and on the Ensign Carbibe etc.
and were triplets (Q14) in sunk iris mounts. Thus there was an f4.5/4.7 No138,48x in on a 4.5x2.5in Carbine
and a f4.5/6in No133,98x on a Ensign Popular Reflex, and this was a common product of the 1920's and
probably a major item to the makers. This was a normal fitting, eg in B.J.A. 1921,p 63, 1929, p289; 1931,
p303 where the options are Aldis-Butcher in f4.5 or f3.4 (below). A f4.5/10in Aldis was used by Mr S. Black
FRPS for a photograph of dancers in Miniature Camera World 04/1940, p202. He also makes the point that an
old landscape meniscus makes an excellent soft focus lens if the iris is removed and an accessory unit
clamped in front to allow larger apertures than the maker intended with the original assembly. These were
used in the studio.
Aldis Butcher
f3.4 There was also an f3.4 Aldis-Butcher at No15341x on a Ensign Autospeed. A big
example was a f3.4/7in at No136,68x on a Fallowfield tailboard camera, possibly used for portrait work, and
another was noted at No136,680 on a 1/2plate field camera from Fallowfield's.
Aldis Butchers could also be fitted in shutters, as No141,532, a f4.5/4in in Dialset Compur No972,854 (19291930 shutter) and have been noted on projectors, but there they may not be original fitments.
Aldis Ensign
f4.5 These were the same type of product.
Interchangable front elements
Duo
These were special interchangable front elements for Uno to double the focal length
of Uno. There were different types for Series II to form an f12 and with Series III to form a f16.5. Add in 5 sizes
of Duo and it is hard to get a set unless complete and original with a camera. The example seen was
engraved "Duo lens x4 for No4 S11 4260x" ie for Series II and needing 2x exposure increase, and was brass
finished with brass caps (nice thing to get with the Duo). It seemed to have 4 air-glass surfaces and one
cemented one. These were made from 1907 and still listed in B.J.A. 1921, p661 with details; 1924, p613.
Trio
These are similar items for 1.5x increase, and work at f9 with Series II and f11 with
Series III . There here seem to be 2 separate glasses, ie 4 air/glass surfaces. These were made from 1908.
Trio is better for cameras with short or limited extensions. Fig Al003 may be the design of trio, the trio bit
being shaded. There seem to be two separate components, +,- and produce what looks very like a normal
triplet when in use. Duo and Trio seem to have been made only for Series 11 and 111 lenses. B.J.A.1906,
p877 suggests that the cemented pair in Duo when in use is in the middle of the lens. At least 10
components were listed differing from Series 11 and 111, and as these are rather scarce items compared with
Uno itself, this is a hard field to understand. They are collectable, as is the soft focus lens but in seeking Uno
itself, care is needed to obtain the real thing rather than the more common triplets- which are of less interest.
Today Aldis is not a expensive brand and probably not much studied, the sources here being mainly
advertisements in B.J.A.'s and an Aldis 1934 Catalogue.
Aero
f5.6
20in possibly a WW1 product. It may be a large triplet type. See
introduction section above.
In an Aldis case, a 20in f6.3 5-glass lens has been noted from WW2 and has an EE serial prefix to the
number. Thus there may be two aero series.
Later Listings.
Looking through the adverts. in the B.J.A. volumes for the interwar years, it does seem as if the firm was
sending in the same advert. year after year. This is not actually true, but there was less change than before
after about 1929. There was also a decrease in the size of advert. to a modest one page, which will have
limited the range of items listed. Thus other products may well have been available from the factory.
The f4.5 was a major item, listed below, and the quoted angle of 60° suggests it was a continuation of the old,
as in 1914, type. The one unusual feature was that several could be supplied in a special soft focus mount,
and these included the 9.5in for 8x5 and the 11.5in for 1/1plate. Otherwise initially the products were the Uno
type Series 11,f6.0 and Series 111, f7.7. These were listed in the 1921-1926 adverts, and it is likely that the
Series 111 f7.7 went on unchanged to 1939. But while the suggested lens choices for formats were the same,
they no longer stated the f7.7 covered 80°. Thus the lens which was discontinued was the f6.0 Uno type
Series 11. It seems likely this was replaced in sales by a triplet type f6.3 and this may well have been a
cheaper lens to make and more in keeping with the ideas of the period. There were also a range of Duo and
Trio lenses in 1921-1926 for Series 11 and 111 lenses, and photomicrographic lenses in 1921 in:
f6.5, 2.0, 3.0in; f4.5, 1.375, 3.0in; f3.0, 1.375, 2.0, 3.0in.
Aldis were also active in projection lenses and this just may point to an important market between the wars,
and to their postwar work.
In 1926 they listed 2 series:
(1) Aldis Cine Projection in 6 foci, and not in the old Petval type. It was in the standard 1 43/64in barrel
(42.46mm) as 3.0, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4.0 and 4.5in lenses. In 1926, these were probably for 35mm movie
coverage.
(2) High Speed Projection f4.0, in 6.0, 8.0, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18in foci. Thus this was the long focus series,
and probably was for still lantern work. (B.J.A. 1925, p630).
Later the range listed was:
Series 0 f3.0 This was in 6in for 3.5x2.5in; in 1/4plate, it was felt that a 7in f3.4 was better. These sizes were
sold for folding and reflex camera. In general however, Aldis say the f3 is too heavy for large sizes and not
practicable for any folder. (B.J.A. 1926, p611 advert.)
It was really a portrait anastigmat and made for studio use as:
4.75in for 2.25x2.25in; 6in for 2.5x3.5in; 8in for 5.5x3.5in; 10in for 6.5x4.75in; 12in for 8.5x6.5in.
There were some really big ones to order, such as:
f5.6/20in for 10x8in; f4.0/20in for 10x8in; f6/36in for 18x16in. (B.J.A. 1921, p657.)
It was also made in some very small sizes for macro and cine:
0.9in and 1.375in for Photomicro, 2in and 3in for cine. (These were well listed in 1921, B.J.A. p657.)
Series 0 f3.4 This was the more mobile size and was made as:
5.25in for 3.5x2.5in, 7.0in for 4.25x3.25in, 8.0in for 5.5x3.5in, 10in for 6.5x4.75in, 12in for 8.5x6.5in. where the
7.0in was suggested for 1/4plate. There was a 'new' f3.4 Aldis in B.J.A. 1927, p348. The change in coverage
shown in the adverts., eg B.J.A. 1932, p511, will relate to the different maximum apertures. This was almost
certainly a triplet and gave limited coverage from the figures. It is no longer listed after about 1935. It was
listed in PIM, as well as SIM and SFIM for the shorter f3.4 versions, and all were listed in a special diffusion
mount, which is interesting as shorter foci such as 5.25in, were unusual in soft focus lenses. It has not been
seen.
Series 1 f4.5 to cover 60°. They were made for cine and in 3.0in for 2.3x1.75in, 3.75 for 3.25x2.25in , 4.25in
for 3.5x2.5in, 4.625in for 4.25x2.25in, 5.5in for 4.25x3.25in , 5.75in 4.25x3.25in, 6.0in for 5x4in, 6.75in for
5.5x3.5in, 8.0in for 6.5x4.75in, 9.5in for 8x5in, 11.5in for 8.5x6.5in, and
(a) these were in iris PIM, sunk mount SFIM or
(b) in a special diffusion mount. The diffusion mount was made in:
9.5in for 8x5in; 11.5in for 8.5x6.5in.
(c) They were also listed in Compur shutters up to 8in in Compur 3. This was a series which survived till the
war came in 1939, with little change, and was probably the main quality product. It gave good coverage, 6.0in
being listed for 5x4, and was probably often a Q14 type but it was also listed as 4glass, 3component type.
The rather common Butcher and Ensign versions do seem to be triplets, from external sight. Note one on a
tropical Carbine at No138,50x. They were still on Carbines in B.J.A.1928, p334; 1933, p71, but few makers
were advertising them after that.
Series 11a f6.3 Wide Angle Lens This was more a wide field standard lens than a special wide angle, but
must often been useful in a tight corner. It was made in 4.5in for 3.5x2.5in (6.75in diameter); 5.25in for
4.25x3.25in (8.25in diameter); 6.25in for 5.5x3.5in (10in diameter) (B.J.A. 1921, p666; 1926, p611), 7.5in for
6.5x4.75in (12in diameter), 10in for 8.5x6.5in (16in diameter), 12in for 10x8in (19in diameter), 14in for 12x10in,
and f7.7 in 16.25in (listed 1934) and these also continued up to 1939. But the maximum field was quite big.
Thus the 6.5in could cover 10in (254mm) diameter compared with 160mm diagonal on a 5x4in plate and in
general the diameter of useful image is 1.6x the focus.
But it was a general purpose all-round work lens. This seems to have been triplet but this is uncertain: and it
may have been initially a Uno type and later made as a Gauss. It was always in PIM or SIM, and must have
been aimed at the professional large format market, and it was suggested to use 12in for 10x8in, the lenses
being tailored to 1/2, 1/1plate, 10x8 and 12x10in. This makes it more likely they were triplets, which could
have given excellent results here. It was on the Tropical and other Carbines in 1928, p334 etc. with the f7.7
below as the lower price version.
Series IIb F6 This was a rapid enlarging series, made in 4.5, 6.0, and f6.3/7.5in.
Series 111a f7.7 in 5.25in for 8.5x6.5in, 6.25in for 10x8in, 8.0in for 12x10in, 11in for 15x12in. This was a
wide angle anastigmat, and may have been a Gauss type.
It was suggested to use 6.25in for 10x8in and this would have been a partner for the Series 11a or Series 1. It
has not been seen and may be relatively scarce.
Series 111 f7.7 in 5.5in and 6.0in for 4.25x3.25in, 7.5in for 6.5x4.75in, 9.0in for 8x5in, 11in for 8.5x6.5in,
16.25in for 12x10in. Here 11in was suggested for 1/1plate. These were also in Compur shutters except for the
16.25in lens. These seem to be triplets but have been listed as Uno types- so it is still uncertain. Also the
same price was quoted for the 5.5 and 6.0in lenses almost as if this was a close-out.
And note also the f8.0 series above- it was not listed in the adverts. but the latest two numbers seen are both
10in f8 triplets. These just may be enlarging lenses for 1/1plate. It may be that a Aldis f7.7 No7 No31,10x on a
Thornton-Pickard 1/2 plate College is of this type.
Fig .023020*
Aldis Anastigmats f8/10in Nos 177,676 (r) and 177,900 (l).
A Uno f7.7 Enlarging anastigmat was used on the Ensign Magnaprint enlarger in B.J.A. 1933, p283.
The prices were below Ross and others, especially for the Series 111a where a 16in was about half price, but
had a much more limited angle of cover, so the customer had to buy a relatively long lens for a given format.
But the difference was smaller when two 6in f4.5 lenses are compared, though Aldis was still the lower price.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The 1939 advert listed:
Series 1 f4.5 in3.75in for 3.25x2.25in; 4.25in for 3.5x2.5in; 4.625in for 4.25x3.5in; 5.5in for 4.25x3.25in; 5.75in
for 4.25x3.25in; 6in for 5x4in; 6.75in for 5.5x3.5in; 8.0in for 6.5inx4.75in; 9.5in for 8x5in; 11.5in for 8.5x6.5in.
These were for speed and reflex work.
Series IIa f6.3 7.5in for 6.5x4.75in; 10in for 8.5x6.5in; 12in for 10x8in; 14in for 12x10in.These were for general
all-round work.
Series IIIa f7.7 5.25in for 8.5x6.5in; 6.25in for 10x8in; 8in for 12x10in; 11in for 15x12in. These were wide angle
anastigmats.
Series III f7.7 5.5 and 6in for 4.25x3.25in; 7.5in for 6.5x4.75in; 9in for 8.5in; 11in for 8.5x6.5in; 16.25in for
12x10in. These were for general all-round work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WW2
Optical ordinance certainly included signalling lamps but a anonymous 20in f6.3 aerial lens of the type
originated as the Ross Xpres 5-glass, has been reported with an EE 189,36x serial number in an original case
from Aldis, Sparkhill, Birmingham 28, made under Ref 14A/3418 ^ so they were very probably making aerial
lenses as part of their work.
Late Products
These include some cine lenses: and Aldis projector lenses which interestingly all seem to be of triplet type.
Aldis anastigmat
f3.0 These were made in 1.4-2.0in for cine use.
Projection (triplets)
f2.8, f3.5,f4.5 These were made in 4-18in, with f3.0 and f3.5 at 2in for movie
projection. A f2.8/4in Projection lens (with 2in and 6in) is mentioned in B.J.A. 1948, p178;1954, p198, 190.
35mm Slide Projection
Projection (35mm slides)
f2.5 This was typically an 85mm lens. (Triplet type) (B.J.A. 1957, p91) In the
Aldis 303 in the B.J.A. 1959, p219, it was 'well known' described as 'brilliant and well corrected'.
Aldis Projection
f3.2 This tended to be an earlier type in 4-8in (postwar), see B.J.A. 1951
p251 on a Aldis 250 projector. Also idem, 1949, p216.
The slide projection lenses are really common but seldom traded as of too low value today.
Chronology and Serial Numbers.
No listing of Aldis serial numbers is known. Some suggestions can be made, but they are from a collection
which favoured purchase of Uno types. The earliest seen was No176x, and they may have started at No1,001
or the like. Four numbers were then noted up to about No25,000 and seemed to be an 'old' group, possibly
pre-1914, partly from the shutters such as a Koilos. This group was all Uno type lenses. There is then a gap in
the numbers to about No100,000 and this just may be during WW1 for Ministry related items, with a new start
at No100,000 or so in 1919. (However Hasbroeck dates a stereo pair at No100,438/100,447 on a T-P half plate
camera as 1905. These may possibly have a special numbering at 100 as a stereo pair.) Now there are more
Butcher and Ensign lenses, and two datable items:
(1) a dial set Compur at No113,049 in dialset Compur Nr451,79x about 1921,
(2) a Aldis-Butcher f4.5/4in No 141,532 in D/S Compur No 972,854 about 1929-30. Another was noted on a
Tropical Carbine as f4.5/4.7in No138,50x- note that it has a serial number while a tropical Carbine with a Uno
does not!
These have a general a feeling of the 1920's in shutter and white-filled clear engraving. And the use of the Uno
design gives way to triplet or possibly Q15 designs. There seems to be a decrease in Butcher or Ensign
lenssales after (say!) 1930. The last noted are two separate 10in f8 triplets at No177,67x and 177,90x in black
PIM mounts. It is suggested these are 1930's large format professional lenses but none are in shutters. Again
it is uncertain, but it may be that camera lens production ended soon after them. None of these lenses shows
evidence of War Dept ownership, but the 20in f6.3 does and the EE may be code for Aldis manufacture, and
the serial number a late one in the usual series. During WW2, the BJA adverts were of Epidiascope and
professional enlargers, and the latter had an f6.0 (not f8) Aldis lens. This continued until 1950, and in 1951 the
advert. is by Nebro and includes the 'new' postwar 35mm projector and epivisor.
Fig. 1 Aldis
Exposure: Aldis f6.0 6in in Koilos shutter.
Back Row
Ensign Tropical Carbine with f6.3/4.25in Uno
(Left to Right) Aldis Anastigmat f8.0/10in.
Aldis Anastigmat f4.5/6.75in
Aldis Anastigmat f4.5/11.5in
Mid Row
Aldis Ensign f4.5/6in
Aldis Butcher f4.5/3in in Compur
Aldis Trio 2x in brass.
Aldis Butcher f4.5/5.5in in shutter
Aldis Anastigmat f4.5/4in in brass
Aldis Anastigmat f7.7/11in
Front Row
Aldis Plano Anastigmat No 2 f6.8 in shutter
Aldis Duo x4 in brass
Aldis Anastigmat f5.65/6in lens in brass
Aldis Anastigmat f6.0/6in in brass
Aldis Anastigmat f4.5/3in in brass.
Picture in Vademec 2 at end
Alpa, Ballaigues, Switzerland.
Alpa were a leading SLR brand after WW2 and fitted lenses from Angenieux, Kern, Kinoptic, Den Oude,
Schneider, Kilfitt and Schacht. They allotted Alpa names to some their products, and this may still need some
clarification. The source of the Alos lens fitted to the Alpa Post seems not to be known, nor is it numbered.
An Alpa lens is the Alpa Mercure f3.5/24mm but the source is not known. Note that the valued early Alpa
reflex had a different bayonet so the lenses are distinctive. The double series made in both mounts seems to
be most likely to occur with Old Delft and Angenieux lenses.
Alpex
US brand from Interstate Photo Supply Corp, 168 Glen Cove Rd, Carle Place, N.Y. 11514, USA. It was noted
in Popular Photo 08/1973, p64-6. Six lenses were available.
f2.8
28mm
f2.8
35mm
f2.8
135mm
f3.5
200mm
f5.5
300mm
f6.3
400mm
They seem also to have sold in the UK as examples have been seen here.
Alsaphot, France.
This firm seems to have mainly used bought-in lenses but FBB refer to Alsaphot lenses such as an
Anastigmat f6.3/75mm on the Cady 1 and 2 (1952), and the Alsar f3.5/75mm on the D'Assas (1952). There
were also less ambitious cameras with anonymous lenses.
Aluminium
The metal aluminium really entered commercial knowledge when a block was shown at the Paris Fair in 1855.
But for some years more it was a relatively costly one and Victorian makers initially regarded it as a high
priced alternative- something which is usually not reflected in prices today! The attraction was the relative
lightness possible in aluminium mounted lenses and the apparent resistance to corrosion. In addition,
aluminium melts at 660°, well below brass, and should be easy to caste. Sadly, it is awkward to machine,
clinging or welding to the cutting tools, and in the long term, screwed mounts tend to jam due to slow
corrosion and dirt, and the softness of the metal makes it hard to free them. Threads also tend to wear, often
due to dirt acting as an abrasive and this is typically where cells are screwed into shutters. It does corrode,
especially in the presence of salt, even that in finger prints. The collector will also soon note that paint has
poor adhesion to aluminium due to the metal forming a smooth surface layer of oxide. It is likely that it took
time for users to learn the use of the corrosive primers now employed. It may be worth when repainting,
wetting and cleaning off the metal surface with the thinners (containing phosphoric acid) of a corrosive primer
before using normal paint if the primer seems too bulky. There may also have been variations in the purity of
the aluminium, which can be critical. This tends to mean that the older aluminium mounted lenses are
something to view with care before purchase. But basically they are select items if in nice order and may be a
bargain. Later products may use alloys with better properties but the normal metal used up to 1939 for the
better barrel mount lenses was brass. Then suddenly during the War the top German makers switched to
alloy probably due to a wartime directive to keep brass for munitions; and postwar aluminium has continued
as the main metal used. Advertising stressed the lightness of the product. One select alternative is to use
brass for one part of a focusing mount and alloy for the matching thread- this seems to wear much better than
alloy on alloy. It should be noted that a few lenses were mounted in alloys which are white but are probably
zinc based and these have not proved to be a sound long term choice as the metal has weakened and
warped so that it can be crushed in the hand. This also applies to a few wartime German items, probably
made from pot metal- ie remelted scrap of unknown composition where no better metal was available.
AMCO
UK source of a copy of the Leitz Vidom (About April 1948) It was advertized by Sands Hunter and Co Ltd
Strand London, WC2 in the B.J.A. 1948, p31advert., p188 note and was for Leica only- it gave a right way up
laterally inverted image, like the Vidom. The workmanship was of a good standard, they have mainly lasted
well and look nice, and there is a parallax adjusting foot. £13 + Tax in 1948. There was no indication of the
actual maker.
American Camera Co., 399, Edgware Rd, and 93, Oxford St. London.
It was noted that the lens on the Mk2 model Demon was an achromatic meniscus.
American Optical Co.
This seems to have been a brand developed for Scovill and Adams cameras, and later developed. They are
now well known for safety lenses. They were owners of Goerz (USA) at one period and some American
Dagors are referred to as AOC or AmCo to indicate this.
The M.C.M. for Aug 1955 refers to the Todd-AO process, where AO was American Optical, and the lenses for
this wide screen 70mm print process were designed by Brian O'Brien, VP, as follows:
128°, 9in dia., f2.0 "Bug Eye" lens; 64°, f2.2; 48°, f2.8; 37°, f2.0. These will be rare items made for commercial
filming.
Amitar
This seems to have been a Sterling-Howard trade name for USA.
Anamorphic Unit
Souto says the use of cylindrical lenses goes back to Fresnel in 1825, but photographically it was unused
until the 1930's. Anamorphic units can be prisms or lenses and are used to enlarge an image differently in 2
axes at 90°- a familiar use being for wide screen photography.
Then two uses were noted in France, and they may have been linked in some way.
(a) Chretien (q.v.) designed the Hypergonar (1929) for film use: it largely lay fallow until Twentieth Century
Fox made use of it for Cinemascope in 1952.
(b) Another early design was by M.M. de Gramont et R.Petit and was produced by M de Gramonts company
Optique et Precision de Levallois , 86, Rue Chaptal, Levallois-Perez, Seine, France. It was used to
accentuate a models height in fashion photography, and used 2 prisms mounted with their apexes opposite
and hinged about one end, opening the hinge leading to a drawing out of the image in an axis at right angles to
the hinge. The unit also had a front positive lens to limit the size of the prisms needed, but basically the unit
was a compact box mounted in front of the normal lens. We think OPL later made a 35mm camera (Foca).
Anastigmat The outer parts of the simple lenses are unsharp partly because vertical lines and horizontal
lines are focussed at different distances from the lens. (Correctly they are tangential and sagittal lines.) This
was seldom corrected in lenses up to 1890, largely as the limited range of glasses then available made it hard
to correct both spherical and astigmatic aberrations in the same lens, and designers and customers wanted a
sharp central image to focus on. Actually astigmatism is more serious in degrading an image than spherical
and some designers tried to correct it. Some early attempts may be:
Pantoscop by Busch. Probably a very valid claim.
Antiplanet by Steinheil. Another valid claim.
Piazzi Smyth Petzval with field flattener- an uncertain claim.
M. Mittenzwei of Zwickau seems to have tried with the new glasses in c.1887.
R.D.Gray of New York also.
E. Hartnack and A. Miethe of Berlin (a Pantoscope type design?) which is said to have failed due to the
choice of glass.
K.Fritsch of Vienna, in an Apochromat.
F R. von Voigtlaender of Brunswick but with no details available.(It was probably to be the Kollinear)
Commercially viable lenses were developed with the Concentric of Schroeder for Ross, 1888-1892.and
Anastigmats of Rudolph and Zeiss (1889-1890) and the Double Anastigmat of von Hoegh and Goerz (1892).
See also Steinheil, Beck, Dallmeyer and TTH for innovators.
P. Angenieux, t. a. Ets. Pierre Angenieux, 34, Bd. Haussmann, Paris 9e
Factory and offices: St. Heand, Loire, France.
Initially Rue Murger, Paris. This continued for mechanical parts, after St Heand opened.
USA agent:Bell and Howell, 1955.
UK agent: Evershed Power Optics Ltd, 35 Soho Sq.,London W1.
By 1980, the Agent seems to be Canada Television Equipments, 2, Dolland St., London SE11.
P.Angenieux (born 1907) trained at the Ecole Superieure d'Optique (1928-1930) and worked for Pathe and
Optis and ASIOM on movie lenses, before he established his own company in 1935 initially to make
professional movie lenses. Some other prewar items did include a f4.5/105mm for 6x9cm (very rare) and X1
lenses for the 1938 Richard Verascope. And lenses were made during WW2 for Alpa (Swiss) and French
makes such as Reyna Cross and later Orenac. Early postwar, they were the optical member of the ATOMS
group (Assoc. de Techniciens en Optique et Mecanique Scientifique), and some lenses went to Atoms
cameras, such as the Atoflex II and III about 1948. The numbers seem to be about No165,xxx on Model II
and No173,xxx on Model III. And Angenieux became the supplier of lenses to Kodak in France postwar,
[except for a small number early on of Berthiot lenses for 6x9.] Here the bodies of Retina (?) and Retinette
were from Germany, but the lenses were French. These are among the well known items postwar, when the
firm expanded from 85 employees to 370 in 1955 and 625 in 1963. They are on Bell & Howell 70DR camera
adverts in the 1960's (B.J.A. 1960, p52) along with TTH lenses. It may be that this reflects the changing
ownership of TTH.
Judging from FBB, they were important suppliers to camera makers from about 1948 on the Orenac 1 to about
1960, when the number of French camera products was much smaller, one of the last being the Calypso
camera in 1960. According to Pont, Angenieux had something like a monopoly of sales of M39x26 (Leica) and
Contax lenses early postwar as imports from Germany were banned. But on Alpa, Angenieux were in
competition with the world's best, and were a favoured choice. Later, there was more attention to SLR lenses
with auto mounts from the late 1950's. They were initially in chrome, later in black. [Incidentally, one feature
noted is the use of axial locking screws to retain part screwed together, where the screw runs to engage both
threads. This is a technique much less likely to come apart than the usual radial screw and has been also
met on Zeiss Contax lenses (look at the area inside the rear bayonet) but is rarer than it might be.]
Thus for most collectors, they were essentially a post-WW2 manufacturer of commercial cine and television
lenses, and with an important side line in miniature lenses of very high and innovative quality. They are
especially noted for the introduction of the inverted telephoto design to general still photography under the
trade name Retrofocus. These owed much to the design work of Angenieux himself. They were a listed
supplier for Leicaflex lenses and made original equipment for Alpa (in both mounts) and Rectaflex. Production
of still 24x36mm lenses seems to have ceased in Fall 1995. The lenses made for the Retinette for sale in
France are especially valued abroad by collectors. P. Angenieux was very unusual in being awarded a
"Oscar" in 1990 for his work as a lens maker, especially of zoom lenses. In TV, the 16-672mm zoom is
something of a world record. By 1980-1990 the firm was increasingly occupied with making special equipment
as part of the Essilor group, and ordinary camera lens production ceased. In 1993, they became part of the
French Thompson CSF group, and as part of Thompson-Armement-CSF where they make military and space
equipment, including 2500mm high resolution lenses for the "SPOT" satellites (2 per unit!) It seems that one
other factor was reticence in Japan over the specification of autofocus systems which made production of
zooms for modern SLRs difficult.
Angenieux was the subject of an article in Photographica, 89, 25, 1999 by P-H Pont, and he has been kind
enough to give a lot of help in this section.
Chronology
A major study of Angenieux products has been published by M. P-H. Pont of Photo-Saga in "Objectifs
Angenieux" a collection of articles originally published in the Angenieux housemagazine VU with some extra
information, and in "Chiffres Cles", and M. Pont has allowed the inclusion here of part of the serial number
data in his book, which covers the years 1936 to 1991. The numbering pre-1941 was up to No15,000, and
reached about 15,000 in 1942 and 25,000 in 1943 and postwar, numbers began again in 1945 at about No
50,000 . Then:
1946
65,000
1947
95,000
1948
120,000
1949
150,000
1950
175,000
1951
188,190
1952
205,144
1953
252,953
1954
333,942
1955
375,494
1956
422,225
1957
457,710
1958
489,029
1959
656,782
1960
772,739
1961
892,237
1962
983,620
1963
1,048,806
1964
1,089,651
1965
1,133,553
1966
1,165,206
1967
1,197,971
1968
1,218,594
1969
1,243,618
1970
1,276.691
1971
1,303,945
later, by 1980, 1,460,230
and by 1991, about 1,550,000
It is very noticeable that French industry was able to recover quickly from WW2 and the number made early
postwar explains the many lenses found on Rectaflex and Alpa cameras of the period before the German
industry was supplying in quantity.
On Angenieux, coating was an early postwar feature, in a specially designed facility.
Retrofocus This must be a Landmark.
Retrofocus R61
f3.5
24mm This covered 83°. see An001, An002. It was sold from 1962-1970. It
was noted at No647,41x and 674,41x for Alpa.
Note there seem to be two distinct layouts here.
also:
f1.3
15mm for 16mm cine.
Reported for Exakta at Nr 718,67x, it seems to be less common. It was made from 1957
Retrofocus Type R62 f3.5
14.5mm at No1,132,70x This was noted for Arriflex, where the depth of the
mount may have required a different type. It was 'new' in the B.J.A. 1960, p160 as a extreme wide angle lens
for 35mm movie work. The mount has resemblance to the older 18.5mm f2.2 with a 1.5in dia. front glass, and
a long rear clearance. Definition was said to be "exquisite". It was coated and black finish.
Retrofocus RII
f3.5
28mm This covered 75°. see An003, An004 It was made from 1953.
These initially had a preset iris, but were later auto-iris. Probably covered by USPat 2,696,758 (1954) It was
seen at Nr368,68x in plain iris mount for Exakta. Others were noted at 278,31x, 451,13x (Exakta), 456,71x
and 471,51x, and up to 1,253,502 for Alpa. It was a successful later product. It was sold from 1953. (see Fig
below with 35mm)
Retrofocus RII
f2.8
28mm Prototypic for Exakta.
Retrofocus R1
f2.5
35mm for Leica,Alpa, etc. See An005 about 3/1950
63°
This was the lens which effectively moved the retrofocus design onto the user scene. It was 'new' at the Paris
show in March 1950 and this included fittings for reflexes, with the f1.8/90mm long lens. The idea was not so
novel as it was well known to movie users, but the application to still 35mm was new. And for the first time
SLR's could use lenses shorter than about 40mm with the mirror. For the Leica it set new standards of speed
and eveness in illumination. Performance was good compared with the opposition, and the eveness of
illumination was praised. Now it is a first class Landmark lens. Note that the front glass is of fairly low power
in these early inverted tele lenses and the back is a recognisable triplet (or Gauss design in other makes).
Subsequent designs are more complex and the idea less easy to see. Rather few Angenieux patents seem to
exist, perhaps supporting the idea that the special novelty was in the application. Early examples are coated
with plain iris mount, eg. at No46061x. Only two were noted at auction, which may be chance as it is
relatively easy to find. These were at No202,19x and 385,61x. Later No476,96x (Exakta) was noted. No
example in Leica fitting was noted. Dealers recognize two types as older and newer (plain and then preset iris)
and then there will be auto as well so there are basically 3 types of mount. Pont says it was made for Exakta,
Praktica, Rectaflex, Leica and Contax, but not all of these are known in the UK.
Fig 029017*
Angenieux Retrofocus lenses f2.5/35mm No460,618 and f3.5/28mm No368,685 (Exakta fits).
Retrofocus R31
f1.8
6.5mm for 8mm cine
Retrofocus R21
f1.8
10mm for 16mm cine
Retrofocus R2
f2.2
18.5, 24mm for 35mm movie.The latter has been noted coded R2 for movie
35mm eg on Arriflex at No422,19x, 365,99x. This has a blue and mauve coating. (Sadly, the example seen
was incomplete lacking mount and iris.) It was noted as offered on an Newman-Sinclair Auto-Kine Model N
35mm movie in B.J.A. 1955, p201.
Fig 021023*
Angenieux Retrofocus R2 f2.2/18.5mm No422,190: it is incomplete as it lacks the original
Arriflex mount.
Non-Retrofocus designs.
Alepar Z2
f2.9
50mm 45° This was designed and sold for the early Alpa (Pont dates it from
1942), also was used for the Wica, Orenac 1-III (1948-1950), Gamma III and Pontiac Lynx II in1944. An
account of an early Alpa in MCM Dec 1945 has one of these, with also a f1.8/50, and f2.8/85mm as well as
Berthiot f5.7/38mm (non-retrofocus) and f4.5/145mm lenses.
Early lenses for Alpa and Bolsey reflexes are roughly in the range No32,49x and 48,61x for Bolseyflex and
45,803-66,15x, 66,11x, 54,25x, to 72,692 at least for Alpa Reflex. This or a similar lens also is found on the
Rectaflex at 143,30x, 143,39x and 149,24x and on the Gamma at 146,32x and 164,87x. Thus it is associated
with some valuable early postwar reflexes, and was sold in parallel to the SI. It is a remarkable lens
considering the situation, described as having remarkable clarity and detail. No32,499 was sold at auction on
a camera originally dating from 1945.
Alitar
f2.8
50mm This was sold for normal Alpa bayonet, and for reflex also.
S1= Alitar
f1.8
25,50,100mm see Q18 This was a 6-glass Gauss for Rectaflex,
Alpa, Wica,cine. There was a series for cine. It seems not to have featured on the very earliest Rectaflex
cameras, but was supplied for review by MCM in 4/1950- and rated slightly soft at f1.8, but at f3.5 it matched
the best 4-glass triplets. It was noted on a number of Rectaflex cameras at Nos149,77x, 153,56x and to
159,85x approximately, and some owners suggest that it was the high grade choice on this model. The
example seen was No159,56x on body No27,594. It was for Alpa as Alitar S1 at 70,53x, No83,59x, (1948
camera) 89,69x and 191,47x.
S2
f1.8
28mm This was probably a new type Gauss design.
S21
f1.5
50mm This was a Q18 This seems to have been listed for the Exakta
among other cameras, and was the first lens of this speed to be offered on them. Pont points out that it was
unusual since it was a 6g/4c Gauss with increased rear clearance of 37.5mm so it could sell for SLR's when
no other maker had as fast a lens. It was used on Rectaflex and Alpa(?) but probably not Exakta owing to the
smaller bayonet.
M1
f0.95
25, 50mm This is the big one, but so far no details except that it is said to
cover 35mm. It was selected in the 25mm version by NASA for the 1964 Ranger flight against world
competition, and later extended for professional movie to 50mm. A 50mm example was noted and found to
lack an iris and had no focusing movement as well as very limited rear clearance. It seemed to be a typical Xray recording lens and likely to be hard to reuse.
f1.4
25mm Also Q18, for use with cine.
S41
f1.4
25mm on 1955 Bell & Howell for 16mm.
f2.5
75mm
Alsetar
f3.5
75mm See layout An006, for Alpa, triplet design. An example was noted at
No58,31x for Prisma. It must be an uncommon lens at least in this use. Pont points out that in its deep throw
EXTENSAN mount focussing to 45cm, it was essentially one of the first macro lenses for the naturalist. It was
a 3glass triplet, but performance will be good over the limited angle covered.
(?)
f4.5
75mm There seems to be this lens as a ?prototype for the Atoflex prototype
camera.
There were two types of f2.5/90mm lens, and they are/were coded YI (Alportar) and YI2 (Alfitar)
respectively. It is not always apparent which is involved when the specification only is used. They will have
the layouts An 007 and An 008.
Y12 Alfitar
f2.5
90mm 27°, for Alpa, also Leica in 1950. It was seen as a lenshead
at Nr387,788 with plain iris mount, possible from a movie lens mounting, since the register was too small for
mounting on normal SLR's. Five examples were noted at auction as parts of outfits, and show that it is
relatively common. These were at Nos 99,56x to 812,33x and were for both Alpa and Rectaflex. It seems as
abundant as the 135mm or more so. See layout An008, for Alpa Noted at No675,83x and 1,067,49x. It was
also for Rectaflex at No525,39x where it was also coded Y12.
Fig 029027*
Angenieux Y12 f2.5/90mm No387,78x. Sadly, this has lost part of the mount, probably a cine
camera flange.
Alportar
f2.5
90mm Layouts An007,An008.
These are in general all roughly An007, [or Ernostar-4] type lenses.Two were noted at auction as Alfitar at
No1,067,49x, 1,227,91x for Alpa, 387,76x for Exakta.
P1
f1.9 (?)
f1.8
5g/4c design initially sold before
noted for M39 at No192,80x.
f2.5
90mm (Uncertain, f1.8 is the normal type).
90mm This was a Q18 type, normal type. It was then a very fast lens of
1950 for SLR's such as Rectaflex and probably Alpa and Exakta. It was
100mm This has been reported but no details are available.
P2
f2.5
135mm
Alcorar
f3.5
35mm This is a non-retrofocus wide angle and is said to be a X1 in
Angenieux naming or Q15 type in the layouts.
Alogar Type Y2
f3.5
135mm An008 This was made for Alpa in both bayonet mounts. One seen in
the small Alpa mount was surprisingly slim, and almost plain black in finish. It was said to differ in optical
design from later lenses. At No55,78x, it seemed to be uncoated and was in a slender mount with focusing
but no distance scale- acceptable for an Exakta mount lens but suggests an improvised lens possibly
adapted or rebuilt from a movie lens? It probably is optically the same as the next item.
Y2
f3.5
135mm An008 This was seen at No224,10x in plain iris mount for Exakta.
Also it was seen at No164,06x as a short head of unknown origin, and with a very pale blue coating. Later
coats are more purple in colour, as on No324,377 which is a Rectaflex OBI. Pont quotes it as from 1949. It is
one of the easier to find today.
Fig 029019*
f3.2
Angenieux Y2 f3.5/135mm No224,103 and head No164,060.(Algular
135mm Noted at No553,55x for Alpa. It is an Den Oude Delft product not Angenieux!)
Y2 Also noted as P21
f4.5
180mm This was noted on Exakta and Alpa; and the lenses noted were at
Nos 795,71x (A), 892,37x, 920,38x, 1,111,31x(A) and 1,111,37x (2x), 1,232,51x (A). It is certainly less
common. It is a 5g/4c design (1+2+1+1) and sold for some 20 years about 1952-1972. It is a short type of
design so the tube length is less than might be expected.
APO
f2.3
180mm This a bigger lens, with 8g/6c design, and internal focussing and
noted in a black mount. It will be a scarce item.
Movie and special Lenses
anon?
f3.5
25mm This was for the Simda camera, and replaced the Roussel 3-glass
lens of the same specification in c.1958. (P-H Pont, article on Simda). The Angenieux lens is generally
regarded as an improvement. It was noted on camera No2034 at auction.
Type M
f0.95
25mm, 50mm This is an exotic 16mm and perhaps 35mm cine lens, which
uses an 8-glass, 6-component layout. (Modern Photo. 10/1955, MCM July 1955). One seen was in an
'unusual' mount, probably for a 35mm movie camera and was coded type M.
(?)
f1.8
10mm This is also a 1955 lens and a retrofocus type. This may be noted as
No1,159,29x in a non-focussing mount for 16mm.
(?)
f1.8
12.5mmQ21
(?)
f1.8
35mm Q21
(?)
f2.5
75mm 5-glass triplet
Single Focus Cine and Movie Lenses.
Lists from Evershed Power Optics (the UK agents) suggest this lens set was stable over quite a long period
in the late 1960's and 1970's, probably as Angenieux were concentrating on developments in zooms. A typical
list was as follows:
35mm Motion
Type R62
Type R2
Type R2
Type S2
Type S2
Type S2
Type S2
Type M1
Type S3
Type f1.8
Picture Lenses.
f3.5/T3.8
f2.2/T2.4
f2.2/T2.4
f1.8/T1.9
f1.8/T1.9
f1.8/T1.9
f1.8/T1.9
f0.95/T1.1
f1.8/T2.0
f2.0/T2.2
14.5mm covers dia.(mm) 27mm
18.5mm
27mm
24mm
31mm
28mm
30mm
32mm
31mm
40mm
43mm
50mm
43mm
50mm
30mm
75mm
43mm
100mm
43mm.
16mm Lenses in C mount, etc.
Type R7
f1.8/T2.0
5.9mm
12.8mm
Type R21
f1.8/T2.0
10mm
13mm
Type 22 There seems also to be a 10mm of this type.
Type 41
f1.3/T1.5
15mm
15.8mm
Type M1
f0.95/T1.1
25mm
17.5mm
Type S41
f1.4/T1.5
25mm
19mm
(Type M1?)
f0.95
50mm This was listed for Vidicon but ?not for cine.
Type S5
f1.5/T1.6
50mm
19mm
Type P3
f2.5/T2.7 (or f2.5?) 75mm
18mm
Type P2
f2.5/T2.7
100mm
19mm
Type P4
f2.7/?
150mm
17mm.
Lenses for Vidicon
R41
f1.3
S41
f1.4
M1
f0.95
S5
f1.5
M1
f0.95
P3
f2.5
P2
f2.5
P4
f2.7
16mm
25mm
25mm
50mm
50mm
75mm
100mm
150mm
Lenses for Plumbicon This is a 1in tube.
R62
f3.5
14.5mm
R2
f2.2
18.5mm
R2
f2.2
24mm
S2
f1.8
28mm
S2
f1.8
32mm
S2
f1.8
40mm
S1
f1.8
50mm
M1
f0.95
50mm
15.8
19mm
17.5mm
19mm
30mm
18mm
19mm
17mm
27mm
27mm
31mm
30mm
31mm
43.2mm
43.2mm
30mm
S3
S3
f1.8
f2
75mm
100mm
43.2mm
43.2mm
Zooms
The Evershed lists were used as a basis for this Table, which should be then compared with the other items
actually noted. It seems Angenieux were listing 6 types of zoom, for (a) 16mm and (b) 35mm movies, (c) for
Vidicon and (d) for Othicon and (e) for Plumbicon. By this period, (f) for 8mm was a declining activity.
Early on (say 1962), they made zooms in 4x and 10x with some for 6x zoom. All (at least the 4x) were
'mechanically compensated for image shift', using a front cell to focus, then a unit dragged to-and-fro to zoom
and another which moved slightly to trim up the corrections- with an imaging group next the camera. In 1962,
the 10x zoom was still 'new'and may have had some teething problems (eg in Nov 1963), possibly due to
problems in cutting the cams to control the lens movement, and Evershed were making a novelty in adding
powered controls and micro motors to the lenses. Evershed notes that there was a real need for critical focus
setting and Angenieux designed and supplied a collimator to allow their Agents to do this for customers, free
of charge, and later Evershed Power Optics sold the Richter (or other focus setter) which was of real value- it
suggests they felt that the cameras of the time were sometimes lacking in agreement between the reflex
register, and the actual film register; even if this was OK with the film stationary, it could vary with the film
running. The lenses were normally in black anodized finish and looked very smart. It is possible that the
lenses did have some components in common or even that lenses for 16mm and Vidicon were the same but
this is not evident from the leaflets- as might be expected.
16mm Zooms
Aperture/Speed
Foci
Makers Code Field (dia, mm)
f0.95
T1.1
16-44mm
2.8x16
f1.1
T1.3
16-44mm
2.8x16
f2.2
T2.5
17-68mm
4x17
12.8mm
?also with retro unit for 12.5-50mm
f2.2
17.5-70mm
L4
for Arriflex
f1.6
T2.2
9.5-57mm
6x9.5
f2.2
T2.5
12.5-75mm
6x12.5
12.8mm
f2.2
9.5-52mm
6x9.5 for Arriflex.
f2.2
T2.8
9.5-95mm
10x9.5
12.8mm (1966,1977)
uses here included Arriflex.
f2.2
12.5-72mm
6x12.5 for Arriflex and Cameflex, 1973
f2.0
T2.3
12-120mm
10x12
12.8mm
f2.2
?
12-120mm
10x12
12.8mm (1966)
f2.0-f2.8T2.3-3.2
10-150mm
15x10
f3.5-f4.8T4.2
12-240mm
20x12
(1966,1977)
35mm
f2.6
f3.2
f3.5
f2.2
f3.5
f3.2
?
f2.6
Zooms
T2.8
T3.9
T4.3
?
T4.3
T3.9
?
Super 8
f1.9
?formats
f3.5
f3.2
Vidicon Format
f2.2
f2.5
20-120mm
25-250mm
35-140mm
35-140mm
25-100mm
25-250mm
25-150mm
24-240mm
6x20mm
10x25
LA2 noted about 1962, 27mm dia.
LB1 27mm dia, black anodized.
LA5
10x25
Noted 1963.
10x24
8-64mm
8x8
7.2mm
25-100mm
25-250mm
4x25
10x25
30mm field?
27.2mm field?
20-80mm
20-80mm
4x20B in 09/1968
4x20A
f3.3
f4.4
f2.5
f2.8
f4.5
f2.8
f3.2
f3.8
f2.2
f2.5
f1.5
30x120mm
4x30B in 09/1968
40-160mm
in 09/1968
(This may be 4x20B with an extender unit?)
15-90mm
6x15B
15-150mm
10x15A in 09/1968 list
also 22-220, 30-300mm ? with extenders?
15-300mm
20x15A 15.8mm dia field in C-mount.
12-120mm
10x12B In reflex and plain mounts
There are actually 12 versions here, depending on mount, etc.
25-250mm
10x25B There are indications this was used for both 35mm
movie and for Vidicon.
35-350mm
10x35B
17-68mm
L2
20-80mm
L5
15-150mm
10x15CMB
Orthicon
All these are for 43.5mm diameter.
f5.0
40-400mm
f3.8
28-280mm
f3.8
35-350mm
f4.0
55-1,000
10x40
10x28
10x35
18x55
Plumbicon Format
f3.5
f2.6
f2.8
f3.2
f2.2
f2.5
f2.2
f2.2
f2/f7.5
f2.4/f8.5
f2
4x28B for 22.2mm dia.
6x22 T11
10x18 T11/T21
10x25 T11/T21
10x14.5 E11
10x18 L11/L31
10x18 J11/J31
10x18 K11/K31
15x18 E61
15x18 L61
18x27.5 E11/E31
28-112mm
22-132mm
18-180mm
25-250mm
14.5-145mm
18-180mm
18-180mm
18-180mm
18-675mm
18-675mm
27.5-500mm
Zooms
The first was in c.1958 and the result of work by some 8 calculators.
(Initially
f2.2
17-68mm for 16mm. Some 70,000 were made. At the same time zooms for
8mm cameras were made at some 4,000 per month. Later it was extended eg in 1961 to a 10x range, in 1976
to a 42x range and in 1995 to a 62x range.
f2.2
17.5-70mm This seems to be a distinct product.
[(?)
f1.8/f2.5
90-135mm These two 90-135mm zooms are questioned by M. Pont
which suggests they have arisen from confusion or a misprint- It is best to assume there was never a 90-135
zoom.]
(?)
f2.5/f3.5
90-135mm
(?)
f2.5
12-50mm
(?)
f2.5
20-80mm
(?)
f4.8
12-240mm A special long range zoom.
K3
f1.4
9-36mm for 8mm on 1960 Ercsam.
K2
f1.8
7.5-35mm for 8mm on 1961 Beaulieu.
K1
f1.8
9-36 or 9-35mm This was for 8mm cine, eg 1960 Carena. This was seen at
No857,26x.
Fig 021 019 Angenieux Zoom f1.8 9-36mm No857,266 for 8mm use, type K1.
KI
Type B
camera lens.
Type 8x6.5B
f1.9
f1.5
9-36mm on 1960 Carena also for 8mm.
15-25mm on 1953 Emel 8mm. This is said to be a projection lens not a
f1.8
6.5-52mm on 1963 Ercsam 8mm.(?)
f1.8/f2.590-135mm for still cameras(?)
f2.5/f3.590-135mm
Zoom
f3.5
35-140mm This was for 35mm movie work, and was described as very
compact, (5in long x 2.25in dia.) with a lever to adjust the focus. It was for reflex cameras only as there was
no finder built-in, including: N-S, Arri, Cameflex, Newall etc. Cost: £ 275.
Zoom
f2.2
17-68mm This was a first, as and early zoom specification for 16mm made
from 1958. It is still an item found quite often in sales. See also above. It was noted on a Beaulieu in Modern
Photo 02/1968 p124, "leaves little to be desired".
Zoom
f2.8
45-90mm This was the first Leica approved Zoom and was issued for Leica R
in 1968. It was listed c.1970-1982, and late versions were in triple cam mounts. It used a
16glass/11component/3group design. It was noted at No1,307,550 for Leica reflex. There were also
Zooms (other)
35-70mm and 70-210mm Zooms Both these had close focus abilities. The 35-70mm
f2.5-f3.2 was noted for Nikon F at No1,479,78x, Leicaflex at No1,510,83x. This was a 1968 introduction.
[Zoom Prototype]
f3.2
28-80mm This was never produced as the project shown at a 1988
show was replaced by the autofocus 28-70mm zoom.
Zoom
f1.8
7.5-35mm This was for the Leicina and was noted on a 8SV 8mm camera at
No1,079,32x.
Zoom
f2.2
12-120mm This was the major 16mm product being met on Eclair Beaulieu
and Bolex cameras, eg at No1,152,37x and 1,377,65x: No1,367,27x was noted on an Arriflex. One book
describes it as the usual item on late Bolex Pro cameras.
Zoom Type 20x12B
f3.5
12-240 or 250mm This must have been a premium product with a long zoom
range and was mounted for Arriflex at No1,377,53x and otherwise at No1,377,65x.
Zoom
T1.1 in Eclair, Cameflex and C mounts, T1.3 for Arriflex and CPR mounts This gives
16-44mm (new 31/08/1979 from Canda TV.
Afocal Adaptors converted the above to T1.6 or T1.3 for 12-34mm or 27-55mm but these did add weight at
2.8 and 3.2lb, though they do not reduce the aperture. The factors were 0.75x and 1.7x focus. They can also
be fitted to updated versions of the next:
Angenieux 10:1 and 15:1 Zooms These could be modified to give 9-91mm and 20-205mm or 7.5-112 and 17255mm. It is likely the 10x was the next item.
Angenieux Zoom
f4/f5.6/8: 25-625mm This exceptional zoom range involves a decrease in aperture
but it is multicoated and seems to be internal focusing. It focuses to 1.3m, and the 25x zoom range is
impressive! The price was DM 39,500. (B.J.P. 26/12/1980, p1300). They also offered 2 new designs:
Zoom
T3.2
5.5-20mm This was very wide for a ?35mm zoom It was specified for a
NASA flight at the time.
Zoom
T2.0
9-108mm This was also a very high quality item. There were also Retro and
Tele attachments.
Zoom
f3.2
25-250mm This was listed for Mitchell BNCR in 07/1976 at $7,305.
Zoom
f2.6
20-120mm This was also listed for Mitchell BNCR in 07/1976 at $14,250.00
There were also many zooms for movie (eg Arriflex below), cine and tv. Some of these can be very
impressive such as a Type 10x14E Zoom covering 14-140mm at f1.6, which is 38cm long at infinity,
extending by 4cm when focused to 0.95m, with iris and zoom, which were/are probably operated via Bowden
cable from mangle wheels at the rear of the camera and a big lever (missing) for the focus puller. The register
is some 5cm from the rear and the use probably was for Orthicon, ie about movie format, as it seems to cover
about 18mm diameter. It takes 154mm front caps and bayonet type filters and shade. It must be a rare item
and originally truly costly, though the one seen was in rather used condition. Thus it can be said sharpness
was at least good but little can be said about contrast.
Fig 012032*
Angenieux 10mm retrofocus for 16mm below a Zoom f1.6 14-140mm for TV at No1,397,027.
Fig 012034*
Front glass of above 14-140mm zoom.
Zoom
f2.5
17.5-70mm This was noted for Arriflex in B.J.P. 17/11/1978 where it was with a retro
attachment for 12.5-50mm as well.
Arriflex lenses c.1968
Three self blimped Arriflex lenses were introduced in May 1968 (Photographic Jnl., p153) the major feature
being the lens was locked to the camera but isolated from an outer case and in front there is a plain glass
disc as a sound barrier which is required to sound dampen that area. The lenses were:
f2.2
12.5-75mm
f2.2
9.5-95mm
f2.2
12-120mm
[A similar unit was from Zeiss at the same time and these outers give the Arri lenses a distinctive appearance
from then on, with control levers protruding for the zoom, focus and aperture controls.
There were at least 6 movie 35mm zoom lenses typically in f2.2-f3.6 and with zoom ranges of 1:4 or 1:10.
These will be modern designs.
P21
f4.5
180mm as Alitar for Alpa, about 1960.
Angenieux
f2.8
45mm This was produced for the original Calypsophot. This was in 1960, and
other lenses including 28, 35 [from Berthiot], 85, and 135mm were planned, but may never have been
produced. (NB The camera became the Nikonos) It may be the same on the Tiranty ST280 (1960)
X1
f3.5
100mm This was for a Lumiere Lumirex 6x9 folder (1956) and see the
TeleRoy and Royer (1952) below for another use. These were imported into the UK by AICO of Sheen Lane,
London SW14 with coated Type XI lenses , but seem scarce. (B.J.A.. 1952, p242, 549 advert.). It was also
used on the rare Altessa as an 105mm in 1952. It seems to be a sign of prestige when a design had a
number in public.
-f4.5
100mm This was also on the Lumirex in 1956.
-f3.5
105mm This was on Royer cameras rather earlier, about 1948-1950-1952.
X1
f3.5
75mm This type was a 4 glass (probably Q15) used in quantity on Semflex
TLR's about 1951 to 1954 perhaps. (Note also the Z5 below) It was also used on the Rex reflex (1951) as an
alternative to a Berthiot.
X1
f3.5
40mm This version was a very early lens for the Richard Verascope, 4
element, ie. probably Q15 type.
X1
f3.5
35mm (This has been mentioned for Alpa but no details are available)
?
f3.5
25mm This was used on the Simda Panorascope 16mm still stereo about
1955 or 1958.
U1
f4.5
105mm This was used for the Royer as a f4.5 and for the Teleroy 6x9as a
f3.5. These were 6x9cm folders (about 1948-1950) with Berthiot Flor f3.5 as an alternative. Also Altessa II and
IV (1952).
?
f4.5
75mm This was used on the ATOMS Atoflex II and Aiglon (1951), and was
an early coated lens, at about No?165,xxx from the pictures. The design is not known here but the next
version was a 3-glass type. This may be the same lens and is on the Rex Reflex (1951) as the standard lens.
Later there was a 4-glass Angenieux X1 in its place. The camera lead to the later Royer Reflex with Angenieux
f4.5 and f3.5 [and Berthiot f4.5]lenses, but by then competition was severe from abroad.
?
f3.5
75mm This replaced the above on the Atoflex III about 1949, and seems to
be at No 116,70 and 173,xxx. It is not known what the design of the ATOMS lenses was- they may not be UI
related.
Triplets
Z5
f2.8
75mm This was a 3 component used on Semflex TLR's. (Possibly a 3g
triplet?)
Z2
f2.9
45mm This was made from about 1941 and was a triplet used on the Reyna
Cross 35mm camera. Also Pontiac Lynx II about 1944. Later it was used on the Orenac 35mm camera and for
Alpa. The total production of Reyna lenses was some 200,000 so it was a common item in that form. B. Vial
suggests it is a 3 glass ie. a triplet and the focal length was shortened to avoid the need for a collapsible lens
and the shutter linkage for it.
Angenieux for Kodak cameras in France.
for folding Kodak 6x9cm.
Angenieux
f6.3
100mm Model 21 (1951)
Angenieux
f4.5
100mm Model 36 (1952) Among others, these were used on the very last
6x9 folders, coded B31.
Angenieux
f3.5
100mm
for folding Retinette
f4.5
50mm These were 3-glass designs.
f3.5
50mm same
M. Pont says he is not aware of Angenieux lenses on Retina cameras and this may be a misunderstanding
and Retinette will be the camera. There just also may be different usage of the camera names in different
markets. In contrast, Berthiot did sell some lenses for use on Retina cameras.
Alcor This trade name appeared in early Retina advertising for the Retina I, but seems never to have
actually sold.This is likely to have been prewar, when actually Schneider made all the Retina lenses.
for rigid Retinette
f3.5
f2.8
50mm (1952) These were probably as for the above folding version.
50mm (1952)
for Kodak Retinette/Pony
f4.5
50mm in 1951 for early Retinette
f3.5
50mm in 1954 for rigid type of Retinette.
f2.8
50mm on last rigid type IA Retinette
f3.5
45mm on Kodak Pony (1955-6) which was assembled in France up to 1960,
using camera parts from sub-contractors.
The total components for Kodak were some 350,000 units.
Angenieux
f3.5
45mm These were for the Corvette for Tiranty who used a German body but
French lenses. Later the camera was upgraded with a faster lens:
Angenieux
f2.8
45mm for Corvette (1958).
U)
)
V)
)Triplets
Heanar
Meniscus lens on the 1956 Photax (France) camera.
Viseur
15mm This was a Projection lens
(?)
f1.2
50mm This was also a Projection lens, probably of modified Petzval type,
and for 16mm use. These were seen at No117326x and 117346x from a semi-commercial 16mm projection
outfit with two projectors.
Fig 029025*
Angenieux Projection Lenses f1.2/50mm.
Enlarging lenses These were made during WW2 as 50, 75, 88, 100, 135mm, They were triplets, Q14 except
for the 75mm which was a Q15. Later there was a Gauss design as an early postwar introduction, along with
projection lenses.
f4.0
48mm Gauss type
f3.5
35mm no data.(suspect?)
Zooms These were to be a major part of the business in later years.
This is a highly valued brand where the numbers made were often limited and now hard to find at least in the
UK (hence our limited knowledge!), and where prices can be high as a result. The knurling is often angular and
individual and makes the lenses recognisable at a distance. Later versions with auto iris mounts are scarcer
and higher in value especially for Alpa, where they were original equipment and there is less choice of lenses.
Fig. 2 Angenieux
Exposure: Krauss-Zeiss Tessar f6.3/112mm in brass case.
Back Row
Angenieux S1 f1.9/50mm with Rectaflex
Angenieux Y2 f3.5/135mm for Rectaflex
Angenieux Y2 f3.5/135mm for Exakta
Angenieux R1 f3.5/28mm for Exakta.
Mid Row
Angenieux Y2 f3.5/135mm lenshead.
Angenieux f2.5/90mm ? ex-cine.
Front Row
Angenieux R1 f2.5/35mm for M42.
Angenieux R21 f1.8/10mm for C-mount.
Anon
Lenses in the Vademacum are listed under maker and trade name. There are also anonymous lenses which
defeat this system! Modern examples of anonymous lenses can be items sold by importers or shops with only
a limited run- so no real reputation is formed. There are also modern lenses made for non-photographic uses
with little engraving, often from photocopiers; and provisionally the Chinese naming system does seem to
differ again. But in the 19 Century, anonymous unengraved lenses were rather common, and suggested a
lower price item, often made from older type glass after the Jena glass came in, and therefore by small firms,
or of poorer performance or less well made.
But in the early days, such as 1854, even quite good lenses were rather often anonymous, as engraving was
then done by hand and less easy and no tradition had been established.
Fig 018037* An anonymous Petzval marked ''warranted to 1854'' on the edge of the inner glass.
Such items are desirable, but must now be recognized by the finish (often brown due to surface corrosion as
they were not effectively lacquered), round knurling, absence of Waterhouse or iris stops, and a tendency to
unusual design features in the caps and flanges derived from older, non-photographic traditions.
This can be an interim holding file until more information is found. Lenses such as these tend to be identified
later or dropped as they may be the result of a misprint. Thus the contents here do change with time.
Anon lenses (normally where the maker has not been found in a text) noted were:
Phaos This seems to be a Doppel Anastigmat of Dagor type made as eg f6.8/7in early in the 20C ie about
1910. The maker may be Schulze and Billerbeck but is uncertain.
Fig 032 016 Phaos Double Anastigmat f6.8/7in (No number or maker).
Rather similar lenses were the :
Fulmenar sold by Sichel,
Fig 007 021 Two anastigmats, probably branded, as (l) Sichel (UK) Fulmenar f6.8/6in and (r) Mejlink's
(Nederland) f6.3/180mm (Nono).
Blitz sold by City Sale Exchange
Fig 032 029 Anon Blitz Series III f6.8/8.5in ex City Sale, No number.
Univar f2.5, f3.5, 12.5mm for 8mm, also f3.5 37mm Tele (1960's B&J List.)
Kinar f2.3 50mm for 35mm movie on Mitchell.(Lens made in USA).
Super Cinephore f2.0 projection for 35mm Super Snaplite f2.0 movie projection lens.
Lumax Cine 16mm lens with front of triplet split to give a 4g/4c design at f1.9.
Cine Balowstar f1.3 Designers Back and Lowen, possibly Zoomar.
Balowstar f1.3/15mm an early retrofocus type postwar, for 16mm use.
Lykomar f4.5 28mm This may be a partner to the Lykemar f3.5/35mm but there is not enough detail to say.
USA source.
Rexo Pictorial f4.5 200mm No further details.
Solar f3.5 50mm.
Ultrastigmat f1.9 41mm
Ertel Anastigmat f3.1 50mm Ertel may be a maker, or the camera.
Milwaukee Portrait f4.0 400mm USA portrait lens.
Neo Trinast f3.6 330mm A portrait lens, possibly a USA brand.
Vidanar Noted as f4.5, f3.5, f2.9 lenses of 50mm on Balda cameras in 1934, 1936. (Probably Ludwig with the
Vidar?) eg in B.J.A. 1937, p285 on Westex Miniature.
Enoldar f4.5 On a Korelle 6x6 in Kerkmann, p166. this is also listed under Korelle but the actual maker
seems uncertain.
Acomar, f4.5/75mm listed by Kerkmann on Clarissa, 4.5x6cm in 1928. Also Tropen Rio by Orion Werk in
1926 as f4.5/135mm. The maker is unknown but may be Ruo Optik.
Mikutar 130mm fitted to the Mikut Colour camera, from 1936. (Kerkmann, p173)
Amoryl Anonymous lens f2.5/12.5mm for a Sommor 1958 8mm camera. (Is this Boyer? or Ruo? perhaps?)
Anamaphot Anonymous item in Ariel's list , Moeller system 1x5x for 16 and 32.
Azanon f4.0/14mm on sub-miniature Chadt M1 and M2 3-glass design.
(Azanon There was also a 14.3mm f3.8 Azanon noted on Acmel MX Super Miniature. Same as above?)
Auto Aragon Noted as a lens for Miranda SLR bayonet.
Admiral Noted as an Auto f1.8/135mm lens for Nikon F non-AI mount: a big fast lens.
Correktar Noted as an 120mm f6.8 Doppel Anastigmat Correktar on a 118 Postcard camera. It was used by
Ensign on one of their cameras.
Omicron Noted as f3.5/90mm on Omega 120 camera.
Seritar Noted as f3.5/75mm on a Franke Six TLR about 1951.
Echor Noted as an f3.5/75mm lens on an Echoflex TLR. (This may be an Asahi trade name.)
Verona Noted as an f3.5/6cm lens on a Vero 4x4 with nickel finish.
Extar RR Noted as a f7.7/135mm.
Alpo Noted as a f3.5/75mm on a Super Macy TLR.
Laudar Noted as a f4.5/105mm on a Nagel Vollenda.
Bellor Noted as a f3.5/100mm on a Super Kinax II described by B. Vial and others, It was a 4 glass lens and
very sharp, but the maker seems obscure. (Just visible in the pic is ?S.B.J., Paris which may be a clue).
Kinax normally used lenses from Berthiot and Boyer.
Luminor Noted as an f3.5/45mm on a Pax Jnr.
Doimer Noted as an f3.5/8cm on a Beautiflex Model II. This could be DOI (qv)
Mirage Noted as an f2.8/28mm for M42 screw.
Cinepanoramic Anomorphic 35mm projection lenses These were a pair made in France for 35mm use.
E. Polymar (or Polynar?) Noted as an enlarging lens f4.5/75mm.
Canter Noted as a f3.5/75mm on a Reflex Beauty I.
Eymik Noted as a f3.5/200mm telephoto for M42 with auto iris.
Neocon Noted as a f3.5/75mm lens on a Mamiyaflex Junior camera early postwar- possibly Mamiya's own
make.
Neocor Noted as f3.5 and f2.8 45mm lenses on Neoca S2 and Robin 35 respectively.
Neo Hespar Noted as a f3.5/75mm lens for Zenobiaflex.
Optor Noted on a Snappy Hit type camera as an f3.5/25mm lens, with the next.
Cherry Tele Lens f5.6/40mm for Snappy Hit camera above.
TeleOrinox f5.6/112mm for Orinox binocular camera.
Master Anastigmat Noted as an f3.5/80mm on a Sunscope 6x6 camera ex-Japan.
Trinastigmat Noted as f6.8/105mm on a Cocarette 209/2 for 6x9.
Toko lens Noted as an f3.5/4cm on a Minion 35B for 24x32mm (Made by Tokyo Kogaku early postwar).
Rexor f3.9/75mm lens on ATOMS Aiglon Reflex, scarce model.
Mundor f2.5/25mm used on the Mundus 16mm still camera about 1948. It just may be a normal 16mm lens.
Bilux f8/37.5mm on Idam Clic for 3x3cm, France early postwar.
Minor Anastigmats Noted in FBB on a Macris & Boucher Nil-Melior in 1913, for 45x107 stereo.
Plani-Achromatiques Noted on a M. Mendoza Portefeuillle Stereo in 1894.
Kengor reported as an f3.5/35mm lens but without details.
Kindar f3.5/35mm a rare USA lens for Exakta, made 1950's in perhaps a run of 150 lenses only.
Hyponar f4.0/35mm a rare USA lens for the Exakta, made in the 1960's in a batch of perhaps 100 lenses
only.
Patrinast No details.
M.K.Anastigmat noted on a Tougo Masumi Meika Ref 35mm TLR No7004 at auction.
S.Owla Lens 4.5cm focus pair on a stereo Hit camera at auction.
Venner Anastigmat f4.5/80mm No22,245 on a Clover-Six 120 rollfilm camera.
Aragon f2.8/35mm in 4 tab Miranda (?) bayonet, Made in Japan, light color anodized body, it seems to be a
5g/5c design. It seems to be above average, with solid helix and positive iris action.
Fontron Noted as a low cost lens f2.8/135mm for unknown SLR with rather fine pitch thread.
Luxar f3.5/50mm noted on a 127 rollfilm Nikette camera.
Kolex Lens f3.5/7.5cm on Okako Waltax I camera.
Pentaflex Color f2.8/50mm on ?Pentaflex SLR (Practica version?)
British Planastigmat f6.8/5.5in noted on a Sanderson 1/4plate Tropical (Houghton's Ltd)
Cy Tillon f1.0/50mm at No54, noted on a modified Leica body, posibly from Poland.
Chronoscope Lens for 1/1plate noted at auction.
Gem f3.5/25mm lens on a Gemflex I made in Japan, MIOJ.
Lomara Anastigmat f4.5/50mm on Lomaraskop Stereo (Camera by Kuehn, Berlin.)
Hope Anastigmat f3.5/25mm on 16mm Rubix Model II.
Sculptor M39 fit as f3.5/4cm on Strio Firenze Elettra II- maker ??
Dun Anastigmat f3.5/40mm This was in an Buick Model 1 shutter on an early postwar Japanese compact
camera, [a little like an Elge] made soon after 1945.
Nixon f3.5/45mm Coated front cell focus lens on a Ideal-Color-35 camera agented by J.J.Silber, Vernon
Place, London, W.C.1 in B.J.A. 1957, p173. It was of German make, and was a budget price item.
Kesar (or Kessar) The f4.5/3in lens was noted on a Gugo II camera in B.J.A. 1953, p271, coated, front cell
focus in 3-speed shutter, and just may be from Steiner of Bayreuth who supplied many Goldammer lenses,
but the name does not seem to be one of theirs.
Rocket tracking In B.J.A. 1951, p173, a 16in dia 40-80ft focus telescope was used for rocket tracking with a
35mm movie camera mounted on it. (Camera (U.S.A.) 01/1950, p152.
Luxor f2.9/38mm on Bolta Photavit 24x24mm in B.J.A. 1952, p202.
Kinn This was a f4.5 c.105mm lens on a Kinax I camera in B.J.A. 1949, p387 as a alternative to Angenieux.
Made by Kinn of Paris see Kinax.
Parastigmat f4.5/90mm This was a projector lens on the Diafant agented by Sands Hunter, maker unknown.
Omar f3.5/100mm This was the other Diafant option.
Ultranon A series of lenses made about 1979 on for the Ultracam 35mm camera, an important modern
design but the source of the lenses is not known.
Hyperion Soft Focus This was noted among other USA made items in a Sands & Hunter advert. (B.J.A.
1924, p185) and was an f4, convertible to 2 longer lenses with 2xcemented pairs, made in 7, 9, 12, 14, 18in. It
is probably a well known USA item.
Cunctator Noted in B.J.A. 1922 p619 as an option on a Verascope.
Natar Noted as an f4.5/6cm enlarging lens on a Naritar enlarger for up to 4x4cm imported from Belgium to
UK by Actina Ltd in 1940 (Min. Cam. World 02/1940, p135). There were also a 6x6cm model with a 75mm
lens and a 6x9cm with a 105mm lens (no details). They were on flat plate mounts, 2.25in dia. (Thus import
and production may have ceased rather suddenly.)
Orinox This was a combined binocular + 110 camera unit shown to E.S.Lothrop of Pop. Photo about 10/1977
p71 with a f5.6/112mm Tele-Orinox lens, f.p.s. at 1/125sec and 7x20 binocular.
Euktar This f4.5/45mm was noted on a Alfa (WFZO) camera in blue. (?Polish?)
Vemar noted as a f4/200mm lens used on a Nikon (Modern Photo 07/1971 p91.)
Force A f3.5/35mm in M39. Fig 012 007 Force f3.5/35mm No10,205 in M39.
Perfa f3.5/75mm noted on a Doris camera by Tokyo Seiki for 16/120 film, with NKS shutter.
Vikinar f6.3/48mm This was on a simple 35mm Fowell, a Spanish camera and may be a first Spanish lens for
the list.
Planatograph This was noted as a f8/4.25in (RR?) on a Rochester Pocket Premo from ?1904.
Ansco, USA
There are regular adverts. by Ansco in the 1920's (eg B.J.A. 1921, p646) which could include English lenses
by Wray f5.9, and TTH Cooke f6.5, and later they included in 1923, the Automatic, a motor driven rollfilm
camera with an f6.3 Ansco anastigmat, probably as 120mm as it was an 2.5x4.25in format. There is a hint
they had given up fitting English lenses however. The Ansco lenses noted were:
Ansco triplet anastigmat, f6.3, f4.5 on VP Speedex in 1921.
Ansco Anastigmat f7.5 This was in an Ilex shutter on the Ansco No 1 Junior series in B.J.A. 1926, p645.
There were also an Achromat version and an RR version at lower prices.
Cinemat (Ilex-Ansco) f3.5
30mm for Ansco Memo (1924-1936)
All the lenses on the Memo are said to be identical although rated at f4.5, f5.6, f6.3 as well as f3.5.
Ansco Automatic TLR reflex (1948) used an 83mm f3.5 Ansco Anastigmat (Taking) and an f3.2 View lens.
Antonio Gatto (Cav)., Italy
Makers of the Sonne 35mm noted with Adlenar f3.5/5cm at No203x. This is near an Elmar in appearance.
Anthony, E. and H.T., New York, USA.
This firm was one of those later merged as Ansco. They listed lenses by Bausch and Lomb in the 1891
catalogue as well as others of anonymous source. Some of their products are engraved only with E.A. rather
than the name in full.
Cone Lens It was made in 5 sizes, with rotating disc iris. (One of the limited number of references to "cone"
met in the older literature.) Two of these cones at Auction for use on 8x5in format were marked 'Anthony' and
were an achromats.
View Lens This was in short barrel mount, with iris and was offered in 6.5, 9, 10, 12, 15, 20in.
Hemispherical Lens. (This was noted as a No2 Hemispherique Rapid in triplex shutter at auction: it sounds
French and possibly ex-Darlot.)
E.A. Wide Angle
Portrait Lens This was a Petzval type made in 5 sizes, 4.75, 5, 6, 10in back focus, with iris.
These were sold with the intention of using them as portrait lenses, or with the front glasses only, as a
landscape meniscus when remounted at the rear.
Platyscope Rapid Rectilinear
Long Focus Platyscope
Aristoscope, Rapid Normal This was made in 6, 9, 11, 14, 16, 20, 24, 30, 34in. (It was suggested to use 16in
for 10x8in)
Aristoscope, Wide Angle This was made in 4, 5.25, 7, 8.5, 13, 15.5, 19in. (It was suggested to use 5.25in for
1/1plate).
Apek
"Apek" was a Trade name used by Wilfred Emery of 15, Anson Parade, Cricklewood, London NW on lenses
and other equipment in 1901, and these seem to have included RR and WAR in 1/2 plate and probably other
sizes. He stated he was a manufacturer of cameras, but says nothing about lenses which were probably
bought in.
APeM see Kershaw, etc. for Associated Photographic Manufacturers.
They did have APeM lenses on large format reflexes and an f6.3/6in APEM anastigmat was noted on a
Sanderson hand and stand at auction. There was also a APeM enlarging lens, probably in a choice of f4.5 and
f6.3 in B.J.A. p58advert. (Maker will be unknown.)
Aperture
Van Monckhoven in his book (p148) discusses the work of M. Leon Vidal of Marseilles who considered that
exposure depended on several factors.
(1) The intensity of the light on the subject.
(2) The sensitivity of the photographic emulsion.
(3) The reflecting power of the subject.
(4) The ratio of the diameter of the lens diaphragm to the focal length in use, ie D/F which is now called the 'f'
number. M. Vidal wrote it as a fraction, eg not f32 but f/32 but the use is clear and the ratio in fact may not
have been novel but its use seemingly was. M Vidal was happy to use number series such as f/40, f/30/ f/20,
f/10, f/8. Later, Dallmeyer was to adopt a series where the exposure doubled or halved between the chosen
values as being more useful and marked his lens stops in this way. What has complicated matters for the
collectors is the range of later ideas aimed at simplifying the subject. Tables of the competing systems are
given in many of the older books, but it can be hard to identify which is actually in use!
Archer,
Fluid lens This was designed in 1852, of two meniscus elements with the interior filled with liquid, giving a
deeply curved field. Aqueous acids were used as the fill and hindered the project(!), where modern solvents
might have made it less hazardous. He also worked with a Petzval lens with a centre fixed stop and exterior
front stop (Noton's type).
Archer and Sons, 41, Lord St. Liverpool, UK.
They were dealers over the period 1850-1920, and possible makers of cameras, but probably engraving their
name on bought-in lenses such as an f8.0 6.5in RR for '5/4plate' seen at No855 in black enamel. It is worth
noting however that they did give the lens a serial number- something too often left out on such items.
Fig 009008*
Mr Archer of Liverpool's lens about f8/7in.
Arco, Tokyo, Japan.
These have been noted in adverts. in the USA and are not normally available in the UK.
They were noted for a f3.5/135mm Colinar lens, eg in M42 pre-set iris, possibly a vendors brand. There are
also adverts. for a f3.8/135mm version for M39x26 on sale in USA and one of these was seen in the UK at
No2890x in full chrome mount. It is a handsome lens, of roughly 135mm Q23 type, and uses push type
coupling. It fits and matches a Canon Vt nicely and seems a good item. Another may have been for Contax at
No28,93x.
There was a ARCO Colinar f2.8/50mm No151,76x on a Arco 35mm camera at auction.
Fig 012001*
Arco, Tokyo: TeleColinar f3.8/135mm No28,904in M39.
Argus, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
They were essentially camera makers using bought-in optics. These are likely to be mainly triplets, of Q14
layout.
IRC (Ilex) Anastigmat f4.5
50mm (One source says this was f6.3 in effective aperture).
f6.3
50mm (1935 onwards)
f2.9
50mm
Argus
f6.3
47mm (1947)
Lumar
f9.7
47mm (1947)
Anastigmat
f4.0
50mm (1940)
Cintar
f3.5
50mm (1938)
Cintar
f2.8
50mm (1951, interchangeable lens on C4,C4R,3-glass triplet).
Cintagon
f2.8
50mm (1956, on C44).
Cintagon
f1.9
50mm (1958)
Cintar
f3.5
44mm (on A4)
Cintagon
f4.5
35mm
Cintagon
f3.5
100mm
Cintagon is a more complex lens, probably a 6-glass Q18 type for the f1.9 and Q15 for the 4-glass f2.8. They
are rumoured to be of Enna manufacture. Other brand lenses were also made to fit the cameras. See a close
out advertisement in Modern Photo. Sept. 1961, p32, for Lithagon lenses brand new, as follows. (Lithagon is
an Enna trade name.)
Lithagon
f4.5,35mm; f1.9,45mm; f3.5,135mm; Zoom finder.
Arndt and Loewengard,
(possibly also as Lutke and Arndt, about 1898).
Periplanat
This was a periscopic doublet
Aplanat
f8.0
165mm This was probably an RR
Arriflex (Arnold and Richter KG ), 8 Munchen 13, Western Germany.
They are instrument makers since 1917 and suppliers since 1925 of high quality 35mm, and later 16mm
movie cameras for professional use. The major development was the use by August Arnold (engineer) of a
reflex mirror coated onto a rotating shutter set at 45° to the lens axis: this gave through the lens viewfinding
while composing or while the motor was running film. This was a "must have" feature and the movie camera
business expanded. A modern set of lenses for 35mm use might be 30, 50, 75mm with 25 and 85mm also
used, but with care over the possible interference of the hoods. Later they made 16mm camera, and these
have the same mount with a register of 52mm as the 35mm, so that lenses are usable on both, though expert
advice is not to use 35mm lenses for 16mm, and 16mm lenses do not cover 35mm. For 16mm use, lenses
might be 17.5mm, 25mm, 75mm, with 12.5mm as a occasional wider angle and longer lenses as wished.
Lenses as wide as about 6mm have been made.
The deep register of these lenses means that many can be adapted to C-mount 16mm and even to still
cameras such as the M39x26 group, at least for testing. But these M39 adaptors are not a normal commercial
item, must be custom made, and often (only?) fit cameras lacking the rangefinder feeler and may require ones
with increased space between the shutter rollers. In fact, the Fed 4 may be a choice, as the rangefinder feeler
can be easily removed. Typically Tessar f2.0/16mm, Kinetal f1.8/17.5mm and Kinoptic f2.5/12.5mm can be
fitted but a Kinetal f2.8/75mm could not as the rear tube was too big for the 36.5mm internal diameter of the
thread adaptor. Equally it is fairly easy to adapt longer lenses to Arri but shorter ones need care to avoid a
collision with the mirror.
In the USA, Burke &James offered many makes of quality lenses in Arri mounts, including Rodenstock, Kern,
Berthiot, Angenieux f0.95, Berthiot Cinor, B&L Baltar, Carl Meyer Moviar, Kodak, Astro Pantachar, Zeiss
Biotar f1.5/75mm, Schneider Xenon f2.0/75mm, Zeiss Sonnar f2.0/80mm, etc. It is an interesting list even
though no more perhaps than their choice to remount in some cases. They confirm the mounts for 35 and
16mm are the same "in the longer focal lengths" ie they were affected by the problem of dropping short lenses
deeply into the mount.
An article in Photographic Jnl. May 1968, p153 describes the new Arriflex 16BL which is a self blimped SoF
camera in the classic series but with new lenses with an outer case to minimize transmission of sound, and
these were from Angenieux and Carl Zeiss. It was an important feature at the 1970 Photokina.
NB there is or was a Chinese camera closely based on the Arriflex but the lens mount is not known.
Artronic
Prototype(?) electronic shuttered camera, with Artron f2.8 35mm lens
also with Zoom lens, 90-190mm. No details available!
Asahi, Japan.
They are a major Japanese maker, especially of SLR's, and see also Pentax, Takumar below.
Takumar
f3.5
75mm on the Suzuki Press camera, used in Seikosha shutter.
Echor
f3.5
15mm
on Europco-8 lighter/camera (1954)
Takumar
f3.5
50mm
on Asahiflex I and IIa at No 29,09x, 33,57x, 46,28x 48,11x,
and 57,31x: and No85,89x on a IIb Body No52,96x.
f1.8
55mm
''
f2.2
55mm
''
f2.4
58mm
'' Noted at Nos 62,78x, 79,98x and 84,80x.
f1.9
83mm
''
f3.5
100,135mm
"
f8.0
1000mm
''
f4.5
f4.0
f11
Mirror lens
Fish Takumar
500mm
''
800mm later item for Pentax 67.
18mm This is a whole frame type, noted for Pentax at No1,240,99x.
Asanuma, Japan.
They seem to be Japanese agents rather than makers, still active in M39 lenses in the 1990's.
King
f2.8
35mm for M39x26.
Passinon
f2.8
21mm same , 1997
Passinon
f3.5
28mm same, 1997.
They were "Number One in Japan" and Japan's oldest and largest marketer of photo optics in the advert. in
Modern Photo 04/1979, p80 where they were describing the new Tokina compact zooms as Tokina f4.5 80200mm and Tokina f3.8 75-150mm.
Fig 011009*
Asanuma King f2.8/35mm No2,841,097 wide angle M39.
Askania, Berlin, Germany.
Prewar the Askania works were in Czechoslovakia and in East Germany as well as in Bavaria, so that two
parts were lost to them postwar. They were primarily movie camera and equipment makers. The Askania Z
camera was a real success in the 1930's, but the users tended to be associated with the then current regime
and its propaganda, the Askania Z being used for K.Vass "The triumph of the Will" and L. Riefenstahl's
"Olympic 1936" films. Postwar rather few references were noted to a firm that seems to have continued as a
much more specialized one.
One sideline was a mirror system, especially for movie cameras. (See Lee in Progress in Physics, 1940,
p130). A diagram is given in B.J.A. 1935, p213, B.J. 09/03/1934 p140, with apparently two lenses and two
mirrors in the path (an expert said 'Cassegrain' type design). The effective focus was 5x the distance between
the mirrors. It covered a narrow angle of view of 10° at f3.5. Also noted was a 250/500mm f5.0 for 16 and
35mm cine. (Layout Ask001). An example is probably shown in the W. Heaton Blue Book for 1938 p201,
1939, p319 at £25. The B.J.A. 1936, p324 discusses a Siemens Model D 16mm camera with 3 lenses on a
quick change sliding mount and and the 200mm was an 200mm Askania Reflecting mirror, then well known to
35mm movie users and now for 16mm, and a "75mm lens". The mirror was of excellent definition, had colour
correction for infra red without refocussing, and length no more than a 50mm lens- today it still seems
extraordinarily compact as it is quite small in diameter and short compared with most mirrors. On screen on a
Bolex, the reflex image of a Hypomediar version was really crisp and contrast seemed good. Ariel's list
includes a f6.8/200mm for Siemens & Halske 16mm use dated 1938.
A related product seems to be the Hypomediar of Siemens, noted on a Siemens 16mm camera, at f6.8
200mm as No2,17x, but this was engraved from a different firm, Navigation of Berlin rather than Askania. It
seems likely that Navigation was part of Askania, as the Siemens mirror was "made by Askania Werk" in the
note in B.J.A. 1935, p325 and here both 8in (ie 200mm) and 3in mirror lenses are mentioned. A 600mm f4.5
telephoto lens probably of 2+2 design has also been reported as has a Schmidt system. One unusual feature
is that they have an iris for f6.8/f8.0/f11/f16 which modern mirror lens makers say is impossible to include: it
reduces the width of the visible ring of light seen from the image area, may be useful as a partly closing one
(f6.8-f16) for cine fade outs but also may have given rather unusual characteristics to the unit such as very
defined doughnuts from out of focus areas and a lowering of resolution. (It is possible that it was an item
developed for the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin but this is pure supposition.) The B.J.A. 1938, p305
describes the Askania products, and these are almost all cameras and mechanical accessories, the one
exception being long focus mirror lenses above .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Askania were active after the War, and several long lenses including a 32in tele for Leica reflex housing, were
shown at Koln in 1954. (MCM 6/1954). A Schmidt mirror for astronomical use has been noted in an article by
Berndt Brinkmann at the Second International Workshop at Cambridge in 1999 with a 0.34m front plate and
0.50m mirror and c1m focal length used with a CCD. It may be an old optic.
Askania Kino
f1.8
75mm for 35mm movie, noted in a postwar list.
Theodolite
f4.5
24in for 35mm movie.
It has been reported that G.Maugg used an Askania Z camera and its 7 Askania lenses in filming "The
Olympic Summer" in 1993-4. The camera was from Askania Werke AG Berlin. NB. However an authority tells
us that as suggested above,Askania were not really lens makers, so these are likely to be commissioned
items.
Postwar, a detachable rangefinder for still cameras was sold as Askania : it had colour contrast winow
images, and covered 3.25ft (1m) to Infinity. (B.J.A. 1952, 205).
Aspheric Lenses
A simple lens can be modified to give an improved image by converting the spherical curves to elliptical ones,
and this seems to have a very old history as Quarz lenses from the Viking period have been shown to be
aspherics. (New Scientist, 7 Nov 1998). Figuring of lenses and components of lenses was moderately well
established in the industrial period, especially for telescope mirrors, but is referred to for several big
photographic systems and some high speed ones. One source on such lenses is R. Temple The Crystal Sun
Century, AD 2000, ISBN 0-7126-7888-3.
Astragon, USA
These seem to be lenses agented by Sterling Howard Corp, 236-A South Station, Yonkers, N.Y. 10705 USA
in the USA. during the 1950's, for SLR's. Astra and Tele-Astra were trade names of P. Piesker of Berlin who
may well have been the suppliers of (all?) these lenses.
A substantial series of Astranar lenses was in Popular Photo. 10/1973p213.
Astra
f3.5, f2.8
35, 100, 135mm
TeleAstra
f2.8, f3.5, f5.5 135-250mm
Astragon
f5, f6.3
400-1000mm
f5.0
800mm (1959 adverts)
In 1973 in T mounts (all or some!):
Tele Astranar
f8
600mm
TeleAstranar
f6.3
400mm About the shortest available unit in this focus. It was well reviewed.
Tele Astranar
f2.8
135mm
Tele Astranar
f4.5
200mm
Tele Astranar
f2.8
100mm
Astranar Fisheye Lens no details
Astragon
Instant close up adjustabl;e front lens for close ups.
Automatic
f2.8
28mm
Automatic
f2.8
135mm
Automatic
f3.5
200mm
Automatic
f5.5
300mm
Fully Auto Zoom
f3.8
100-200mm
There were also as large format lenses:
Astragon wide angle f6.8
Astragon
f6.3
180, 250mm The advert. called this a "Commercial"
Astragon lens.
Apo-Astragon
f9.0
459mm
Astro-Gesellschaft Bielicke and Co, Lahnstrasse 25-27, Berlin-Neukolln,Germany.
UK Agent: Cinepro, 1 New Burlington St., Regent St., London, W1.
Astro were largely makers of movie and TV lenses, with a range extending into miniature still formats. They
were especially strong on high speed and long focus lenses. The TV lenses were the new end of the range
postwar, the firm going back at least to 1925, when Frerk mentions the Tachar f1.8 designed by Bielicke.
P.K.Turner in M.C.World 10/1939 p797 suggests they were a new company since WW1, along with Schneider
(incorrectly) and Laack. Landmarks are the Identoscope reflex housing and the fast PanTachar lenses.
Astro lenses are uncommon at sales, and usually desirable items, but the mounts can be difficult to use on
still cameras. The mountings certainly included Exakta and Identoscop for Leica, but others were probably
made as needed. The long focus versions are hard to get. Many older lenses were coated postwar, and are
now so worn as to be of little use. The use of the Ernostar-4 layout can make them surprisingly light as well
as fast. W.F.Bielicke patented a 6-glass lens in German Pat. No 538 872/1930 and this may be one of the
types used: it is a triplet of 1+2+i+1+1+1 layout.
Movie Lenses
Kino
This was a 6-glass Gauss design
Tachon
f0.95
25-75mm
This was an 8-glass Gauss used as a 52mm version on the
Minifex (1932) 16mm camera. One source says it was a triplet derivative type. (See Bielicke, USPat
1,839,011,1931. with an extra glass.) (Advert in B.J.A. 1937, p660) But Astrar and f1.8 Tachar lenses had
been used regularly also.(B.J.A. 1935, p287, 622 advert.) Thus in 1935 it was f3.5 anon in Vario shutter at
£4.80, f3.5 Astan in Compur at £8.85, and f1.8 Tachar in Compur £19.25. Incidentally, Dr Otto Croy in Foto
Magazine, c.11/1963 cited by Pop Photography 11/1963 p60 says it was the first still 0.95 lens. At that time
Mr Kaftanski worked in France, and had also designed Le Stylophot
Tachon
f1.2
This was for 16mm
Anon
f1.25
85mm This was noted in B.J.A. 1938, p257 but may not have been produced
due to the war. It is not in the 1939 list.
Astro-Kino
f1.2
This was a cine version.
Tachar
f1.5
This was a 6-glass Gauss,Q18
Tachar
f1.8
same
Pictorial tachar
f1.8
75mm This type at No505x was distinguished from the normal on an Eclair
camera from the 1928-1937 period at auction. It is not known how far it differs.
The B.J.A. 1937, p660 lists High Speed cine lenses in Tachon f0.95; Astro-Kino f1.2; Tachar f1.5; Pantachar
f1.8 and f2.3; Astrar f2.7 and Astan f3.5 all available simultaneously.
Gauss Tachar
f2.0
eg 50mm 75mm 100mm all for C mount 16mm. Q18 type, App010.
(anon)
f2.0
200mm This was noted in B.J.A. 1938, p257 but may not have been made.
PanTachar
f1.8
25, 28, 50, 75, 150mm This was also on Minifex and made postwar.
A typical layout seems to be As001 though this is actually a f2.3 lens.
Tachar
f2.3
75mm This may be a Pan-Tachar in fact.
PanTachar
f2.3
40,50,75,125,150,200,250mm made pre- and postwar. It was patented in the
USA. One of thef2.3/150mm lenses seems to have been used by Merlyn Severn in Miniature Camera
Mag.03/1938 p201; 04/1938 p257 for zoo photography happily, and at the ballet during pauses but less
happily when the ballet was in action, and very usefully for a portrait job. It was obviously with the reflex unit
but the upside down image did cause concern and it was heavy.
Fig 009009*
Pan-Tachar,
Astro f2.3/100mm No19,432.
f2.7
This was noted as a 75mm, but this may be a confusion.
June 1925.
This was a 4-glass unsymmetrical Ernostar-4 type, as f1.8. As001. It was
described as "sharp and portrait" in B.J.A., 1934, p271. The f2.3 is easier to find than the f1.8.
Astrar
f2.7
27-150mm This was a 5-glass type, with ?6-air-glass surfaces, and was a
movie lens. A f2.7 83mm example has been noted in an advert. but it does seem to be one of the less
common types.
(anon)
f2.7
400mm This was noted in B.J.A. 1938, p257 but may not have been
produced.
Ostar
f3.5
5in
(Possibly a misprint, B.J.A. 1937)
(anon)
f3.5
800mm This was noted in B.J.A. 1938, p257.
Rosher Soft Focus
f2.3
75,100mm This was made with 3 interchangable back lenses to allow control
of the softness. It is said to have one front glass and the rear ones are doublets.
Ms Joan Marsh (1913-2000;s.cs. All quiet on the Western Front (1930, Road to Zanzibar 1940's etc.) was the
daughter of Charles Rosher who emigrated to Hollywood in 1911 to become one of the leading movie
photographer, working for M.Pickford from 1917 on many films, also featuring Nancy Ann Rosher, now as D.
Rosher and later to adopt the J.M. name in the late 1920's. It is likely that the Rosher lens was designed with
C. Rosher's cooperation, possibly as M. Pickford required a more romantic image. (see obit. The Times, 30
Aug 2000)
Soft Focus
f2.3
25-100mm This was a separate type to the above.The 100mm f2.3 has been
reported in Exakta-fit mount at No12,97x. This may be quite an old lens.
Identoscope reflex device
This was normally supplied with 6in f2.3 Astro Portrait lens, or Ostar f3.5, or
Tele f5.0 16in lens. (B.J.A. 1934, p271). The B.J.A. saw it with an f2.3/150mm Astro in 1934, p271, and with
an 800mm lens at £300 and 22.5lb in B.J.A. 1935, p313. At first this seemed a laughable unit to someone
used to cameras of the period, but there was nothing laughable about the performance.
Transfocator This was an early zoom designed by Gramatzki in 1935 based on an afocal accessory lens
for movie lenses. It gives a modest amount of zoom by moving a positive between two negatives, or vice
versa. It was derived from Allen's patent of 1902 (USPat 1,839,011, also see Brit. Pat 449,434 of 1935). It
seems to be related to the Siemens Transfokator listed for cine in the W.Heaton Blue Book 1938, 201;1939,
p319 at £45.00, then an immense sum. Note it was an accessory lens, not a prime lens as a modern zoom
appears to be, though there is actually no indication of this in the advert. and it just may have been supplied
bundled with its own prime lens. (A version reported by Ariel is for 1.5-3.0cm on a 1933 Siemens & Halske
machine, but this just may be a projection version. Incidentally it may be a complete lens.) (App009). There is
a picture in B.J.A. 1939, p685 advert. where it seems to be used with the f2.3/50mm Pantachar for 36-72mm
with the aperture scale unaffected. It is a really big unit apparently controlled by a large handwheel between
the body and the front unit. There must be several versions as it was said to be in an improved form and
easier to use in the B.J.A. 1938 p257, which also suggested an 8mm unit was due but it is uncertain if it ever
was produced.
Astan
f3.5
135mm (prewar) Triplet type. It was fitted among other uses, to the Lorenza
24x24mm camera from Lorenz, Berlin-Tempelhof, Germany.
Fern?= Fern Bild
f5.0
100-800mm
prewar range, eg. in 1933. Meniscus
Fern
f5.0
300-1000mm
postwar, eg in 1951 Meniscus
Fern
f5.0
150mm for 16mm cine, postwar coated, meniscus.
Fern
f10,f11 2000mm, probably meniscus.
Tachonar
f1.0
16mm format, ?25mm? As002
Astan
f3.0
noted on 1933 Lorenza camera
Astan
f3.5
300mm reported for aerial use, reportedly on a MIG.
R.K. Cine
f1.25
It was noted in 1933, and the code may be ?RK=Roentgen Kino ie X-Ray
recording lens? This and other extremely poor light subjects eg polar night, were suggested as suitable. It was
continued (B.J.A. 1935, p608).
Most lenses from 150mm up could be mounted on the Identoscope reflex housing, often shown for Leica
fitting. (B.J.A. 1934, p271) Most prewar designs were triplet derivatives, but the exact designs are not always
known. It was probably As001 is a basic type. This raises a question about the relation of Ernemann who
seem to have originated the Patent (B.P.186917/1921) and Astro who were the major user. Astro appears in
UK advertisements a little after the 1926 amalgamation of Ernemann and others to form Zeiss Ikon, and in
1938 is shown as Astro-Gesellschaft Bielicke and Co, while Belicke has been given as one of the holders of
Ernostar Patents B.P.186,917/1921;191,702/1922;193,376/1923;232,531/1924. Experience shows that these
are lenses still worth using and postwar production is coated.
Cine Lenses ie smaller format than 35mm.
These smaller format cine lenses seem to be a less important business prewar, as cine (eg 16mm) was less
used professionally than later. It is likely that some of the 35mm movie lenses were actually used for 16mm
on occasion.
Tacharette
f1.5, f1.8
These may be sub-standard cine versions of the above types.
Television
This was still in infancy up to 1939, and could not be a major business, but rather the shape of things to
come.
Television Tachar
f1.9
This was a special set from 40-240mm made for television.(B.J.A.
1938, p257).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1939 Advert.
This has a whole page for the Transfocator, with listings of the Identoscope with f2.3/150mm, f2.3/200mm;
f3.5/125 and 135mm; f5.0/400, 500, 600, 640, 800mm long distance lenses and the f2.3/250mm.
Also Pantachar f1.8; f2.3. This list is possibly significant for omitting some items listed in B.J.A. 1938 p257 as
interesting novelties.
____________________________________________________________________________
Post WW2
A very few were sold for mounting on still cameras, such as the Reporter II.
Astan
f2.9
37mm on Kolbow & Steinberg, Berlin, Reporter II about 1950. This was a
camera for 24x24mm.
Postwar production was updated and a late price guide (Jan 1977) is quoted below to show the range then
available. Another brochure seen was 3000 966 ie ?Sept 1966. It concentrates on movie lenses with some
offering also up to 6x6cm coverage. (Here a reader has commented that coverage is actually very generous.)
These were Astro-Gauss-Tachar f2, Astro-Tachar f1.8 and f2.3, Astro-Color-Astrar f2 Astro-Telastan f3.5,
Astro-Fernbildlinses f5, and Astro-Tachonar f1. Lenses came either with interchangeable rear mounts in the
Astro W system, and in general the customer could buy a lens in a plain barrel mount, or this fitted to a
focusing mount, or complete with the camera adaptors(s) of choice. There were also dedicated mounts for one
make, eg. Arriflex where the adapter and camera mount were made as one part. In 1966, some special lenses
were Astro-TV-Tachar, lenses for 8 and 16mm, and perhaps others. Thus the list was extended after 1966.
Gauss Tachar
f2.0
25, 32, 40, 50, 75, 100, and ? later 250mm Q18 type
15, 20, 45, 55, 60, 65, 70, 80, 85mm if in cylinder fitting.
40, 75 in close-up mount.
In 1966 this was described as contrasty and brilliant for 16 and 35mm use, with good spherochromatic
correction and the exceptional thinness of the glass and the low curvatures prevent spurious reflections and
light loss. The short ones have wide angle properties and even the 25mm was rated to cover both 16 and
35mm movie formats, while the 75mm lens covered 24x36mm and the 100mm covered 6x6cm. The layout
was 6g/4c Gauss, ie 1+2+i+2+1.
AstroTachar
f2.3
125, 150mm As001.
f1.8
150mm
The layout is 4g/4c triplet type, The above foci were listed in 1966 and later. By now it was recalculated from
the older Pantachar with new glass for large apertures and high contrast. The layout was 1+1+i+1+1 where the
glasses are +, -, + + in that order from the front. The smaller cover 24x36mm, the biggest covers 6x6cm.
Color Astrar
f2.0
100, 150mm (1966)
This was a 6g/4c Gauss like the Tachar above but with a very thick front pair in G2 and G3, and was designed
primarily for 6x6cm but performs very well on smaller formats. Color is especially well corrected. In 1966,
smaller sizes of 25-125mm were in development, and may have replaced the Gauss Tachar above?
Kino
f1.4
18mm This was noted for a Siemens & Halske camera about 1958 for 8mm.
Kino
f1.6
50mm on an 1952 Siemens & Halske for 16mm.
Telastan
f3.5
200, 300mm (Also noted as Telaston) It is Astan in the 1966 brochure.
f4.5
500mm
f10
2000mm
These and the sizes below are in the 1966 and later lists. This is a triplet design with the rear glass split as 1+
1+i+1+1 where G2 is negative. It was described as excellently corrected for colour and astigmatism. They
covered up to 6x6cm with up to 9x12cm for the 2000mm lens.
ApoTelastan
f5.6
300, 450, 600mm
f11
2000
This was not noted in 1966.
FernBildLinsen
f5.0
75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, 500, 640, 800mm An f6.3/400mm was
auctioned in a reflex housing at No 30,15x. This may shade into the next item.
f6.3
1000mm An f6.3/1000mm was auctioned at No52,89x on a Identoscope
reflex unit No53,34x for M39.
These were all in the 1966 list. The shorter were for 8mm and 16mm use, then for all sizes including 35mm
movie and the 640mm and up covered 6x6cm. They were suggested for use for movie making in preference to
the TelAstans as being excellently corrected, for sharpness and brilliance with little light loss in the two very
transparent glasses used in this cemented achromat.
There seems also to be a f4.5 Fernbild series, eg at 500mm f4.5.
The Fern lenses are thus all meniscus designs, as noted for a 150mm C-mount lens, made postwar and
coated at No 5176x, and No 5260x on a 300mm f5.0 for Exakta.
Tachonar
f1.0
25, 35, 40, 50, 75mm in C-mount. (The 40mm was absent in 1966, added
later.) The 25mm was used on 16mm, (when it was noticeably faster than an f1.4) but also covered movie
formats, as did the larger sizes. But the rear clearance was very small, some 1/3 of the focus, so that the
Tachonar did not suit some cameras. The layout is a triplet with the front split into 3 glasses as 1+1+1+1+i+1
where G4 is negative. When stopped down, it could be used as a normal lens. It was also suggested for
industrial and CRT use, etc.
This was a sensational lens of super speed, for movie and small format use.
TV-Tachar
f1.5
25, 35, 40, 50, 75mm
f1.8
100mm
f2.0
150mm
This series seems to be beginning in the 1966 brochure.
Telestigmar
f3.5-f6.3 This was a kit to provide foci of 175, 225, 250, + 315mm from a common
front component and different rear cells. The result is exceptionally light where equipment has to be carried to
a site, and takes over nicely from many long zooms on a 16mm camera. It must be a late item, and is not in
the 1966 list. (Compare this with a unit Dr Weth offered after WW2 for SLR's).
These were listed with a extensive range of cases, filters and accesories, in a variety of fittings, especially for
TV, Arriflex, and 35mm use.
Astro were still included in a list of projection lens makers 01/1974, when they offered:
Astro Kino-Colour f1.4/50mm; f1.5/65mm; f1.6/75mm; f1.6/85mm; f1.8/100mm.
Chronology: It is not at present possible to comment usefully on this. A small group of old 'lenses' included
Nos 12,33x, 19,43x, and 20,97x. This suggests fairly low numbers are involved.
Arnoux & Cie
Grand Angulaire They were noted for a Wide Angle No 13,47x with wheel stops, which was apparently
originally sold by R.A.Goldman, Vienna.
J.J.Atkinson, 33, Manchester St., Liverpool, UK.
Atkinson certainly supplied lenses engraved with his name, but it is doubtful if he made them. Channing and
Dunn list him as a maker of cameras, through much of the period 1845-1900, but suggest he often was
making cameras for sale by others, as in a "Rayment's Patent Field camera, made by J.J.Atkinson".
J. Audouin, Paris .
This was a name at auction on a brass lens for 12x18cm on a wood and brass camera. It has since been
noted by Mr Morley on a Rapide Symmetrical.
Auto Tele Plus; a series of tele extenders from J.J.Silber, q.v.
Auzoux et Cie, France.
They are noted for a Grand Angulaire (Wide Angle) No C at Nr 13,47x with disk stops on a Goldman (Wien)
18x24cm camera. (This seems to be a repeat of the Arnoux data and needs to be clarified.)
Avenon
Noted for two wide angle lenses for M39 sold about 1997 as:
Avenon f3.5/28mm at about No93,16x.
Avenon f2.8/21mm at about No80,06x.
They were made in M39 but offered with M adaptors.
It is though they were of Japanese origin.
Avimo, Taunton, Somerset, UK.
Avimo was noted twice in B.J.A. 1949, p199, p231 for recording cameras. One had an Aviac f3.5/2in lens
used on 70mm film in close-up. It was a complex and advanced unit. The other was a 35mm single shot
camera with a f5.6/1.26in and was still quite costly at £55.00.