Rodenstock Eurynar

[zoneVIII]

I've read somewhere in this forum that Ole said this lens is tack sharp even compared to new design lens, is that anybody has sample pics taken with this lens? thanks a bunch

[Gene McCluney]

This is not surprising. Even a Petsval is "tack" sharp if you limit the angle of view to the center sweet spot of the lens. There are other modern lens improvements other than sharpness, you know.

[zoneVIII]

thanks Gene, yes you're right, about modern lens, multicoated , flare resistant, and sharpness in the middle and outer image circle improved in modern lens, my friend offer me this lens for cheap, is that worth to take, just want to know about this lens, there's so litle info about this lens in web

[Ole Tjugen]

The Eurynar is a typical dialyte-type lens, with four airspaced elements. I have two of them, both 135mm. One is uncoated and has a big chip out of the front element, the other one has been coated by some previous owner.

Even the chipped one is very sharp, although it gives rather poor contrast - both due to the eight uncoated surfaces and the big missing chunk of glass.

At the time they were introduced they were considered the sharpest of all anastigmats over a comparatively wide field, had less distortion than any others, but were let down by the inherently lower contrast.

[zoneVIII]

Ole, do u have sample pics?
is that low contrast can rise by process developed, and or paper grade?

thanks a lot

[Ole Tjugen]

I do have sample pics, but not scanned. And my scanner is temporarily inaccessible...

All in all the pics look like they were taken with any other good lens; and the lower contrast is easy to work around with a little extended development and darkroom "trickery". The results from the coated Eurynar are indistinguishable from anything shot with a modern lens, at least without using a microscope to examine the negatives!

[zoneVIII]

thanks Ole, the Rodenstock Eurynar is 1945-1952, maybe around 1950, base on this thread http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0037nE by Thalmann, I don't know is that coating or not

[Ole Tjugen]

If it's after WWII, it's likely to be coated.

Mine (both of them) are 1920-1930 (most likely 1924)!

[zoneVIII]

thanks Ole