Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
They sold lenses to most camera manufacturers. Alpa is another current one. But not all camera manufacturers put their name on the lens.
Calumet purchased lenses two different ways. They bought private label lenses that they called Caltar. Just like Sinar sold private lable versions called Sinaron. Calumet also bought manufacture's branded lenses that they sold as Rodenstock. They sold those for more then they sold the Caltar.
In the case of Linhof and Sinar those camera manufacturers tested the lenses and those that passed the test were marked with Linhof or Sinar's name (depending on which factory bought and tested the lenses). Alpa also does this today.
In the case of most other camera manufacturers the lenses were just labled with the lens factory name and not the camera manufacturer's name.
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nadar
Hi. I'm searching for buy lenses for my first 4x5 camera. I recently discover that schneider and rodenstock made lenses for other brands like Calumet or Sinar. Because I have low budget I'm trying to look for deals on ebay. This lenses are probably less know, so more posibilities to get them with cheaper price. So my question is which other brands have lenses made by schneider and rodenstock? Thanks
This is your first LF camera?
Any good quality lens by Rodenstock, Schneider, Nikon, Fuji, Caltar, Sinar, Wollensak, Kodak, Goerz, Ilex, Congo is going to blow you away with clarity and detail. Lucky you! "Workhorse" 210mms from the Germans and the Japanese are going for cheap at Keh right now. If your budget is really tight, eBay is probably the last place you'll likely save any money on a good lens.
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Brian Ellis
That's not been my understanding about Caltar though maybe my understanding is wrong. However, FWIW I've never understood that Caltars are inferior or worse than average. I've always understood that they were identical to their name-branded counterparts except for the name. Obviously one Caltar could be inferior to one Schneider just as one Schneider can be inferior to another Schneider. But I didn't think there was some pre-brand testing under which Caltar got the ones that tested below average.
The first batch of Schneider made Caltars (Caltar-S II and Caltar-W II) was made in December 1975: 100 x 65/8, 500 x 90/8, 200 x 135/5.6, 800 x 150/5.6, 600 x 210/5.6, 50 x 240/5.6, 100 x 300/5.6 and 50 x 360/6.8. That's 2400 lenses, there is no way that was anything other than regular production. These were Symmar S and Super Angulons. Interestingly although they were assigned serial numbers by Schneider none of the ones I have seen have serial numbers printed on them. There are also lenses branded as Orbit which were relabelled Schneider made Caltars (You can actually see the Caltar name under the paintwork on the rim).
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
While Rodenstocks and Schneiders are the most common lenses you will find don't overlook others like Fujinons and Nikkors. As long as you get a clean lens you will be fine. Leave all the testosterone laden mine-is-better-that-yours lens testing to the geeks. Try to find one in the 150-210 range which will also be the least expensive. Go to KEH to get an idea. Frankly they are your best bet.
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
Better still place a WTB advert here on this Forum's classifieds for a modern 150mm MC lens (or a range of possible FL's 135mm -210mm).
Ian
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
Caltar II-N lenses are identical to their Rodenstock Apo Sironar N and Grandigon counterparts and that goes for testing, too. They're sometimes extremely good bargains with mint copies being bountiful as they were often student purchased.
There's also a really long thread from last year here that went into the methodology of how Rodenstocks and Linhof select versions were/are tested. I'm satisfied that the standard testing was exemplary. Too, for another imprint to be substantively better there would have to be a bunch of rejects somewhere and there's no evidence of that with later production lenses.
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
"there would have to be a bunch of rejects somewhere and there's no evidence of that with later production lenses."
No there wouldn't. Linhof, for example, tests lenses that have already passed all of Rodenstock's or Schneider's final QC tests. When a lens fails the Linhof test that lens is returned to the lens manufacturer who then sells it since it has already passed all of their tests.
What Linhof is doing is picking off the best of the lenses that they test.
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bob Salomon - HP Marketing
"there would have to be a bunch of rejects somewhere and there's no evidence of that with later production lenses."
No there wouldn't. Linhof, for example, tests lenses that have already passed all of Rodenstock's or Schneider's final QC tests. When a lens fails the Linhof test that lens is returned to the lens manufacturer who then sells it since it has already passed all of their tests.
What Linhof is doing is picking off the best of the lenses that they test.
Agreed. The rest is rationalization in action.
Re: Looking for lenses made by rodenstock and schneider for other brands
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bob Salomon - HP Marketing
"there would have to be a bunch of rejects somewhere and there's no evidence of that with later production lenses."
No there wouldn't. Linhof, for example, tests lenses that have already passed all of Rodenstock's or Schneider's final QC tests. When a lens fails the Linhof test that lens is returned to the lens manufacturer who then sells it since it has already passed all of their tests.
What Linhof is doing is picking off the best of the lenses that they test.
That needs qualifying because Linhof weren't picking the best of all the lenses lenses only from batches.
Ian