Rodenstock lens data on web

[Paul Butzi]

One hitch that might interfere with the plan of just transferring the scans to another site is that Bob Saloman granted me permission to scan the literature and post it on the web, and so the new location would also need to secure that permission.

I know it's a hassle but there it is. My inability to secure permission is what's kept me from scanning and posting the Nikon LF lens literature I have.

I don't have any idea of whether Bob would be willing to grant permission or not.

[Bob Salomon]

Most, of the Rodenstock information, if not all, is on the manufacturer's web site for anyone to see. Just go to the Linos web site.

http://www.linos.com/en/prod/index.html

[Huw Evans]

Ah! I guess I would have stood more of a chance of finding that if I'd known that I needed to look on the Linos website and not Rodenstock. Oh well, live and learn. :-)

[Oren Grad]

Bob -

Paul's got data on many now-discontinued lenses, including those Apo-Sironar-N's, Grandagon-N's and Apo-Ronars that have been deleted. This is really valuable information for us. The question is whether it would be permissible to re-post all that data on a different site, such as this one, where it could continue to be readily accessed by interested users.

[Paul Butzi]

Huw Evan's post drives home one essential point - it's not just about having the data on the web, it's about having it indexed by search engines and thus findable.

Try this: go to Google, type in "rodenstock lens data". The Rodenstock lens chart stuff hosted on my web site shows up as the 8th entry on the first page of results. The Linos site does not even appear on the first page.

Searching for 'Rodenstock lens MTF" results in my page being the first one returned, the Linos site is not in the first four pages of results returned, which is the same as saying no one would find it that way. By the way, Kerry, you might want to update the link on your web page to point to the Linos site instead of to the now defunct location on the Rodenstock site.

I guess I could pass off the data, then leave a 'tombstone' page on my site explaining where to find the new location. That doesn't seem too different from just leaving it all as it currently is.

Sigh.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

As of March 2005 the excellent Linos Rodenstock web site does not mention some highly regarded discontinued products like the apo-ronar and grandagon lenses above 90 mm.
I know at least one competitor who maintains vintage lens data on his web site.

So if a well-known distributor of Linos-Rodenstiock products could make the suggestion to the Münich people to add vnitage lens data to the company's web site, this would be really great, and eventually we could agree that Most, of the Rodenstock information...

[Huw Evans]

As Emmanuel says, there's a lot of old information that would be great to have available, but I notice also that in the PDF files, Linos are typically providing MTFs and other performance charts for just one focal length in a particular range. For example, of all the Apo Sironar -S lenses they give only the charts for the 150mm, or of all the Rodagons they only give charts for the 50mm. That's better than nothing, but it does mean that Paul's pages are not redundant yet.

[Ole Tjugen]

If a new home is needed, I have sufficient capacity on my site - outside of the USA (and incidentally outside the EU as well, but that is irrelevant).

[Pete Watkins]

Paul, thanks for taking the bother to make this information available. I would take up Ole's offer and get the stuff based in Europe. I read that Ole is based outside the EEC but even if that changes in the future (and I doubt that will happen) the EEC is more interested in straight bananas and securing human rights for illegal terrorist immigrants in the UK.

[Scott Rosenberg]

paul,

i understand your feelings, particularily as i'm the one that started the hp service thread. i also really appreciate your site and all the information you've put out there. only you can decide if you want to leave the information up; i for one referenced it many times while considering lens purchases. while the information was VERY helpful, i did not base my decision solely on what i found there. had i not come across your site, i still would have bought rodenstock glass. your site simply made the decison a little easier.

for me, i'm dumping the TK. i love the camera, but refuse to support these behaviours.