Apo-Ronar and Apo-Artar

[Scott Rosenberg]

i'm looking for a little help here... it's my understanding that the APO-Ronar and APO-Artar are Rodenstock's and Schneider's offering on the same lens design - their latest on the dialyte, if memory serves. i was wondering if anyone with experience with each could then comment on the following...

i am presently deciding between the following lenses to be used on 4x5 only:
1. a very late, i assume single coated (did they ever multi-coat these??), 12" Schneider APO-Artar made in Switzerland by Kern SN:200xxxx
2. a very late, multi-coated, 300mm Rodenstock APO-Ronar.

aside from the slight increase in contrast and flare resistance the MC might provide, are their any other differences in the look these lenses will render? i am assuming that since they are both basically the same design, the differences will be subtle, subtle like the differences between a Sironar and Symmar. will the oof areas be comparable? will there be a difference in the rendering of fine detail? i know they'll be great up close, but what of shooting at infinity?

lastly, how would these older lenses hold up to a modern take on the dialyte design, like the fuji 300-C, which is wonderfully coated and optimized for infinity?

these older lenses are quite foreign to me, so any insights or experiences would be helpful, and of course, if i'm WAY off with my assumptions, please do offer corrections.

regards,
scott

[Dan Fromm]

Scott, check your messages.

[John Kasaian]

APO Artars are Goerz. I don't know if Schneider made any or not.

[Arne Croell]

APO Artars are Goerz. I don't know if Schneider made any or not.

After they bought Goerz in the 1970's. The Apo-Artar was actually the one lens from the Goerz line that survived the longest under Schneiders ownership, until the early 1990's. Initially Schneider commissioned Kern in Switzerland to make them, like the Dagors, but later made them themself. Now, an interesting question is whether the Schneider-made Apo-Artars are the original Goerz design or are Schneiders Repro-Clarons, the similar dialyte Schneider sold before the acquisition of Goerz, but with a name change.....

[Arne Croell]

And to answer some of Scotts questions: Apo-Artars were never multicoated; the same is true for the similar Apo-Germinars from Zeiss Jena/Docter-Optic. I have never compared an Artar and a Ronar, but I did compare a 300mm Apo-Germinar(SC) and Apo-Ronar(MC) and there were nearly no differences. I would assume the same for the Artar/Ronar. As hinted at in my other post, the Kern-made Artars were not the last issue, Schneider made them until the 1990's, and those have the regular Schneider serial numbers and are marked made in Germany. All of these are lenses with high resolution, also at infinity, and I would not expect any major difference compared to the Fuji. The contrast might be a tad lower.