Zeiss Tessar Coverage

[Gordon Moat]

Hello Arne and Ole,

Thanks for the comments and information. While I don't own an 8x10, it almost seems like this lens would just barely cover 8x10, though it seems it might have been originally sold for 5x7 (or continental size near that). Amazingly bright on the ground glass at f4.5. The only trouble I have is that it is very heavy, and i think hanging a shutter off the front would be too much weight. It would be nice to have a filter adaptor for it, but the thread size is very different than modern filters.

Thanks again to all for the help and comments.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Bill_1856]

No doubt about it, the Zeiss Tessar was, is, and apparently will be continue to be an extraordinary optic. Is the cemented pair in front or behind the aperture in the Zeiss version? Also in the Commercial Ektars?

[Gordon Moat]

Hello Wilhelm,

On the one I have, the 18 blade aperture is between the front two elements (individual), and the rear pair (doublet). I don't really know if that is the normal construction of what I now know is a barrel Tessar, or if other Tessar lenses are similar.

The lens had a protective layer of dust when I got it, but cleaned up very easily. I ended up using white out on the numerals for the aperture settings, but otherwise it just looks super old. Other than the weight, it is almost an unassuming lens . . . until I mounted it onto the camera and saw the image on the ground glass.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[CP Goerz]

Every once in a while I like to get the feel for the tessar so I take a Dagor and look at how wide and wonderful the image on the groundglass looks. I then take both hands and make a telescope like you did when we were kids and I squint my eye up while looking through the 'telescope' and...abracadabera! The Tessar look!! ;-)


CP Goerz.

[Ole Tjugen]

Gordon, if you look at my avatar you'll see a 300mm f:4.5 Xenar hanging on the front of a Technika 5x7" - held by yours truly. It's a truly massive lens - the Xenar was in a #5 Compound. The Xenar is a Tessar-type lens. And the Compound #5 has 23 aperture blades...

It was originally made for 18x24cm, the metric "equivalent" of 8x10". It covers 8x10" with a little bit of movements.

What you have described is indeed a "standard" Tessar. Any other construction is not a Tessar, but may well be a derivative - like many of the Leitz Elmar lenses which have the aperture between the two front elements.

[Ole Tjugen]

A little historical note, now that I've been proved wrong (again) about the f:6.3 Tessar:

In 1910 there were four "series" of Tessars: Serie Ic, f:3.5 in 21, 25 and 30cm focal lengths; Serie IIb f:4.5 in 12 to 50cm focal lengths; the f:6.3 (no Series designation) from 12 to 59cm; and the Apo-Tessar f:9 to f:15, 32 to 180cm.

[Gordon Moat]

Good morning Ole,

I suppose there might be a shutter that would work on my 21cm, perhaps even a Compound 5 or similar sized shutter. Just getting the lens board set-up took lots of lucky finds and a little construction. I would be inclined to hang a shutter in front of the lens, since there is very little room left on the lens board; my guess is anything bigger might run into the lens board lock at the top, which is bevelled on the Shen-Hao.

So for now I just want to do a few test images. Since I do lots of night shots on transparency films, and these are often several minute exposures, these will be my first test runs. If the results seem promissing enough, then I might look for a shutter solution.

The other aspect is I have really very very little money into this lens, even with finding a lensboard and mounting ring. The few large leaf shutters I have seen often go for over $100, which would put this entire project too close to modern lens prices. A Packard shutter is another thought, though I am not too sure about front mount adapters. Another thought is those roller blind shutters, though I wonder if weight is an issue.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Ole Tjugen]

Based on my experience with the Schneider equvalent, the Xenar, there's a fair chance that your 210mm f:4.5 Tessar might mount easily in a #3 Compound. Unfortunately the threads are not quite the same as the Copal #3...

[Gordon Moat]

The mounting adapter ring I got is 60mm inside diameter threaded, which connects with the back of the barrel. This ring has four countersunk screw holes, so I was able to drill a 64mm Linhof board and place the adapter on that.

I found the larger image for your avatar on your website, and it does seem your 300mm is larger diameter than my 21cm Tessar. Just checking Compound #3 size, it almost seems like the correct diameter. I don't know how well something like that would work with a lens hanging off the front. The shutter diameter is near 90mm, which seems like a really tight fit . . . not much room left for putting the lensboard on the camera.

All the old pictures of a Tessar with shutter I have run across indicate the shutter placed where the aperture sits. Unfortunately my Tessar would not come apart and go together like that without some machining work, at which point it would then cost more than a used modern lens. So I could fit a shutter to either the back or front of the barrel.

A Copal #3 would be nice, except for the cost. It would allow flash sync and a nice range of speeds. I think a Compound shutter lacks flash sync capability, and is probably not very cheap on the used market. Anyway, until I see some results from this lens, I don't want to put any money towards a shutter.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Ernest Purdum]

Some Compound shutters do have flash synch, but you are right in thinking that a good large one will not be cheap.