heliars whats the big deal

[Kerik Kouklis]

I've come to the conclusion that all lenses are very nice lenses.

So, I guess that means you're gonna start cleaning out that shrine cabinet of brass and glass that you've got? After all, if they're all just "very nice" who needs more than one?

[Mark Sawyer]

Sorry, Kerik... they're all so nice, I want even more! I think "Verito, Petzval, Tessar" the same way Hugh Hefner thinks "blonde, brunette, red-head".

[Jim Graves]

Ah, yes Hefner gets a triple-King bed and you get a floor-to-ceiling display case ... I'll take the case and lenses ... given the choice ... a heck of a lot cheaper, quieter, and certainly a lot less demanding!

[Lynn Jones]

Tessars are the highest contrast lenses (contrast often means visual sharpness) but usually with just a bit of astigmatism. The world champions of LF were Kodak Commercial Ektar, and the f 6.3 Caltars (these included all of the identical lenses from Ilex Optical, Paragon,and renamed as BBOI Acu-Tessar and B&J Acutar). In 1965 Manny Kiner Pres/GM of Ilex ray traced the Com Ektars, computer re-designed them using new optical glasses not previously available for the Caltars and for his own company use.

The Heliar were from H. Harting of Voightlander (1901) and a few years later Dallmeyer made them as Pentac (about 1919). These were truly fine lenses although coating made a huge difference after about 1937. If you have any old uncoated but self coated, please don't touch them, camel hair broush or air only.

During WWII several makers produced excellent aerial camea lenses of the Heliar/Pentac.

Kodak easily produced the best of this genre, their Micro apos for the graphic arts, the best of all were the 101 f3.5 for the Medalist cameras based primarily on the first use of rare earth glasses. Kodak also made these lenses as enlarging lenses for the Precision A enlargers in 50mm f4.5 and 75mm f4.5, truly encridible lenses.

Lynn

[Dan Fromm]

Come, on, Lynn, I've tried a couple of 50/4.5 and 75/4.5 Enlarging Ektars as macro lenses. They're good but not the best at their focal lengths. The 50 wide open doesn't come close to a reversed 55/2.8 MicroNikkor at f/4, and stopping down hurts both.

The Medalist's lens is a 100/3.5, not a 101/3.5 (don't feel bad, we none of us can type accurately) and is essentially the same lens as the 105/3.7 Ektar. I've shot two of those against a good 101/4.5 Ektar (tessar type) and both were worse at all apertures but (surprise!) f/3.7.

[Bernard Kaye]

Just 2 cents worth: it takes a nut (lens nut) to have read this from start to finish, as I just did.
One lens comment: the Kodak Medalist was an exercise in film flatness with roll film; the heavy cast aluminum body structure and helix focusing lens mount may help the 100mm. f 3.5 Ektar produce at its best. As I tell it, the separator at Chrome in Washington, D C came out to meet me when he enlarged my Kodacolor negatives; I thought that he was going to tell me that his professional lab did not dabble with 120 roll film and 2 1/4 x 3 1/4inch negatives; he wanted to know what I was shooting; I told him Kodak Medalist; he told me that he heard about it but had never seen one. I asked if he could make a 14 x 20inch or so? He told me that he could make a wall sized enlargement and that it rivaled an 8 x 10inch negative. It wasn't me, still isn't me; it is that film flatness and accurate focusing if the rangefinder is calibrated, particularly with focus at almost infinity and say f 8.
Bernie Kaye

[CCHarrison]

To be more precise, the Ektar lenses were Dynar types, not the original Heliar design.

Dan

[Mark Sawyer]

To be more precise, the Ektar lenses were Dynar types, not the original Heliar design.

But just to clarify, the Ektar line did include other designs. The prized 14" Commercial Ektar was a tessar design.

[Mark Sawyer]

Ah, yes Hefner gets a triple-King bed and you get a floor-to-ceiling display case ... I'll take the case and lenses ... given the choice ... a heck of a lot cheaper, quieter, and certainly a lot less demanding!

But dust in the film-holder will still break your heart...

[CCHarrison]

Yes Mark - I was just referring to the Fred Altman designed Ektars that are referred to as "Heliar" types, like the one the Medalist and the 105mm f/3.7...

thanks
Dan