Are "cherry-picked" Linhof lenses a myth?

[Jack Dahlgren]

But Linhof angulons were the best-of-breed, so they were still the best of a bad design.

I was joking about the dog part. Angulons can be a good choice for a number of situations.

[rknewcomb]

Since I like dogs much better then cats, can we call bad lenses cats please? I wonder where that expression came from anyway!

[BrianShaw]

OK, Jack. I maybe overstated the situation by calling it a bad design. Good clarification!

[Oren Grad]

I don't doubt that a well-made 90 Angulon was a good lens for its time and can still be very usable. I just happen to have gotten a bad one.

[Ole Tjugen]

I had a '50s-vintage Linhof-select 90 Angulon that was a dog. I can't conclude anything from that, though, because there's no telling what happened to it in the years between when it was made and when I bought it.

Any 50's (or older) Angulon which has been stored on edge in warm climates is suspect - they have a sad tendency to "slip" as the balsam softens in heat, causing decentering. All my Angulons have been wonderful and super sharp; even the uncoated 1936 210mm I use on 8x10". Angulons should be kept flat ion the face when not in use.

[Brian Stein]

Any 50's (or older) Angulon which has been stored on edge in warm climates is suspect - they have a sad tendency to "slip" as the balsam softens in heat, causing decentering.

Ole thats interesting. As a "warm climate" living individual I had previously thought that a melting point of 150C for Canada Balsam would be sufficient to protect me from realistic temperatures [usual use, but not leaving it in the car at 50-60C], but it seems not.

[Lynn Jones]

Yes guys, it is a myth. I was in a discussion with the "export manager" of Schneider some years ago when the subject came up (we were the largest buyer of LF Schneider lenses in the world at the time). With regard to pre-selected lenses, he said, "Sure, when customer "L or S " orders 25 lenses to be pre-selected, we "pre-select" the first 25 off the line and ship them". After a good laugh, his view was that we make every effort to produce fine quality optics, if we knew that some were not very good, they wouldn't be offered for sale. Our customers are free to reject any optic that they have a problem with and we will replace it.

Lynn

[Bob Salomon]

Lynn,

It is a shame that you were misled. But I have stood in the factory and watched the lenses being tested, approved and rejected at Linhof and the lenses are very much tested and approved by Linhof. In fact, more Schneider lenses, by percentage, failed the day that I was there then Rodenstocks. And most were rejected for dirt, smudges, etc. in the lens where the lens had to be fully taken apart to clean it.

Also, bear in mind, the Schneider company that you bought from was liquidated and a new company was formed in Bad Kreuznach 20 plus years ago by Heinrich Mandermann who also consolidted Rollei (as it existed back then) and B+W (that he purchased from the trustees back then). That liquidation was when Isco was spun off as well.

[Armin Seeholzer]

I have somewhere in a very old brochure of Linhof a picture from the testing room from Linhof, so its not a myth!

Cheers Armin

[Vaughn]

I think we all are talking about the same thing -- sounds like the lenses were not selected at the Schneider plant, but inspected at the Linhof plant. Six of one thing, a half dozen of something else.