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Arne Croell
24-Nov-2013, 11:03
I just posted a new article on the LF lenses from Carl Zeiss in Oberkochen (i.e. the West-German Zeiss) on the publications (http://www.arnecroell.com/publications) page of my web site, as a companion piece to the other articles on Zeiss Jena, Docter Optic, Voigtländer, etc.. The direct link is here: http://www.arnecroell.com/zeissoberkochen.pdf

As with the other articles, I'll update the article from time to time if new information comes to light (or just to eliminate a typo).

Arne

PS: be patient downloading, its 7MB (38 pages)

IanG
24-Nov-2013, 13:15
Thanks Arne.

I've started to read the PDf and it's interesting as it fills in many gaps.

Ian

Nathan Potter
24-Nov-2013, 14:07
Arne, particularly interesting to me, since I'm not very familiar with lens history, yet intellectually interested in Zeiss in particular because I've used their fine metallurgical microscopes a great deal.

Great thanks.

Nate Potter, Austin TX., Chatham MA.

Emmanuel BIGLER
25-Nov-2013, 03:21
Many thanks, Arne for this most documented article which answers many of the questions I had regarding Zeiss Oberkochen LF lenses.

It happens that I own a Planar 2,8 - 100 mm and was, to date, not able to know which precise optical formula was in use (but I found, just now, another interesting document giving the answer, see below)
And it happens that yesterday, invited by a friend, I enjoyed a shooting session with a 6x9 Linhof Press fitted with the same 2,8 - 100 mm planar mounted on an helical focusing mount.

Since all the planars you mention all share the same kind of design, in terms or arranging the elements (5/4) (http://taunusreiter.de/Cameras/planar_2.8-100.jpg), mine is definitely not a scaled version of the 80 mm Rolleiflex TLR planar (http://taunusreiter.de/Cameras/planar_2.8-80_Rollei.jpg), and the 2,8 - 80 mm planar listed in your article is probably not the same as well, but the same design as the 2,8 - 100 I have.
In other words, the 2,8 - 80 mm Rolleiflex planar of ~1954 with its front cemented doublet, is a very special design, not found in other planars. (http://taunusreiter.de/Cameras/planar_2.8-80_Rollei.jpg)
Another interesting article by Frank Mechelhoff on fast German lenses, where I found on-line diagrams to illustrate this post :
http://taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Biotar_en.html
the title says "35 mm" but lists medium format lenses as well ;)

Arne Croell
25-Nov-2013, 03:59
Thanks for the information on the Rollei lenses, Emmanuel. I will correct the manuscript accordingly. Any idea what the f/3.5 75mm Planar for Rollei looks like?

Arne

mihag
25-Nov-2013, 04:53
Thank you Arne, a very interesting and thoroughly written article.

Emmanuel BIGLER
25-Nov-2013, 05:30
Any idea what the f/3.5 75mm Planar for Rollei looks like?

Hello, Arne, and thanks again for this nice article !!

[going off-topic to MF considerations, sorry]
In fact there are two models for 3,5 / 75 mm planars for the rolleiflex TLR.
The first model in the mid fifties is a 5/4 with a lens element arrangement similar to the Hasselblad 100 mm 5/4 planar and similar to all LF planars mentioned in your article.
For some unclear reasons, in the sixties, for the Rolleiflex 3,5F, the Zeiss Oberkochen 3,5 / 75 planar lens design was changed to a 6/4.
Schneider-Kreuznach, the second supplier of lenses to Franke & Heidecke, followed the same route, from a 5/4 3,5 75 mm Xenotar in the mid fifties, they changed to a 6/4 soon after Zeiss.did. Zeiss and Schneider 3,5 5/4 lenses are obviously different, due to conflicting patents ; BTW all German patents had to be re-issued after WW-II for some painful historical reasons.

You'll find all you need including lens diagrams in this web page carefully crafted by Carlos Manuel Freaza, one of the most active members of the Rollei discussion group.
http://dobleobjetivo.blogspot.fr/2009/10/rollei-tlr-6x6-lenses.html

And there is a precise description of those lenses by Richard Knoppow in the archives of the Rollei discussion group, here.
http://www.rugarchives.org/2003-02/00977.html

IanG
29-Nov-2013, 10:22
Arne, did you substantially revise the CZJ 1945-91 article (this year) ? It seems to have a lot more information than I remember seeing before. It dovetails nicely with the new article.

Ian

Arne Croell
2-Dec-2013, 10:49
Arne, did you substantially revise the CZJ 1945-91 article (this year) ? It seems to have a lot more information than I remember seeing before. It dovetails nicely with the new article.

Ian
Thanks, Ian. Yes, I reworked the older articles a bit after I finished my article on the non-Zeiss Eastern Bloc lenses, including new images. I mentioned it here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?104094-Docter-Optic-Tessar-Apo-Germinar-MTF-curves

Of course, all articles are ongoing projects and I add and exchange things when new informations show up, such as new serial numbers. After posting the article on the Zeiss Oberkochen lenses, which included a section on the Luminars, it occurred to me that at some point I need to add a section on Mikrotar lenses in the Jena article to keep things balanced...and so it goes..

Emmanuel BIGLER
2-Dec-2013, 11:06
.and so it goes..

.. and soon, you'll have to start a new article entitled "modern CZJ Lenses: 2009 -> ..."

http://czjena.zeiss.com/carl-zeiss-jena/de_de/leistungen/produkte/interferometerobjektive-.html

(well, so far those lenses are not really photographic ;) )

Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH (http://czjena.zeiss.com/carl-zeiss-jena/de_de/home.html)
Established in 2009 (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Zeiss_Jena_%28Unternehmen%29)

Sekundogenitur
7-Dec-2013, 05:16
Thank you for the link to this interesting article! Although I'm an employee of the company, I didn't know about this part of the lens history.

http://lenses.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_us/camera_lenses.html

David A. Goldfarb
7-Dec-2013, 08:44
Very impressive! What a great resource.

Dan Fromm
7-Dec-2013, 09:35
Very impressive! What a great resource.

David, you are too sparing with praise. All of the articles Arne has posted on his site are great resources.

David A. Goldfarb
7-Dec-2013, 14:59
David, you are too sparing with praise. All of the articles Arne has posted on his site are great resources.

That they are!

Arne Croell
26-Jan-2014, 09:53
.... Of course, all articles are ongoing projects and I add and exchange things when new informations show up, such as new serial numbers. After posting the article on the Zeiss Oberkochen lenses, which included a section on the Luminars, it occurred to me that at some point I need to add a section on Mikrotar lenses in the Jena article to keep things balanced...and so it goes..

And, consequently, my Zeiss Jena article now has a section on Mikrotar lenses, plus some small additions in the aerial lenses section: http://www.arnecroell.com/czj.pdf

Embdude
11-Dec-2021, 23:13
Thanks for your hard work and dedication to educating us about these special lenses! I can not tell you how many times I have referred to your article over the years since you first published it. usually learning more each time. Thank you. I have spent some time with several of these amazing lenses and your insights make them that much more special.