So he asks me if I want this 600mm lens...

[Jack Eden]

Well there I was, making a purchase of a Russian glass-plate camera, when I am offered a Jena APO Germinar 9/600 lens (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3844669986&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT). Now, in addition to my ongoing make-your-own-film-on-glass lunacy, I have been entertained the idea of ULF for a long time. I grabbed the lens, and am now wondering, good idea--or bad. What formats would this thing work on? Is it the same as the Docter Optic lenses going by the same name?

[Ted Harris]

Jack,

Yes, I tis the same as the Docter lenses of the same name. Definitely a good lens. These are so little known these days that they tend to sell as bargains. I have and regularly use its 360 mm brother which I bought new when Docter Optics got out of the large format biz in 1968. I also have a Docter 210 which I quite like.

Our resident expert on Docter and Zeiss Jena lenses is Arne Cröll. Arne wrote a comprehensive two part article on all the Zeiss jena and Docter LF lenses for Veiw Camera some months ago and you will find the specs there. You need to look at the chart there and/or wait for Arne to reply to this thread as the unpublished specs on the image circle for the lens at infinity far exceed what is normally expected or noted in the published specs. My guess would be that this lens has coverage way beyond 11 x 14. If I get to the right View Camera before Arne responds I will add an addendum.

Good light

[Richard Wasserman]

Jack,
I don't have experience with the 600mm Apo Germinar but I can second Ted's opinion of Docter Optics lenses. I use a 300mm Apo Germinar and like it a lot, I expect that you will be very happy with your lens. The articles in View Camera by Arne Croll were quite interesting and worth looking for.

[Arne Croell]

Jack, a very good buy at that price. The 600mm Apo-G. is a 6-element process lens, and Zeiss made three design versions of it (all are great). A total of 1409 600mm Apo-G. lenses were produced by Zeiss. From the serial no. (9228xxxx) the lens you have is the latest design (from 1970) and therefore identical to the Docter version. The comparable Rodenstock Apo-Ronar was only a 4-element construction at this focal length. Official coverage is the usual 46° for process lenses, which translates into 510mm coverage at infinity. This is for demanding process applications, so for contact prints more coverage would be possible. The Docter numbers for infinity that Ted referred to, went up to a 650mm image circle stopped down, but these have to be taken with a grain of salt, so testing is a good idea. The weight of your lens should be around 1890g or 67 ounces.

[Jack Eden]

I want to thank all of you for your encouragement. I am beginning the research stage now to see which format I want to use the lens for. I really want to thank you Arne, for your tables of the Docter optik, Carl Zeiss Jena/Jenoptik, Meopta, and Russian LF lenses.