46mm filter mystery

[Ben Calwell]

I found a collection of filters for black-and-white (yellow, red, orange, etc), and each one is 46mm. I cannot remember what lens I bought these for. My first view camera was a Calumet that I bought in the early 1980s, and it came with a Caltar 210mm compact lens (tessar type). I no longer have that lens (sadly) and was wondering if it took 46mm filters. I think these 46mm filters fit my Pentax spot meter (the kind with the needle), but I don't believe I would have purchased filters just to use with my spot meter. Does anyone know if there is a large format lens that uses 46mm filters? I'm guessing I bought them for the Caltar, but when I researched that lens online, I learned they take 49mm filters.

[Jim C.]

Are they screw in or filters mounted on a ring ?
If they're the latter they may be a number series filter.

[Drew Wiley]

I've seen older VC lenses that had 46mm threads. Caltar label involved lenses made by Kodak and Rodenstock among others. Any brochure might not be in synch with the exact model of lens you could have hypothetically purchased. At one point Calumet distributed a lot of Fuji lenses, but I don't know if they ever had Fuji
made private label lenses for them. Some of the shorter early Fuji W's had a 46mm thread, though the very same lenses might appear to have 49mm or 52mm
thread - all of the above being possible depending on the exact batch. I think I have a 105 Nikkor M with 46mm, to which I added a 52mm step ring; but that's really a 6x9 lens.

[Ben Calwell]

Thanks for the replies -- the filters are screw-in type.

[Drew Wiley]

It is almost certainly a 210 Rodenstock Geronar, which was routinely offered with basic Calumet 4x5 packages. The later ones were 49mm but I don't know about your own vintage. I have a brochure somewhere at home that would say, but whether I could actually find it in that archaeological literature dig is a dicey proposition!

[Andrew]

pretty sure these are 46mm: older fujinon-w 125mm, 135mm and 150mm/5.6; schneider xenar 210/6.1 incl various brandings like "calumet pro series"; Schneider g-claron 240mm (the dagor style version). There must be others too...

[Drew Wiley]

A Geronar might be mistaken for a tessar but wasn't one. It would be 6.8 as opposed to the 6.1 Xenar.

[David Karp]

My 210mm f/6.8 Caltar II-E (Rodenstock Geronar) has 49mm threads. My 210mm f/6.1 Caltar Pro (Xenar) has 46mm threads, as does my 180mm Fujinon A.

[JMO]

46mm filters would also fit on Leica M lenses in the Summilux series, which are lenses for Leica's 35mm M format cameras that have maximum f1.4 aperture.

[Ben Calwell]

Thanks everyone. The lens that came with my Calumet must have been the Caltar Pro (Xenar). The f/6.1 sounds familiar. And I remember now that my brother borrowed that lens a few years ago -- I must get it back from him!

[dave_whatever]

My 240mm f/9 early (dagor-type) G Claron takes 46mm filters.

[Michael Graves]

Did you ever own a Mamiya TLR? Most of the lenses (not the 180 or 250) use that size.