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Greg
16-Mar-2016, 17:36
Recently was able to try out a 115mm f/5.6 Ultragon Lens in a Compur shutter with option of purchasing it. Research on this optic led me to the following:

"The 115mm f/5.5 Ultragon wide angle was introduced in 1950. It has about 85-90° coverage (literature values vary between 80° and 100°; it officially covers 13x18cm/5x7) and came in a Compur 2 shutter. It is seen in both the dial-set (early) and the rim-set (later) version of the Compur 2. It was quite fast for a wide angle: the competing lenses in 1950 were the Schneider Angulon 120mm f/6.8 (an earlier design by Tronnier), the 4 3/8 f/8 Goerz W.A. Dagor, the Rodenstock Perigon 110mm f/12 (a Protar V-type design), or the 4/4 double Gauss lenses like the Meyer-Görlitz Aristostigmat or the Kodak Wide-Field Ektar (f/6.3). The design of the Ultragon was unusual in that it was completely asymmetric, the powers of the groups are + - I + -. It combines the strongly curved front cell of a double Gauss Topogon/WF- Ektar-type wide angle with an anastigmatic back cell of 3 lenses in 2 groups. The back cell geometry closely resembles a convertible Protar VII cell with the lowest index glass element replaced by air."

OK... Was hoping it would cover Whole Plate...Tried it on my 8x10 and it did cover a lot of film area and at f/22 the corners were terrible in covering the 4x5 format. Regretfully returned the lens. Now am wondering why the optic I tried was completely in-adequate at even covering the 4x5 format. Anyone have and use this lens? Have the suspicion that the lens may have been remounted into another shutter. Maybe the spacing of the front and rear cells not correct?

thanks...

RSalles
16-Mar-2016, 19:19
Greg,

I never got the same as yours in my hands. The close I can tell you by some experiment made by me is with the 135/9 Staeble-Ultragon. Soft corners with 4x5. Usable with 6x9, more workable with 6x7.
The 150/9, 180/9, 210/9 and 240/9 are all very good lenses and I used all of them in 4x5, at f22 it's close to my other lenses in the same focal - Schneider/Rodenstock.
I finally sold the 180, 210 and the 135, the first because I had 2 lenses in the same FL, same with the 210 and the late for not being happy with its performance.
I retained the 150 (a bit dark lens) but a joy to shoot with, in barrel, goes with the Sinar Copal shutter and the Miniature Speed Graphic. The 240 is a very satisfying performance lens, I'm not seeing myself looking for a tabletop glass to replace it in the near future,

Renato

Dan Fromm
17-Mar-2016, 04:54
Renato, the Staeble Ultragon is an f/9 process lens. The OP's Ultragon is an f/5.6 wide angle lens made by Voigtlaender. The two have nothing in common.

RSalles
17-Mar-2016, 05:44
Sorry, my mistake, but actually the only thing in common is the source of misunderstanding, the Ultragon name, shared by both... If Greg have cited Voigtlaender in the text it have been easier to see the difference. Anyway thanks for letting me know, I'll check the Vade Mecum later to try to know this lens,

Cheers,

Renato

Corran
17-Mar-2016, 07:23
Greg, I am curious where you received your lens for testing. Being a big fan of Voigtlander, this is a lens I've been interested in, and I know of one for sale at a good price - but want to be sure this isn't the one you tried if it was bad! Feel free to PM me.

I am also curious if others have used this lens.