lens identification

[Kenn Gallisdorfer]

I have a lens and would like to know if anyone can give me any information on it.

Jos. Schneider & Co. / Kreuznsch No. 169845 / xenar f 3.5 F = 24 cm

From what I have found by looking up the number it looks like it was made in the mid twenties. The problem I'm finding is that I don't see any lens with a 24 cm marking, is this really a 240 mm lens. Also any of the 240 mm's listed have an f 4.5 . This is very confusing. I wrote to the company via e-mail but havent had a reply.
Thanks,
kenn

[Paul_5410]

Kenn,
Many lenses made for sale outside the USA were marked in centimeters. If you look at some of the early lenses from Japan, made in the 50's for example, many are listed in Centimeters. It is the same lens just some manufacturers label for sale in the USA in mm and then the rest of the metric world cm.
We Americans can work with millimeters, but apparently exponents of 10 bewilderered the early settlers of this fine nation???

Hope this helps and here is a link to their website:

http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/

Hope this helps, Paul

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

For some reason earlier Schneider lenses were marked in cm, not mm. I am not sure why. They have nothing about the faster f3.5 lenses on the web site, although as I recall there is more information available on their German site. I have a newer (1950s) version of the 240/3.5 Xenar. It is a nice fast lens which works very well for portraiture. Its not as sharp as the f4.5 version and has a problem with flare, but you aren't likely to find many other f3.5 lenses which cover 5x7, so enjoy!

[Ole Tjugen]

Most German lenses at that time were marked in centimeters.

There were several different Xenar models at that time, including f:4.5 andat least two different f:3.5 - one of which (the Typ D) was not a Tessar type.

I have a 18cm of about the same age, as well as a 15cm f:3.5 Typ D. Both are very fine lenses for their age, and quite adequate for most work even by today's standards.