Berthiot anastigmats for large format

[Dan Fromm]

It is out: www.galerie-photo.com/berthiot_anastigmats_en.pdf

Informative, cures insomnia.

[Chauncey Walden]

Well done, Dan!

[Louis Pacilla]

Terrific piece of writing brother Dan. I very much enjoyed and appreciate the effort.

[jaytral]

Super boulot, merci Dan

[renditiont]

Very informative. Thank you for the hard work Dan. I am a big fan of Benoist Berthiot and Som Berthiot Cinor lenses on medium format and 4x5.

[Dan Fromm]

Very informative. Thank you for the hard work Dan. I am a big fan of Benoist Berthiot and Som Berthiot Cinor lenses on medium format and 4x5.

Interesting. Benoist Berthiot made very few taking lenses. I'm surprised that Cinors cover MF, not to mention 4x5. Which ones do you use on 4x5?

[renditiont]

Interesting. Benoist Berthiot made very few taking lenses. I'm surprised that Cinors cover MF, not to mention 4x5. Which ones do you use on 4x5?

Definitely not taking lens Dan. Those lenses I used are projection lenses. And yes, the higher focal length ones of Cinors work on 4x5 at least portrait distance, at least with the 190mm f/2.9 and above. I'm currently using Cinor 70mm f1.5 for digital aps-c mode, and 145mm and 165mm for 6x6/6x7.

Here's the 165/2.4 Cinor last time I used on 3x4 SLR
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1624/25447965341_efa2d45f89.jpg

[Pere Casals]

Great work, for sure it will be reference on these lenses

[Dan Fromm]

Definitely not taking lens Dan. Those lenses I used are projection lenses. And yes, the higher focal length ones of Cinors work on 4x5 at least portrait distance, at least with the 190mm f/2.9 and above. I'm currently using Cinor 75mm f1.5 for digital aps-c mode, and 145mm and 165mm for 6x6/6x7.

Here's the 165/2.4 Cinor last time I used on 3x4 SLR

Thanks for the explanation. That the longer Cinors cover 4x5 is a surprise.

I don't practice lens abuse (using lenses on formats larger than they were intended to cover) but some people do it to good effect.

[renditiont]

Thanks for the explanation. That the longer Cinors cover 4x5 is a surprise.

I don't practice lens abuse (using lenses on formats larger than they were intended to cover) but some people do it to good effect.

I have been a prolific user of smaller lenses on large formats for a few years now, ranging from 16mm (and sometimes 8mm) lenses onto aps-c and full-frame, to 35mm/70mm format onto medium/larger formats. Abuse is a misnomer for me ; I like to think of it as creative uses with specific intents: to get higher central resolution on larger formats and greater corner aberrations to creative thinner effective depth of field for portraitures -- all while avoiding/minimizing vignetting by either passively removing rear mount or actual rear cutting. Definitely not for the weak of heart in some cases for sure. Aside from those, getting involve in lenses adaptations are definitely fun and there are tools these days on the market to assist for lenses adaptation. Below are some pics of the Som Berthiot Cinor 70mm f/1.5 in Petzval configuration with helicoid and fuji-x mount -- it should have a leaner look but I do not have smaller adapter at the moment.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4597/24402917077_9fd43e2fbe_c.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4643/24402916917_45e71072cf_z.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4601/25398549918_e9968148af_o.jpg

[Jim Galli]

Excellent as always Dan. I will indeed use this resource in my struggle with insomnia these days. May as well learn something while I'm wishing I was asleep. Berthiot, the Hudson of lenses. Indeed I have at least one Eidoscop with Berthiot markings.

Also I have a rare one. Berthiot Color Serie 1d No 2 F4 150mm. In this case the name Color is a play on Olor I think and it was supposed to be a soft focus lens by way of messing with how the colors landed at the image plane. (never a great idea). I confess I've never had a play with it. But at 150mm I expect it to cover 4X5 nicely. Serial no. 126240

[Dan Fromm]

Jimbo, you could, if you wanted, read about the Color, and then you'd know. Berthiot and the inventor say its good for color if you don't look too closely.

More seriously, check your Color's s/n. If Pont's chronologies are correct you dropped a digit. 12,000 was well pre-1900 and the Color seems to have been released around 1922.

[Jim Galli]

I'll get there, not to worry. But just now I'm packing for a christmas trip to the kiddo's in Sparks. Also, check my serial no again. It is 6 digit as originally posted. We mustn't waste insomniatherapy all in one sitting now, must we.

[Dan Fromm]

My error, I didn't see the trailing zero. Early 1920s, all correct.

Season's greetings.

[chris73]

Dan, many thanks for the great effort.

I did a research about the early Berthiot history once, and as you mention there is not any commercial connection between Benoist-Berthiot and Claude Berthiot.

Though, Louis Berthiot and Claude were born in the same village named Cencerey in Burgundy. Also as far as i can remember i found many individuals with the same surname from that community. So there is a possibility Louis and Claude that were relatives...:) who knows?

[Dan Fromm]

Chris, its possible that Claude and Louis were related. I found no information that indicated or denied a relationship. I'll bet there are parish birth registers ...