Dudes, what lens is this?

[chris jordan]

Hey guys, I was just hangin at a funky local junk shop picking up dumb stocking stuffers for my 10-year-od son, and I ran across a lens that looked cool. It was a zoom of some sort, something like 70-100 or 120, a big long fat lens made by Schneider-Krusach (or however you spell that), in excellent condition. At the back end was a big flange with screw holes, as if it was supposed to be screwed into some big device, like maybe a slide projector or non-standard caamera lensboard. The price was $60. Any idea what it was? Should I grab it and send it to someone here as a cool holiday gift? Say the word and it's done.

~cj

[Vivek Iyer]

You seem to have seen the Scheneider Variogon. A zoom enlarging lens made for small formats. Nothing special about it.

[Hiro]

Schneider also made Betavaron which, I think, is the zoom enlarger lens. It seems Variogon was originally made for 8mm/TV cameras (http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/ls443/innovation_e.htm), although I think I've seen some people, on camera buff websites, using them for SLRs. A few of each are on eBay now, and pictures may help ID.

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

http://www.macrolenses.de/ml_detail.php?ObjektiveNr=8

This is the Schneider Betavaron.