Old Xenar

[Dvenosa]

I was looking for some stuff in brazilian ebay equivalent and came across this:

http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-50815209-lente-schneider-xenar-210mm-145-para-grande-formato-4x5-_JM

299 reais is roughly equivalent to 150 dollars. Is this old garbage or a rare lens?


thanks,

Dan

[David A. Goldfarb]

Neither garbage nor rare. It's a common lens, Tessar type, and if the glass is clean and the shutter works it can make some nice photographs with a 5x7" or smaller camera. The price seems about right.

[Ernest Purdum]

I'd say neither. The Xenar is a Tessar type with the virtue of a large aperture, but the deficiency of rather limited coverage. It should cover 5" X 7" and give moderate use of movements on 4" X 5". It's not rare.

You might ask the seller the serial nujber and go to the Schneider site to find out how old it is. Scheiders quality control is reputed to have improved greatly since WWII times. Also, if a postwar lens it would be (single) coated. I am guessing this one to be pre-war because of the shutter.

Regarding cost, I know nothing about lens prices in Brazil. Customs fees drive prices up in many coutries. With patience, you could probably find a better price on the US eBay, but getting it into Brazil could be another matter.

[Ole Tjugen]

The Compound #3 shutter was produced until well into the 1970's. The triangle mark on the lens bezel was used in the 1960's as indicating "coated".

The lens is a single coated Xenar 210/4.5, probably from the 1960's. 150 dollars is a fair price for a very good lens, IMO.

[OldBikerPete]

The Compound #3 shutter was produced until well into the 1970's. The triangle mark on the lens bezel was used in the 1960's as indicating "coated".

The lens is a single coated Xenar 210/4.5, probably from the 1960's. 150 dollars is a fair price for a very good lens, IMO.

I have one of these lenses and mine is very sharp at F/11, F/16.
Contrast and anti-flare is good for the vintage.
I don't believe that these are particularly rare, but they are not all that common, either.

[Ole Tjugen]

Contrast and anti-flare is good for the vintage.

It just so happens that I have both one of these and one of the last 210mm f:6.1 Xenars to be made. I find no significant differences in contrast between the two, the main difference is aperture and weight. The old Compound #3 is no less accurate than the new Copal #1.
The practical difference to me is that the f:6.1 can be left on my 4x5" camera when closed, whereas the f:4.5 won't fit.