Vintage lenses: Zeiss, Ektar and Weitwinkel

[Maretzo]

I have acquired from ebay four lenses (late Christmas :D):
Zeiss Tessar 4.5/135, Zeiss Tessar 4.5/210, Ektar 4.5/7 1/2", Weitwinkel Leitmeyer 90/6.8.

Did anyone experience these lenses?
I am thrilled with the purchase, but I will try them upon my return to Switzerland in July only.

Happy New Year to all!

Serge

[Rob_5419]

Hello,

These are all fine lenses. The coverage of the Zeiss 135mm is fairly tight for 5x4, particularly at infinity. It's a nice sharp performer although needs a lens hood due to its lack of coating. The 210 Tessar is an equally fine lens - it shows its age compared to modern 210 lenses, although between that and a G-Claron 210mm f9, I'd prefer the Zeiss, just for its extra illumination and capacities.

Kodak Ektars are abundant in every focal length - I gather some of these have more advanced designs than four element Tessars. If yours has 5 elements, you're in luck - high contrast and detailed shadow areas. My Ektar is about 6 1/2 inch and whereas it's probably a great lens, its shutter really has had it. This might be your only lens in the bunch which is coated. The Weitwinkel is popular, particularly with press cameras. It's sharp, has just about sufficient coverage maybe at 5x4 (didn't it come with a 3"x4" or quarter plate?) and if it's in a Prontor, you'll do alright.

All in all, a nice set of lenses to play with and they all have more potential than us photographers (grumble grumble). There isn't a lemon in the bunch.

Happy New Year!

[Paul Ewins]

I think Leitmeyer is the brand name and doesn't weitwinkel just mean wide angle? I've got a 105/6.8 Leitmeyer which is a useful little lens. The only issue is that the prontor shutter is slightly different to a compur/copal 0 so that lens cells don't appear to screw in far enough (in a copal) and the retaining rings don't quite match either. I ended up learning how to repair the shutter because I couldn't swap the cells over to a better one.

[Maretzo]

Hi Rob,
Many thanks for all the info I was hoping for. I could date some of the lens: Zeiss 135 (1940), Zeiss 210 (1918) in a dial shutter (!), Ektar 7 1/2 (1948), but I could not find the age of or info on the Weitwinkel (Leitmeyr). I forgot to mention a Bausch and Lomb 164/4.5 in a Wollensak shutter.
Bye, Serge

[Ole Tjugen]

There isn't much information on the Leitmeyr Weitwinkel-Anastigmat to be found at all.

Literature says they were double-Gauss, but my 121mm is an Angulon clone. So literature hasn't got everything right, which shouldn't be a surprise.