one more Ektar 203 qquestion.

[JOSEPH ANDERSON]

If the Ektar 203 7.7 is of the Dialite design like the Goerz APO Artar,
would that make the
203 near APO? I''m not a glass guy so forgive me if this is
a stupid question.
Joe A

[David Vickery]

Yes, I believe that it is near APO. Kodak claimed that it is sharp from infinity to extreme closeups, holds it corrections at maximum aperture throughout the field of view (5x7) and was an excellent color lens. Kodak's claims and my experience with the lens indicate that it is very similar in performance to the Artars. I would guess that the Artars may be more perfectly APO. But that difference may only be noticeable in a well controlled test and unimportant in normal photography.

[E. von Hoegh]

If the Ektar 203 7.7 is of the Dialite design like the Goerz APO Artar,
would that make the
203 near APO? I''m not a glass guy so forgive me if this is
a stupid question.
Joe A

The Dialyte design is not inherently apochromatic; it was used as the basis for apo lenses though. Just as there are Tessars and Apo Tessars.
The 203 Ektar is a lovely little lens and as Mr. Vickery stated, it was and still is a lovely sharp little lens that behaves much like an Artar.

I'd be very interested in a comparison between the Ektar and a 210 Apo-Lanthar. I bet the only advantage the Lanthar has is the large (F:4.5) maximum aperture.

EKC really did make some superb hardware at one time.

[CCHarrison]

The APO Lanthar is a Heliar design with low dispersion glass.

Dan

My Heliar Lens Article
http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/heliar.htm

[Dan Fromm]

Joseph, FWIW, EKCo mounted 203/7.7 Kodak Anastigmats, possibly also Ektars (same lens but with a snootier name and coated too), as process lenses. These things can be recognized by the externally threaded front cell, which is made to attach to a prism.

[Bernard Kaye]

For David Vickery, Sudek's picture of a tram going through an underpass, "Morning Trolley," Prague, 1924, is indeed, a gem. How did he get the Sun and the Woman to do exactly what hiscomposition require? Bernie Kaye

[Paul Fitzgerald]

"Joseph, FWIW, EKCo mounted 203/7.7 Kodak Anastigmats, possibly also Ektars (same lens but with a snootier name and coated too), as process lenses. These things can be recognized by the externally threaded front cell, which is made to attach to a prism."

I think the latest version of this was called 'Copying Ektanon 203/7.7', lovely little lens. Of course I sold it and then bought a SpeedGraphic, pure genius. Oh well.

[JOSEPH ANDERSON]

Thanks all for your input.
Joe A

[aduncanson]

My 203mm Ektar gives me satisfactory performance for my purposes. It is definitely capable of delivering sharp prints to 16x20, and I am sure some would say larger. But, its character is different from that of my 10.75 inch RD Artar, which as Dagor77 might say "is sharp enough to cut you." The Artar seems to incise the ground glass and you see the difference at a glance.

On the other hand, I would not recommend an 8.25 inch Artar for use on 5x7, as the 8 inch Ektar was marketed.