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Thread: Lens language

  1. #1

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    Lens language

    Ektar, Vitax, Lanthar, Claron, Heliar, Plasmat, Aerogor, Verito, Dagor, Xenar, Raptar, Artar, Dogmar, Versar, Helios, Tessar, Copal (oops, how'd that get in there?), Protar .........Why? Why?
    Seriously, I understand that many of these names refer to lens designs or lines but do the actual words signify anything or are they just some late nineteenth and early twentieth century marketing scheme to make the lenses sound exotic or scientific? Were the lens designers just having fun? (sort of a esoteric optical designer's "weird name game"?) Is there possibly some formula for lens design naming - many of the suffixes are similar (especially 'ar')? Are those pesky ancient Greek and Latin languages involved?
    Or, my choice, the Klingons really are here but instead of conquest they got caught up in some sort of weird Klingon optical design fetish cult. ........please advise.
    -Chris

  2. #2

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    Re: Lens language

    Quote Originally Posted by civich View Post
    Ektar, Vitax, Lanthar, Claron, Heliar, Plasmat, Aerogor, Verito, Dagor, Xenar, Raptar, Artar, Dogmar, Versar, Helios, Tessar, Copal (oops, how'd that get in there?), Protar .........Why? Why?

    Seriously, I understand that many of these names refer to lens designs or lines but do the actual words signify anything or are they just some late nineteenth and early twentieth century marketing scheme to make the lenses sound exotic or scientific?
    it's all marketing. which company wants to sell the same lens as another? Would that other company allow it? Think along car names.

    For the design names, I think they are generally based off the name of the first lens of that design.

    -Darren

  3. #3
    the Docter is in Arne Croell's Avatar
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    Re: Lens language

    A few have meaning, and yes, the dreaded Latin and Greek are sometimes involved. The best known example is the Tessar, from Greek Tessares for 4, since it contains four lenses. The Heliar is name after the greek word helios for sun. Steinheils "Unofocal" is named that way because the four lens elements have the same focal length (2 of them negative 2 positive). Anything with -gon in its name is derived from the Greek "gonia" for angle and usually mean a wide angle (the same for the latin "angulus"). The Petzval is named after its inventor; the Leitz Hektor was supposedly named after Max Berek's (the designer) dog; some have a part of the company name in them (Rodenstocks Rodagon, Ronar..). Many others are just trying to vaguely invoke some property or superiority (Voigtländers "Ultron").

  4. #4

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    Re: Lens language

    Yes, the pesky languages are involved, though by no means in all. A good many of the earliest names derive from Greek. Take a Greek word for a desirable quality, hang an "ar" ending on it if it has a normal angle or "gon" for a wide angle and you've got a lens name.

    "Dagor" is short for Double (or Doppel if you're a German) Anastigmat Goerz.

    I think "Ektar" is a lens wanting you to know that it was made by Eastman Kodak.

    "Verito" and "Veritar" suggest a "true" image. "Vitax" Might have something to do with life. I am guessing the main criteriion for some of the other names Wollensak hung on their non-anastigmat products was that they start with the letter "V".

  5. #5
    the Docter is in Arne Croell's Avatar
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    Re: Lens language

    Btw, what do you get when you translate Heliar to German? A Sonnar... !
    (helios(greek)=Sonne (german)=sun)

  6. #6
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Lens language

    Check out Rudolf Kingslake's book on lens history. A lot of details about competing
    designs and marketing terminology.

  7. #7

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    Re: Lens language

    A neat thread (and answers -- no smart asses).
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  8. #8
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    Re: Lens language

    Never underestimate the importance of trademarking. Even back in the day, a trademark had to be unique, and uniquely associated with the product. Then as now it could not be a word in common usage.

    Nowadays, the first thing people do when pondering a business or product name is google it to see if the domain is available. Eventually, they'll do a formal trademark search to make sure it's not in use in a similar industry in an area where they want to work.

    Latin and ancient Greek, being languages no longer used in daily speech, are good sources for words that meet these criteria. Acronyms and derivatives from inventors and company names are other good sources of unique words.

    Right from the start, though, product names were devised to either protect the brand rights of its owner, or to render the word so common in regular speech as to provide free advertising. Eastman wanted "Kodak" to fall into the latter category, but it never really did in the way that, say, Kleenex and Coke did. And those manufacturers try to prevent their product names from falling so deeply into common speech that they become a word (see first paragraph about being unable to trademark common words).

    Rick "trademarks appearing in this post are the property of their respective owners" Denney

  9. #9

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    Re: Lens language

    Great info! Now when I follow threads about lenses I won't be quite so mystified by the names. DannL: apparently consternation with lens names didn't start with me; great article about concern for the proliferation of needlessly fancy lens names in 1917.
    -Chris

  10. #10

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    Re: Lens language

    some property or superiority

    Arne will confirm about the correct pronunciation, but once upon a time a Gerrnan manufacturer registered the trade name "Summar".
    Too bad for another manufacturer who wanted to evoke a summit in optics, but fortunately the trade name "Symmar" could be registered as well without any conflict

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