Anyone know this lens?

[lambis]

Anyone know this lens .. any info welcome.
There was a label along the front rim noted Schneider Xenar 250/4,5 but the lens aperture ring has 300 engraved on it.
Aperture, 18 blades, f4.5 to f32. Filter mount 82x0.75

[Peter K]

It looks like the barrel for a Comparon f/5.6 300mm, an enlarging lens. This barrel has the same threads as a Compound shutter size # IV 10/2. And a mounting thread 76,7 mm x 29 1/13.

The Xenar f/4.5 240mm has the same threads, and also a filter thread 82x0.75mm But Schneider lenses are normaly engraved not labeled. This label looks like DIY.

Peter

[lambis]

One more photo

[aduncanson]

I have a similar Schneider barrel taken from a 360mm Tele-Xenar and labeled 360 like yours is labeled 300. I have mounted a 210/4.5 Xenar in mine and so like yours, it is a bit of a hybrid.

[lambis]

I am really curius if i can find more info about this lens. I need to give this lens a test when i finaly get it to a lensboard. Idea was to use it for full faces portraits on my 4x5

Its look like its a Xenar 4.5 300mm, or att least the data of the Xenar 300mm looks to fit this lens. There is not existing a serial number. The lens is clean and factory like. no marks off home building / paintings etc. So what is that , a entlarger? a rare one , a limited stock from factory, a hydrid (that i dont get really what a "hydrid" is)?

[Martin Miksch]

The outer diameter of a Schneider Xenar 4,5 300 is 8,5cm at the front end.
Regards
Martin

[aduncanson]

By "hybrid" I meant that the front cell appeared to be from a 240mm/4.5 Xenar while the barrel is from some 300mm/4.5 Schneider lens (probably a Xenar) and we had no information about the rear cell.

Your photos do not show the 240mm label, but I saw nothing homemade looking about the "Schneider-Kreuznach" label and so assumed the 240mm to be accurate. As you alluded, the filter thread was correct for a 300/4.5 Xenar, and does not match the data Schneider publishes for the 240 Xenar, but Peter seems to know that the 240mm Xenar also came with a 82x0.75 filter thread which would not surprise me. So maybe the lens might be either a 240mm or a 300mm Xenar.

The barrel is certainly not from a 300/5.6 Comparon enlarging lens since the maximum aperture is marked 4.5 not 5.6. I think that Peter may have only meant that the barrel looks similar.

Since the cells seem to fit the barrel, hopefully they match and the spacing is correct and you can use the lens as it is. If it is a 240mm lens in barrel for a 300 you should expect the apertures to be about half a stop fast because they would have been engraved for the longer lens.

If the lens is not sharp as assembled then the rear cell may be from a different lens or the cell spacing established by the barrel could be wrong.

If you make a negative, or just an image on the ground glass, of a ruler from a distance of say 3 meters or 10 feet measured from the aperture scale, the focus distance and the magnification of the ruler will give you the focal length quickly and accurately enough.

[lambis]

Martin my outer diameter is 8,5cm at the front end. The Lens is easy to focus and sharp as i have test it preliminär.

[Peter K]

The barrel is certainly not from a 300/5.6 Comparon enlarging lens since the maximum aperture is marked 4.5 not 5.6. I think that Peter may have only meant that the barrel looks similar.

It is the same barrel. This barrels, marked with the small "300", have a maximum diaphragm opening of 50mm. And the same threads as the Compound shutter size # IV 10/2.

Of course every lens needs a different aperture scale.

Peter

[Paul Ewins]

It is very simple, the little paper label is wrong. It is an ordinary Xenar 300/4.5, probably from the 1950s or 1960s.

The filter size you mentioned matches a 300 Xenar, a 240 takes a 67mm filter . I have a 240 Xenar in a similar looking mount to yours. The barrel is marked with a 240, but otherwise looks the same.

Although a 240 Xenar would fit in the barrel meant for a 300 Componon that is not the case here as the filter size is a dead give away.