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Thread: Caltar II 90mm

  1. #1

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    Caltar II 90mm

    What do you think of Caltar II*N 90mm F6.8?
    Any limitations on movements? What is the Mage circle? Who makes it?

    Also would you go with 75 or 90 mm for landscape?

  2. #2
    Louie Powell's Avatar
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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    The 90mm f6.8 Caltar II-N was made by Rodenstock and has 221mm image circle. Copal 0 shutter, 67mm filter ring.

  3. #3

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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    Is it the W that was made by Schnider?

  4. #4

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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    I don't have a 90mm lens but I will be buying one in the next year. The Caltar II-N is on the top of my wish list. If I end up with any of the f/8 lenses from the other three manufacturers I would be happy as well. It is hard to go wrong in the 90mm lens market.

    Prices on eBay are generally too high but I did notice a deal today. There is a 90mm f/8 Fujinon SW with a Buy It Now price of $255.

  5. #5

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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    Caltar II simply means it was made in Europe (Rodenstock or Schneider, depending on the competitive contract). The WF or other Caltars were made by Ilex in Rochester. There was only one S Caltar that was US made, the 215mm f4.8 all the others were European made (Rodenstock did the other S Caltars. starting in about 1967).

    Ilex made 100 degree WA's, tessar types, Plasmat types either as Ilex, B&J, and BBOI as well.

    Ilex made Calumet Caltars in WF 90mm f8.0, tessar type in 165, 215, 250, 305, plasmat type in 215 f4.8, and 508 f 7.0 (a carefully designed 3 element covering very sharply over 35 degrees, designed for 8x10 for studio use although they were good at invinity.

    Lynn

  6. #6
    loujon
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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    The Caltar II N 90mm f6.8 is a re branded Rodenstock 90mm f6,8 Grandagon N. The give away is the Max aperture of f6.8,

    The Caltar II S (W ?)90mm f8 or something like that was the Schneider Super Angulon f8 .

    The Caltar II N 90 mm f6.8 is a super lens. I would favor it over the older Caltar II S 90mm f8 for a couple of reasons and they are larger maximum aperture and newer shutters.

    As far as I can tell Rodenstock was the last supplier of large format lenses for Calumet so the shutters most times if not always the later black rim Copal shutters and therefor "should" Have more life left in them.

  7. #7

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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    As you probably know, Louis, I was with the original Calumet for quite a few years starting in Jan 1964. In late 66, Rodenstock flew to Chicago and begged to be the manufacturer for S Caltars because the Ilex design was so good they didn't want the huge competition from the big C which represented about 65% of the world LF lens sales at that time. After the severe injury to the president of Ilex, Calumet started to consider Rodenstock for all their lenses. Sometime after 1968, Rodenstock got the contract for all Caltars. Every two years there would be a competition between Rodenstock and Schneider for the two year contract. During the 3rd competition, Schneider got the contract. This went back and forth over the years and I lost contact with the original Calumet people so I no longer know who is doing what and to whom.

    Lynn

  8. #8

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    Minneapolis
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    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    I own the Caltar II N f/6.8 and it is a superb lens. Multi coated in an up-to date Copal 0 shutter. There is no way you can go wrong with this lens except if the specimen you buy was abused somehow.

  9. #9

    Re: Caltar II 90mm

    I bought one of these used but in practically new condition off Ebay a couple of months ago for $350. I needed something wider then my 125mm. It's a good lens but not as sharp as the 125mm it replaced (Fujinon 125mm f/5.6). Contrast and color rendition are good, on par with the Fujinon.

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