I have a 6 inch f6.8 Goerz Aerotar in a supermatic shutter. I have been unable to find any information about this lens except its mention in Wooden's"Large Format Optical Reference Manual". It is listed as a widefield lens covering 5x7. I have no idea what it was used for and how it differs from the Dagor. Any help would be appreciated.
Preston
The only reference in the Lens Collector's Vade Mecum states that it is a "symmetrical anastigmat, possibly an air-spaced Dagor". I assume by "air-spaced Dagor" they mean plasmat.
Steve
Kingslake lists it as a symmetrical cemented triplet type. This would describe a Dagor, but also a variety of other lenses differing in the sequence of elements (+-+, -+-, ++-), refractive indices, etc. Kingslake gives the Angulon and the Collinear as examples.
I have recently bought a 50cm (!) f:6 Schneider Göttingen Aerotar and had about the same questions. I asked Schneider too, and today I got this answer:
Dear Sir,
thank you for your mail.
We here at Jos. Schneider Optische Werke, we have no technical information
on this special design, which has been manufactued by ISCO.
The serie no. from ISCO is not identic with the Serie no. of Schneider
Optische Werke.
With best regards
...
Among the questions I asked was whether the Schneider Aeroar was the same as the Goerz Aerotar. I haven't seen the lens yet...
I have received the 50cm Aerotar - and it is BIG.
It is also, to my considerable surprise, a telephoto lens! A simple way to see this is to focus the image of a window onto a wall by just holding the lens in one hand and moving it about. Then turn the lens over. A telephoto lens will have a big difference between the lens-to-wall distances, a perfectly symmetrical one none at all. And this one is very far from symmetrical.
Coverage is large, but maybe not 50cm. I'll have to wait a bit longer before I can check that. But I'm absolutely certain it covers at least 8x10".
According to ISCO (I mailed them too), it was made in 1944. But that is all they know about it so it's still a bit of a mystery :-)
Group,
I have a 8 1/2 inc F 6.8 Aerotar Serial # 757812. The front and back elements seem to have two internal reflections suggesting a Dagor type design. Mine is uncoated and not in a shutter. I read somewhere (internet) that the Aerotar's where highly corrected for distortion and designed for mapping. The story went on to say they they were special order items and that they were mostly made for the government under contract. No idea if any of this is true. The stardard Goerz 1959 catalog does not list them for sale. 1959 was just before Goerz imploded.
I would guess they work pretty much like Dagors...
Kirk
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