Zeiss, Kodak, and Bausch & Lomb...

[IanG]

Thanks Dan, I think it takes time and a few people chippingt in to put dates on the evolution / choice of lenses Kodak used not helped by Eastman Kodak and Kodak Ltd often differing. It really needs the Vague Mecum being put online as a Wiki Database

Interesting that Kodak are using what they thought were the best lenses possible on the top models their range of cameras. So just looking at the 3a's they go from a Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat, presumably a Tessar in a Compound shutter in1912, to the 170mm f6.3 Kodak Anastigmats in Optimo (or Velosto0, and some of these are Tessar type and others Dialyte.

The 1921 BJPA adverts state that the Kodak 3a lens is the highest class Anstigmat, and that prices for Cooke, Ross or Bausch and Lomb Anastigmats can be found in their catalogue.

WW1 has to muddy the water as Compound shutters would have disapeared which is why Wollensak and later Ilex shutters become more common, Eastman Kodak only really using German shutters on cameras orv with lenses made in Germany even after WWII.


A question that needs asking, in light of the Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat in a Compound shutter on the Kodak Specials (Ia, 3a etc in the 1912 link you gave), is were these B&L Zeiss lenses or CZJ as they are in a German shutter, particularly as not long after Kodak were using Wollensak shutters and later Ilex.

Ian

[Dan Fromm]

Ian, B&L made Compound shutters under license.

EKCo differentiated clearly between B&L ZKAs -- dropped the name in 1915, with WW-I -- and CZJ Tessars.

[Embdude]

Some info explaining Kodak contracted directly with Zeiss...
https://opticaorgdev.blob.core.windows.net/$web/optica/media/osa.history/century_of_optics/pre-1940/31.pdf

"Eastman Kodak
entered into its own agreement with Zeiss, and the 3A was produced with the Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat
(1909–1912). Eastman Kodak Company began producing lenses of its own design in 1913"