You probably want to edit ..."Linhof labeled copal shutter"... to, from the context, ..."Linhof labeled Prontor shutter"...Originally Posted by Embdude
Very interesting thread by the way. I wonder when Linhof stopped putting their front plate on their selected lenses. And there were other practices that came and went like engraving "TECHNIKA" in red on the front bezel.
David
good catch I will go fix it, thanks
After looking again I should revise things slightly; the earliest examples of Technika labelled lenses I could find in the Schneider production lists date to 15 April 1955. That was a set of 5 prototype Technika-Componons: 1 x 180/5.6, 1 x 210/5.6, 1 x 105/4 and 2 x 80/4. The next set of prototypes was from 4 July 1956; a set of 3 105/2.8 Technika-Xenotars and then another batch of 10 105/2.8 Technika Xenotars on 13 August 1956. The first production batches arrived in November 1956 with a batch of 65/5.6 Technika-Angulons, followed in short order by 105/2.8 Technika-Xenotars, 47/8 Technika-Super-Angulons, 180/5.5 and 240/5.5 Technika-Tele-Artons and a batch of 105/5.6 Technika-Symmars.
Oh wow Paul that is fantastic info! Thanks.
From what I have seen the TECHNIKA labels show up about 1957 so it is nice to see that in 1955 it began for the prototypes. The TECHNIKA label on the lens seems to end about 1974 a couple of years after the Master Technika was introduced in 1972. This also coincides with most lens manufactures eliminating the chrome external ring, internal beauty ring, and placing the engraving around the front rim of the lens. I have seen a few 1970's Rodenstock lenses with the external TECHNIKA but not a Schneider (except for some of the chrome ring Tele models which never had internal beauty rings).
The Linhof script logo was done in house in the Linhof Munich factory after the lens cells passed Linhof's quality control. This practice begins in 1950 or 51 and continues until about 2000. (I have not seen a lens with the engraved script with a SN later than 1999). The TECHNIKA labeled lenses often don't have the engraved script but some do, I have not determined a pattern to this yet but it is obviously redundant.
By 1950 except for the Prontor shutters on the 90mm Angulon's all Linhof lenses were in Compur shutters. This continued until 1980 when Compur and Copal appear in the Linhof catalog. In 1983 Prontor is back with the Electronic and Professional shutters. I don't know the timeline but I think the 3 shutter companies consolidated and in the end there was only compur which is now gone...
This is the first time I see marketing material with the TECHNIKA label lenses. The TECHNIKA beauty ring labels must have come directly from Schneider, while the Linhof Script on the side of the front cell was done after delivery to Linhof.
Schneider Technika Lenses From: 1957 Linhof 70 Years of Service to Photography Booklet
(Note: the two lenses in this ad show the smallest shutter and a larger compound shutter, both which did not receive LINHOF emblazoned Compur Shutters, everything in between did.)
1957 Linhof 70 Years of Service to Photography Booklet:
"Each single lens that arrives in the plant has to go
through the optical test room. Only lenses which have
been thoroughly tested and found immaculate are
engraved with the name of LINHOF on their front
element mount. Thus each photographer purchases-
ing LINHOF equipment has the guarantee to obtain
factory-approved lenses of superior quality."
FWIW, the batch sizes in this period were usually 5% over a round number i.e. 105 instead of 100 or 210 instead of 200, so at a guess this was the expected maximum reject rate.
Bob Salomon posted back in 1999 about the "Linhof Select" process back in 1999 in this thread -
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...and-Rodenstock
Obviously far more advanced testing than what was capable with film based tests ala the 1957 photo above...
Bob mentions Schneider, Rodenstock, and Nikon in the thread but I don't think any Nikon lenses were "Linhof Select" with the linhof logo engraved. I could be wrong on this tho...
EDIT- on another thread Bob Salomon stated "Linhof also tested the other lenses that they sold like T-Nikkor Tele lenses (the only Nikon made lenses that they sold) as well as the Lenses from Zeiss and others when they were being manufactured." So I will have to look into this and see if I can find a Linhof engraved Nikon Tele...
That is a small rejection rate, through antidotal evidence it has been suggested that much of the rejections in later years were for cosmetics that could be corrected and returned to Linhof for evaluation.
Found some more interesting Prontor - Linhof links...
This time in the 1951 product announcement for the all new Technika III 6x9 camera. The 180mm lens pictured alongside the camera is in a Prontor 0 shutter. This is the only occurrence I have found with a Prontor shutter and the 6x9 Technika III. By the time the camera hit dealer shelves in 1952 all references were to the Compur 0 shutters.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks