Jason Schneider - The Camera Collector

Evolution of the Lens Mount: The Golden Age is Now! Lens mounts used to be exclusive, but mirrorless changed everything By Jason Schneider During the glorious era of film camera supremacy, a reign of more than a century that came to a whimpering halt with the dawn of the digital dominance in the early 2000s, lenses (with few exceptions) were not interchangeable among different brands of cameras. Photographers chose a system (or maybe 2 or 3) and stuck with them because doing otherwise would be inconvenient and financially untenable. Options for rangefinder Leica, Contax, Nikon, and Canon lenses were especially limited because they couldn’t be adapted to 35mm SLRs except for shooting ultra closeups, and 35mm SLR lenses were virtually...

Was the Leica screw mount really created by Leitz, Wetzlar? That’s what everyone says, but one Italian expert begs to differ! By Jason Schneider Like most Leicaphiles I’d always assumed, based on the words of experts and historians, that Leitz had originated the 39mm Leica screw mount, aka M39 or LTM, back in 1930, first installed it on the early Leica I (Model C) in non-standardized form, and then standardized it on later Model Cs by adopting a uniform flange focal distance of 28.8mm. The Leica screw mount allowed lens full lens interchangeability among screw-mount Leicas from the standardized Leica I, Model C all the way up to the Leica IIIg of 1957-1960, the last of the screw mount Leicas. But then I ran across Leica the First 60...

The Canon 50mm f/0.95: “Dream Lens,” “Nightmare,” or Both? Canon’s fastest-ever 50 has now been an enigma for over 60 years! By Jason Schneider When Canon first brought forth the 50mm f/0.95 Canon lens in 1961, coinciding with the debut of the brilliant but clunky looking multi-frame, selenium-metered Canon 7 rangefinder 35, it created an instant sensation. Penned by Mukai Jirou, then Canon’s top lens designer, it was the fastest series production lens ever offered for a 35mm camera. Clearly, Canon hoped it would lend luster to its excellent line of interchangeable lens 35mm rangefinder cameras that were then going up against such formidable rivals as Leica and Nikon. The optical gambit largely paid off, and in the early ‘60s Canon...

Leica vs. Contax: Prewar Battle of the Titans Which was the best choice for a hypothetical photojournalist in 1938? Here are the facts. The one you picked depended on your priorities. By Jason Schneider The Leica camera, in particular the Leica II Model D of 1932 (the first interchangeable lens Leica with a built-in coupled rangefinder) is widely hailed as the camera that, almost singlehandedly, helped to define modern photojournalism. The Ermanox of 1924, an ingenious 4.5 x 6 cm-format predecessor with fast f/2 and f/1.8 Ernostar lenses, was a worthy contender in the early years, but compared to the Leica it was huge, heavy, inconvenient, and slow. By the 1930s the Leica was in its ascendency, the choice of such legendary...

Komura Lenses for Bronica C-, S-, and EC-Series Often dissed & dismissed, most of them deliver fine performance By Jason Schneider Komura was the most popular brand name used for the lenses made by SankyōKōki K.K., listed as Sankyo Koki Co., Ltd. in English language trademarks. The Tokyo-based company was already active in the early 1950s, began using the Komura brand name in 1953, and registered it as a U.S. Trademark in 1962. Like many smallish Japanese optical companies, they made fast lenses with unique specs in Leica screw mount in a successful effort to carve out a marketing niche. By the 1970s they developed the Komura Unidaptor System that enabled their 35mm format interchangeable lenses to be used on a variety of European and...

The Zenzanon Lens Saga, Part 3, Wide-Angle and Telephoto Zenzanons Made by top line lens makers, they equaled or exceeded the Nikkors. By Jason Schneider Zenzanon lenses for focal plane shutter S- and EC-series Broncas were designed with one main objective in mind—to deliver a level of optical performance at least equal to the corresponding Nikkor lenses that helped place Bronica squarely (pun intended) in the top tier of 6x6 cm system SLRs, second only to Hasseblad. Indeed, the importance of Nikkor lenses to Bronica’s marketing efforts can hardly be over-stated. Here’s a gushing quote from the Bronica S manual published in 1961: “Nikkor lenses are standard for the Bronica S. Today no finer optics are available. And Nikkor lenses are...

The Zenzanon Lens Saga, Part 2 More Zenzational Zenzanon lenses for focal plane shutter Bronicas By Jason Schneider While many Bronica fans still believe Nikon put Bronica in a bind by suddenly halting production of Nikkor lenses in Bronica mount in1972, it’s clear from the historical record that the whole story is a lot more complicated. By that time, both companies knew their optical partnership had been winding down for at least 3 years and was bound to come to an end at some point—for details, see The Zenzanon Lens Saga, Part 1. Indeed, in anticipation of the breakup, Bronica already had 4 Zenzanon lenses in its official lineup as early as 1969. Many photo writers have noted that normal 75mm and 80mm Bronica lenses were in short...

The Zenzanon Lens Saga, Part I: Bronica’s quest for optical excellence after Nikon lowered the boom By Jason Schneider When Zenzaburō Yoshino unveiled the original Zenza Bronica Z, a brilliant new modular 6 x 6 cm SLR of his own design, at the Philadelphia Camera Show in 1958, it created an instant sensation. But Bronica wasn’t a lens maker and developing such an exquisitely complex camera body had depleted the company’s resources, so Yoshino wisely decided to source the Bronica's interchangeable lenses from Nippon Kōgaku (Nikon), the world-renowned Japanese optics and camera manufacturer. With its superb, precision-ground Nikkor lenses, the Bronica could compete on an equal footing with its archrival Hasselblad who by that time was...

Here are 3 more images taken with the Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 S.C. I shot all of them handheld, wide open at f/1.5, with the Leica M9 and Sigma fp mirrorless as noted.They all show the charming "vintage look" rendition characteristic of this distinctive lens. Jason Schneider Abraham, age 3, in his Halloween costume, Sigma fp with Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 S.C at f/1.5. Birthday Girl Aster, age 6 (right) and friend. Sigma fp with Voigtlander Heliar Classis 50mm f/1.5 at f/1.5. Antique store window display, Warren St., Hudson, NY. Leica M9 with Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 at f/1.5.

Back to the Future with the Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 S.C Origin of the Heliar Classic and why captures that vintage look! Part 2 Though it’s called a Heliar, the Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 S.C does not employ the classic 5-element 3-group Heliar formula used in, say, the still current 50mm f/3.5 Voigtlander Heliar from Cosina, a compact lens renowned for its exceptional sharpness. Instead, it’s based on an unusual, 6-element 3-group optical formula. What is the origin of this somewhat idiosyncratic design? While I can’t get into the heads of Hirofumi Kobayashi and his crack optical design team at Cosina, the optical design of the 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic bears a striking resemblance to the 50mm f/2.5 Leitz...

Back to the Future with the Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 S.C First Soft Focus 50mm in M-mount normal lens captures that vintage look! Part 1 By Jason Schneider The Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5 S.C is the world’s first and only soft focus 50mm lens in VM mount, Voigtlander’s official designation for its manual focusing M-mount lenses that are designed and manufactured by Cosina in Japan. It’s a beauty, in terms of its elegant physical form factor, impressive build quality, and its unique ability to capture subjects with that much sought after “luminous, rounded, velvety” rendition reminiscent of the classic vintage lenses of the early-to-mid 20th century. The Heliar Classic achieves that “distinctive glow” and...

Here are additional images of back-loading Canon rangefinder cameras covered in the text section of this article: ​ Canon VT De Luxe was produced in 3 distant versions. All had trigger wind film advance; the last one had metal shutter curtains. ​ Canon P: An economical best seller that appealed to shooters of all stripes, it has a bright 1:1 viewfinder the shows 35mm, 50mm and 100mm frame lines simultaneously. . ​ Canon 7; The first screw-mount Canon with a built-in coupled selenium meter, it pioneered the great 5-frame viewfinder used in the Canon 7s. ​ Canon 7sZ: Last of the breed, it's a Canon 7s with an upgraded viewfinder (see text for details). It can be identified by its small round rangefinder adjustment port above the last...

In Search of the Best Vintage Canon Rangefinder 35, Part 2 Back-loading Canons of 1956-1968: Going up against the Leica M’s By Jason Schneider When Leica unleashed the landmark Leica M3 in 1954, its leading Japanese competitors were caught flatfooted by the numerous technical challenges it posed. Indeed, the new Leica incorporated a host of refinements, such as auto-indexing, parallax-compensating projected viewfinder frame lines for different focal length lenses, that neither Nikon nor Canon ever fully duplicated, though both came close in their very last models. Even as the last of the bottom-loading Barnack-Leica-inspired Canons rolled off the production line in 1956, Canon had already developed the Canon V prototype that reached...

The Mint Condition Myth. 3 More Examlpes of Misleading Camera Descriptions Questionable camera descriptions are rampant, and aren't confined to Mint Condition claims. Here are 3 more howlers I found on eBay. By Jason Schneider Canon IVSb body of mid 1950s is listed as "Very Good," but not own my book. Metal shutter curtain of "Very Good" Canon VI-T. Canon's metal shutter curtains if this era often have slight dings, but the one is beyond the pale. "Mint" Rolleiflex? Not quire. Area around film type seal dial inset in focusing knob shows visible cosmetic damage.

The Mint Condition Myth: Why you can’t always trust sellers’ descriptions By Jason Schneider “I did my best,” is one of my least favorite expressions, not only because it smacks of self-justification, but because it’s flat out wrong about 99.97% of the time. The time-honored seller’s equivalent, “Mint Condition,” also sets my teeth on edge because the term is frequently misapplied and has become increasingly debased of late. “Mint” as a descriptor originated among numismatists (aka coin collectors) and it refers to the condition of a coin as it left the mint, a metaphor for absolute perfection. So, a camera described as “Mint” should be flawless and pristine, presumably in the exact same condition it was when it left the factory...

In Search of the Best Vintage Canon Rangefinder 35, Part 1 Bottom loading Canons of the ‘50s: Much more than mere Leica copies By Jason Schneider The Leica, introduced in 1925 as the minimalist, scale-focusing Leica I (Model A), has had a profound influence on the development of the 35mm camera and on photography in general. In particular, the Leica II (Model D) of 1932 (the first Leica with a built-in rangefinder and coupled interchangeable screw-mount lenses) and the bayonet mount Leica M3 of 1954 (which added a magnificent range/viewfinder with illuminated, auto indexing, parallax compensating frame lines) inspired a horde of imitators that created everything from unabashed copies to ingenious derivatives. However, among the welter...

Bargain Lenses for the Vintage Look, Part 2 6 more optical classics that deliver beautiful rendition at modest prices 135mm f/3.5 Canon: This is the original chrome finished version go the 1950s. 135mm f/3.5 Canon in Leica screw mount: This vintage classic lens was introduced in 1952 as a Serenar, and its name was changed to Canon starting in 1953. Produced for an amazing 23 years in 8 silver and black cosmetic variations until 1975, all feature the same 4-element, 3-group Tessar-type optical formula that’s credited to Canon lens designer Jirou Mukai. All iterations focus down to 1 meter, have 10-bladed diaphragms with full stop detents to f/22, extend about 4 inches from the camera body, and weigh in at 15.9 ounces. Attractive and...

Bargain Lenses for the Vintage Look, Part 1 These optical classics deliver beautiful rendition at modest prices By Jason Schneider The premise of this article is stunningly simple: You don’t have bend your wallet or tap out your credit cards to acquire exotic lenses that capture that breathless vintage look and may also provide bodacious bokeh. Indeed, there’s a plethora of ancient and modern lenses out there that will do one or both these things at very modest cost—some available for under 100 bucks! Most of these jewels are older garden variety optics that are often overlooked or considered pedestrian by collectors, while a couple are contemporary classics that fly under the radar. I own and have personally shot with many of the...

For details on 7 more lenses that capture the vintage look, and the introduction, please go to Part 1 of this article. 50mm f/1.5 Serenar was labeled Canon after 1952. It's prized for its vintage rendition. 50mm f/1.5 Canon uses 7-element, 3-group design based in the Zeiss Sonnar. 50mm f/1.5 Canon: This was Canon’s first high speed normal lens in Leica/Canon screw mount was introduced around 1947 as a Serenar, labeled Canon after 1952, and superseded by the improved 50mm f/1.4 Canon in 1957. Like its arch-rival, the 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S.C it’s a 7-element, 3 group lens based on the legendary 50mm f/1.5 Zeiss Sonnar design. It provides good central definition, excellent contrast, and yields an attractive vintage look at its widest...

14 Great Lenses That Capture The “Vintage Look” An exclusive selection of first-class glass aimed at optical connoisseurs By Jason Schneider Some lenses have a distinctive character, a visual signature that sets them apart and defines the unique way they render subjects in 3-dimensional space. The Japanese concept of bokeh points in this direction because it describes the visual appearance of out-of-focus areas of an image and whether they’re rendered smoothly and naturally (good bokeh) or harshly and with unpleasant artifacts (bad bokeh). A lens that’s tack sharp across the field at a given aperture doesn’t necessarily deliver smooth transitions or beautiful bokeh, but all 12outstanding Leica screw and M-mount lenses we’ve...