2 Voigtlander Lenses

[JeremyLangford]

I just went to a yard sale a bought 2 Voigtlander lenses for $5 each. I don't know anything about them.

1) Skoparex 35mm f/3.4
2) Super-Dynarex 135mm f/4

Are these worth anything? Do you know what cameras they would fit?

Thanks

 

[former member]

They probably fit a 1960's Voigtlander SLR. They are very good lenses, can be modified for a Kodak Retina SLR of the 60s.

 

[JeremyLangford]

Dang, I assumed that they were RF lenses because of there small size.

 

[kbg32]

I believe they are M42 screw mount lenses and will fit Voigtlander as well as other other screw mount SLR cameras, Pentax. If you have a Canon dSLR, you can use them with the proper adapter as well. They are pretty decent performers.

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/zeiss/icarex/thread.htm

BTW - why would you buy lenses that you know nothing about?

 

[JeremyLangford]

BTW - why would you buy lenses that you know nothing about?

It really excited me to see two leather cases with Voigtlander on them in the middle of a crowd of boring yard-sale items because I've seen the Voigtlander RF products all over this forum as well as Cameraquest.

 

[former member]

I certainly would have bought them at that price.

Look at the back of the lenses.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-99.html

Then look at Rick Oleson's ID guide.

 

[Thardy]

I ran across some of those M42 types lenses on ebay once and got excited also because they were so cheap. I soon found out that they didn't work on any of the cameras I already owned.

They are probably not cheap anymore, knowing ebay.

 

[venchka]

The new/current Voigtlander rangefinder lenses that folks (me included) here own and use are made in Japan by Cosina. Sometime back, Cosina bought the Voigtlander name from the German company after they went out of business.

German made Voigtlander lenses have a good reputation. When you grow up and decide to take up large format photography, you can look for Voigtlander Heliar lenses. None finer for portraits. I own a Collinear II from 1908. Quite possibly my best lens. It would be more useful if it were mounted in a shutter.

Hopefully you will find a camera for your new lenses. Or double your money selling them on ebay.

 

[JeremyLangford]

My lenses are for the Voigtlander Bessamatic SLR.

If i wanted to, this page shows how to switch the mount to a Kodak Retina Reflex (Models S, III and IV).

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-150.html

 

[venchka]

Hoooooooooooray! Lenses that can be used on either one of two hard to find cameras. I'm curious, what happened to the camera at the garage sale? Did the seller have the camera to go with the lenses?

Keep looking for Voigtlander folding MF cameras with Heliar or Lanthar lenses. Of course be on the lookout for old view camera lenses.

 

[f16sunshine]

Those lenses use a DKL mount. You can buy an adapter to use them with a DSLR. Search to voigtlander listings floating on the Bay. If course you can use them with film too. 🙂

 

[FPjohn]

The Retinas are capable cameras - a caveat: they tend to have problems with the shutter wind mirror return linkage.

Your lenses might fit on the Retina IIIS.

yours
FPJ

 

[Spider67]

"Your lenses might fit on the Retina IIIS."
....you'll have to use scale focus as there will be no RF cam

 

[former member]

The problem with the Retina and Voigtlander SLR's was the shutter mechanism: very complex. The lenses tended to outlive the cameras. Second problem: the prisms tended to desilver on the Retina SLR's. But if you find a good working one, they are well worth it. My Retina-S was $50, and I put a new prism in it from a Minolta XG-1.

 

[FPjohn]

"Your lenses might fit on the Retina IIIS."
....you'll have to use scale focus as there will be no RF cam

Lenses were fully funcional and interchangable between the Retina S and IIIS ASFAIK.

yours
FPJ

 

[FPjohn]

And I was incorrect

And I was incorrect

Lenses were fully funcional and interchangable between the Retina S and IIIS ASFAIK.

yours
FPJ

Compatibility is oneway
http://www.cameraquest.com/ret3s.htm

yours
FPJ

 

[Spider67]

Well yes but.....

Well yes but.....

Lenses were fully functional and interchangable between the Retina S and IIIS ASFAIK.

yours
FPJ

as the IIIS production was stopped and the SLR production continued there was a lot of lenses which were made without rangefinder coupling (there is a red curved slot on the bayonet). I had to learn it the hard way when I bought a Retina 50mm/1.9 Xenon which was for the SLR. But those can still be used with scale focussing. So a Voigtländer with a similar bayonet surely will not have any RF-coupling whatsoever.
best regards
Des