Isolette Mystery Lens

[Kevin Brown]

Anyone ever seen a lens like this on an Isolette? I've yet to find an image online of an Isolette with an unmarked lens rim like this. Bought a few years ago on ebay, my contemporary notes ID'd it as an Agnar, but that info must have been an assumption of the seller because it doesn't say Agnar on it (it doesn't say anything on it!). Just shot a roll with it and it seems crisper than any of my Novars (75/3.5 on Ikoflex, 75/3.5 on Ikonta B, 75/4.5 on Ikonta B, 70/3.5 on Ikonta A), though the rather unusual 70mm f/3.5 on the Ikonta A is pretty impressive.

Just wondering if this might actually be a Solinar; can it be identified internally? - would it be the center group that has two elements or the rear group?

 

[charjohncarter]

I had a crazy Japanese lens on a folder. I loved it and still love it for it's flaws. When the shutter on the First Six folder gave out I bought a shutter from Certo Six. And replaced it on the First Six camera. The lens fit perfectly into the Pronto Shutter. Maybe someone just shoved an imitation lens into your Isolette shutter like I did.

I think the Agnar is f4.5.

 

[hanskerensky]

Indeed probably a lens swap. The focus ring is genuine though.

 

[Kevin Brown]

It seems though, that the ring with the footage markings is not a separate piece from black inner part.

If it is a swap-out, it was done by someone who knew what they were doing - it throws a hell of an image.

 

[Crazy Fedya]

If it is a Tessar-based formula, rear group should have two elements cemented together, since it uses front element focusing. Try to shine the light at the lens with shutter open. You should see some flashlight reflections. Brighter ones are for glass-air surface, fainter - for glass-glass surface. If it is 4 element Tessar based lens, there would be six bright and two faint reflections. If Triplet, just six bright reflections

 

[Jack Conrad]

Excellent image. Very cinematic.
As I recall, you're supposed to be able to tell a Tessar type (Solinar) from a Triplet (Agnar) by counting light reflections in the glass. You'll need to open the shutter to B to get the count.

 

[hanskerensky]

It seems though, that the ring with the footage markings is not a separate piece from black inner part.

If it is a swap-out, it was done by someone who knew what they were doing - it throws a hell of an image.

In fact these are separate parts. Here an image of a Solinar lens without the Focus Ring.

Agfa Jsolette Lenses Fused Together (01) by Hans Kerensky, on Flickr

 

[Kevin Brown]

Great info folks - just what I was looking for.

Took out the rear element, and two strong reflections, no weak ones - guess I got myself an Agnar (or Apotar). If it's some sort what swap-out, what other lens but an Agfa would fit exactly in that focus ring?

 

[charjohncarter]

I would think there are many Japanese folder lenses from the fifties that would fit. Not to mention all the folders from Germany that used the same shutter: Certo, Balda, Perkeo, Voigtländer, Record.

 

[Steve M.]

My uncoated (and coated) Apotars generally outperformed my Solonars, so you have a good lens there.

 

[Kevin Brown]

In case anyone's curious - mystery solved.

A few years ago ago I'd bought an Ansco Speedex and an Agfa Isolette around the same time. The Isolette was fitted with the Compur Rapid shutter and Apotar lens; the Speedex with the nearly useless 3-speed Vario shutter and Agnar lens. Unfortunately, the Isolette's Apotar had the frozen grease that I was never able to dissolve no matter what solvent I tried. I ended up moving the Speedex's Agnar into the Isolette's Compur shutter, and since the Agnar's outer ring doesn't work with that shutter, I'd replaced it with the Apotar's ring. All the lenses with the later-style stepped ring had all the info (lens name, serial number, etc.) printed on the outer, silver part - therefore no white printing on the inner black ring. So the short version is - it's an Agnar that originally had the later-style outer ring, that's been re-fitted with an earlier-style outer ring. Whew!

This makes it even more surprising that I'm getting the results I am, since this is the bottom-of-the-barrel lens!

 

[petronius]

In 1992 I used an Isolette V with the Agnar 4,5/Vario shutter as my only camera during my vacation. Some examples and this and this

 

[charjohncarter]

Petronius, I have never had an Agnar, but my Apotars which are the same style lens (Cooke??) are difficult to tell from friend's Solinar. Your images look great.

 

[petronius]

Thank you! These three element lenses give mostly nice pictures!

 

[Kevin Brown]

Some real triplet gold there - thanks for sharing those.

Regarding triplets in general, the Novars I have (75/3.5 in Ikoflex, 75/4.5 in Ikonta B and 70/3.5 in Ikonta A), all have a quality none of my other triplets do; I can only describe it as 'creamy' - especially with color film. They are in fine physical condition and perfectly clean, so it's not that; they just have a tonalrendering the others don't.