Lenses with the fewest number of elements?

[HHPhoto]

When did the last pictorial Ortho films vanish? By the mid seventies at least Western Germany was strictly Pan film, with all remaining Ortho films high contrast specialities.

They have never vanished. For example Agfa Ortho 25 has been available until Agfa Germany (Leverkusen) shut down their plant in 2005.
Ilford Ortho has been and is available.
And for more than 10 years Rollei Ortho 25 (an emulsion made by FilmoTec) has been available.
And with Adox CMS 20 II we have an orthopanchromatic film, too.

Cheers, Jan

 

[sevo]

They have never vanished. For example Agfa Ortho 25 has been available until Agfa Germany (Leverkusen) shut down their plant in 2005.
Ilford Ortho has been and is available.
And for more than 10 years Rollei Ortho 25 (an emulsion made by FilmoTec) has been available.
And with Adox CMS 20 II we have an orthopanchromatic film, too.

Agfa Ortho and Rollei Ortho were/are high-contrast technical films. Ilford Ortho is sheet film only - and while it is less hard to pull than the former (it does develop to normal contrast in regular film developers), it is marketed as a copy film. So, no, that does not really settle the question when the last non-speciality low contrast 120 or 135 Ortho films vanished.

 

[Dwig]

Verichrome Pan was not introduced until 1956, and although it was certainly not the first panchromatic film, I think it is a significant marker of the changeover from ortho being "normal" to being something specialized.

The earlier ortho Verichrome had massive latitude, both exposure latitude and processing latitude. This made it an excellent choice for cameras with limited exposure control. It remained Kodak's standard film for simple cameras well past when "better" pan films had replaced most use of ortho films. It had the added advantage of its limited spectral sensitivity, narrower than pan film but much wider than the blue-sensitive only materials that 1860s Dallmeyer had to deal with.

 

[Bill Clark]

Simplistic explanations of complex phenomena will rarely satisfy those who even begin to understand the subject. But frighteningly many people don't even begin to understand the subject.

Gosh, that's the truth.

Same statement can be applied to numerous subjects.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Yes, Verichrome Pan worked well even in my $10 Imperial 126 camera.
It may have been a factor in encouraging my interest in photography.

Chris

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I've been looking in my old books, mostly because they have indexes, and in "Photography" by Eric de la Mare he says that ortho is no longer available in 35mm sizes; that was the 1957 edition. Other books (late 70's) mention Agfa Ortho 25 in 35mm and say ortho is only available in sheet film sizes. They talk about the Agfa film as though it was a specialised one few would be using for ordinary photography...

Regards, David

 

[571514m3]

"VPK Model B"

Would anyone have a photograph to show what the Kodak VPK could do?

 

[Dwig]

"VPK Model B"

Would anyone have a photograph to show what the Kodak VPK could do?

I don't have any very good ones, but I've posted one of my grandfather's WWI images in the gallery. It was not taken with the "model B", but with the original VPK model, one with the achromatic meniscus and with the Autographic back.

 

[RichL]

Hi,

That was one of the puzzles when I was looking for details of the VPK camera. Some said single lens, some single meniscus and some meniscus anastigmatic. That's from memory as I could never justify the price people wanted (mostly for postage like US$ 33 or so for a little booklet smaller than a Christmas card).

The problem with early Kodak stuff, as I see it, is that most of it is in the USA.

Regards, David

Direct from the "Kodaks and Kodak supplies 1912" catalog page 13.

"Vest Pocket Kodak, meniscus achromatic lens and Kodak Ball Bearing Shutter $6.00"

 

[tunalegs]

Here's a shot from my VPK with achromat lens, "wide open"

However, that's only f/11 (I think) - photographers in Japan apparently discovered that if one removed the lens shade which effectively "chokes" the lens down to f/11, and shoot it actually wide open, you can obtain a very nice soft-focus effect, as was popular for portraiture at the time. Here's the same lens shot without the lens shade and the aperture fully open (on a DSLR):

 

[HHPhoto]

Agfa Ortho and Rollei Ortho were/are high-contrast technical films. Ilford Ortho is sheet film only - and while it is less hard to pull than the former (it does develop to normal contrast in regular film developers), it is marketed as a copy film. So, no, that does not really settle the question when the last non-speciality low contrast 120 or 135 Ortho films vanished.

Forget the "marketing" 😉. Both Agfa Ortho and Rollei Ortho were / are quite flexible and could / can be easily developed to normal contrast with lots of regular developers.
Most easy way for excellent results with current Rollei Ortho is using Adox Rodinal in 1+75, 1+100 or 1+150 dilution or Spur Acurol N in 1+70 or 1+100 dilution.

Cheers, Jan

 

[David Hughes]

Ilford Ortho Plus (formerly Ilford Commercial Ortho) is still available.

Cheers,

R.

A shame they don't do it in 127 ! Mainly because I like to try things out as they were rather than with (say) colour slide film, etc.

Regards, David

 

[David Hughes]

I don't have any very good ones, but I've posted one of my grandfather's WWI images in the gallery. It was not taken with the "model B", but with the original VPK model, one with the achromatic meniscus and with the Autographic back.

Hi,

That's a great example of what it can do. Is it OK for me to take a copy for my collection, as I'll never get 127 film at my idea of a reasonable price.

Regards, David

 

[Dwig]

Hi,

That's a great example of what it can do. Is it OK for me to take a copy for my collection, as I'll never get 127 film at my idea of a reasonable price.

Regards, David

Sure, you're welcome to a copy of the posted image.

 

[David Hughes]

Sure, you're welcome to a copy of the posted image.

Many thanks; I'll do one postcard size and one as a "contact" print. I've one of those magnifying photo holders, a "Scoper" made by Coronet* from the 30's and will put it with them and the VPK's.

Thanks again, David

* It "Enlarges and gives life-like plastic effect to your prints" and I now realise is for 127 contact prints.

 

[Alberti]

At the time the only cameras in Kodak's range with single element lenses were the Brownie box cameras (and even then the larger ones had achromat doublets.)

There's a person on flickr with an album of nice shots taken with a Brownie Model D, one can judge the results for themselves: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericswanger/albums/72157630920246298

I had a look at this album. I understand now why the name Brownie was so well chosen. 🙄

 

[citizen99]

I had a look at this album. I understand now why the name Brownie was so well chosen. 🙄

😉 Yes, cross-processed Velvia.

Back in the day when you could get 127 as just another size in the 'mainstream' emulsions, developed in the normal 'High Street' outlets, I ran a colour slide film through my father's VPK. It gave perfectly nice results.

I now wish that I had kept the camera - I could have checked the lens type 😱.

I've acquired/inherited one-and-a-half models of the Canadian No.2 Folding Autographic Brownie. One has a single element behind the shutter, the other has elements both sides of the shutter. Interestingly, and frustratingly, the similar-looking 'spare' front assembly is not a drop-in fit in the housing of the complete camera. Perhaps manufacturing tolerances were not controlled between production batches (?). When I have the time I intend to integrate the best bits of structure/bellows and do comparison shots with each lens type in turn.

 

[Alberti]

😉
When I have the time I intend to integrate the best bits of structure/bellows and do comparison shots with each lens type in turn.

I have seen a guy in Japan who takes these old lenses, even with a compur shutter, and places them well-aligned in an M-bayonet. Can't find it now, have deleted the ad from my watch list some time ago.
But see for example this Ektar on M-bayonet offer

 

[tunalegs]

That reminds me of a page I found years ago, where somebody had mounted VPK achromat and rapid rectilinear lenses on their DSLR:

http://galactinus.net/vilva/retro/index.html

Some interesting results.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Back to the original question; it's been nagging me for a couple of weeks...

Anyway, a new contender for the single lens title is in the original Kodak Brownie 127 or Brownie Starlet. Single 64mm lens at f/14 and a curved film plane. The lens is plastic "Dakon" whatever that is.

Regards, David