Pre-war lenses choice above 50mm (uncoated/non-coated)

[genotypewriter]

Hi everyone

Thanks for the advice on wide angle lenses with no coatings..

Now I'm looking for longer lenses between 60-100 around f/2 or faster with no coatings (so I assume there wasn't anything that is not pre-war?).

As before, I'm looking for high sharpness and contrast (even though old and non-coated are in conflict with those requirements). I'm also open to options on other mounts.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Euh. Pre-war 85mm f/2 Sonnar in Contax mount with Amadeo adapter. Not sure it was ever officially brought with an LTM mount though.

 

[Filzkoeter]

Pre-war CZJ Biotar 7,5cm f1.5 in Exakta mount. I don't know if there ever was a RF version

 

[genotypewriter]

Thanks Mr. Flibble and Filzkoeter.

I think the 75 1.5 biotar's not going to happen considering its going price. If this is a pre-planar "planar", what's so special about it?

Also I will look in to the sonnar. And on that note, I've heard that Sonnars were better during the non-coated era of lenses than Planars. So wouldn't it be a better option?

I'm still open to suggestions. After I get a few more suggestions I'll compare them for the final decision.

Thanks...

 

[Dez]

I don't think there is such an animal. I suspect Mr. Flibble's (expensive) solution is the only way.

The only 75mm Biotar I have ever seen is postwar. There may have been an LTM mount version, but I've not heard of it. And of course the price is ludicrous. There probably is such a thing as an Exakta to LTM adapter.

Planars have been around now for about 100 years, the early ones uncoated and basically unusable if there was any light source close to the line of fire. The design sort of got put on the shelf until Zeiss started making coated versions for Hasselblad around 1950.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Luddite Frank]

The official Leitz offerings in this realm are few and pricey:

There was the Hektor 73mm, which I believe was f:1,9)

The Summarex 85mm ( f:1,5, which I believe is post-war & coated ),

The Elmar 90mm ( which is reasonably sharp, but kind of slow at f:4 )

And the "Mountain Elmar" 105 mm ( which is even slower: f:6,3, and pricier...)

 

[Dez]

I had forgotten the fast Hektor, although its rarity is in the honest politician class. Its price, too.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[CameraQuest]

Hi everyone

Thanks for the advice on wide angle lenses with no coatings..

Now I'm looking for longer lenses between 60-100 around f/2 or faster with no coatings (so I assume there wasn't anything that is not pre-war?).

As before, I'm looking for high sharpness and contrast (even though old and non-coated are in conflict with those requirements). I'm also open to options on other mounts.

Thanks in advance!

The least expensive equivalent option for you,
would probably be the postwar chrome 85/2 Nikkor in LTM.
Then have a tech remove the lens coating for you.

Stephen

 

[Dralowid]

The 73 1.9 Hektor is soft, certainly at wide apertures...sharpens up a bit as stopped down

 

[Luddite Frank]

I think the sharpest glass you will find in the pre-WW II / uncoated era will be from Zeiss.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The 73 1.9 Hektor is soft, certainly at wide apertures...sharpens up a bit as stopped down

This is @ f/6.3 if I remember well.

Leica II, Hektor 73mm f/1.9, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Looks pretty sharp to me, Erik. 🙂

Was the Hektor 73 pretty-much replaced by the Summarex 85 ?

Luddite Frank

 

[Erik van Straten]

Looks pretty sharp to me, Erik. 🙂

Was the Hektor 73 pretty-much replaced by the Summarex 85 ?

Luddite Frank

Yes it was, in 1943.

Erik.

 

[genotypewriter]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions... here's what I'm thinking so far:

Hektor 73/1.9: Difficult to find a good sample and any at a reasonable price. Not sure how this compares to a 85 f/2 Sonnar.

Summarex 85/1.5: Seems like a nice lens but I've seen quite a bit of longitudinal CA. Sort of expected from a lens this fast, even with current/modern lenses.

Sonnar 85/2: Right now this seems to be the number 1 contender.

Also looked in to Primoplan 75/1.9 pre-war... apart from being pretty pricey, the lens is very soft wide open, according to several different sources.

The least expensive equivalent option for you,
would probably be the postwar chrome 85/2 Nikkor in LTM.
Then have a tech remove the lens coating for you.

Stephen

Interesting suggestion, Stephen. If I'm getting such a thing done, I'll have to have it done overseas because techs in Australia have no interest in doing anything interesting like that. I've even asked them to take the elements apart from me to do my own polishing (I've bought cerium powder and polishing tips) but even then they are so unhelpful. If you can recommend a good place (anywhere) to get such a thing done, that would be very helpful!



Come to think of it, there haven't been very well corrected lenses in the 60-100 range at f/2 even to this date. I might just have to give up a stop or two of speed to get a good lens.