Rave : Schneider Xenogon

[benmacphoto]

The other week I purchased a 35mm f2.8 Xenogon. I put a roll of cheap 125asa Arista film in my IIIa and did some test shots with this lens. Developed in HC110 and scanned on a Nikon Super Coolscan 8000, curves adjustment in scanner... no Photoshop work except re-size. All images shot wide open at f2.8 at 6:30pm

This is the lens.

Just thought Id share this lens with everyone since I do not believe I have seen any work done with it here. I feel that it is a fantastic lens.
The shot of the building looks a little odd in the top left corner, but when zoomed in to 100% in photoshop it is clear and normal. Also the lens has crystal clear glass, all the junk you see is just light reflection and noise from my digital cameras 1600 iso.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I'd love one of those. I have a Robot with 38mm/2.8 Xenon and think it's a terrific lens...

 

[feenej]

That's really a neat lens. I like that last street pic. Is that coated? I found a Schnieder lens in Dekel mount about 6 months ago. I think it fits Kodak Retina.

 

[payasam]

Fine results, though the street picture could have done with more depth of field. Can someone say if many Schneider lenses were made in Leica mount?

 

[luketrash]

Is that lens rangefinder coupled or do you have to manually focus it? I have a retina that I've been too cheap to repair that I want to use just for the lens, but I never knew they offered any LTM versions of their lenses.

 

[benmacphoto]

Feenej - Yes the lens is coated

Payasam - It was so late in the day that I had to shoot wide open otherwise id have more DOF. I know Schneider made a 50mm collapsible xenon but its rare, and they make a 135mm maybe a 85mm? thats rare as well.

Luketrash - Yes the lens is range finder coupled

Im going to go back out today with a roll of 100 tmax and shoot a lot with this lens. More results will be posted

 

[payasam]

What about the Super Angulon? Am I mixing up lens makers?

 

[benmacphoto]

What about the Super Angulon? Am I mixing up lens makers?

Leicas 21mm is a Super Angulon, but Schneider also makes a Super Angulon. Haha so your not mixing up lens makers, they just use the same name for their wide lenses. I have only seen the Schneider Super Angulon for 4x5.

 

[xayraa33]

Is not the Leitz 21mm SA a Schneider design also?

 

[raid]

Tom A. has this to say on the lens: "Schneider Xenogon 35/2,8: all right lens, but no great shakes as far as I am concerned. I had mine for a short time, lent it to a friend who put it on a M2 and left the package on the front seat of his car. Somebody stole it, thus my frame of reference is short (5-6 rolls)."

Marc Small said this about the lens: "The Schneider Xenogon was designed in 1925 by Tronnier; like the Zeiss
Biotar of Merte, it is an assymetrical derivative of the classical
double-Gauss design, Rudolph's Planar of 1896. The Zeiss Biogon was
designed by Bertele in 1934; it was derived from his Sonnar design, a
modified triplet. There is little in common between the Xenogon and the
Biogon, though the latter design was used by Mandler as the basis for the
Elcan and the 35mm Summilux, bringing us back to the heart of this thread.

The assymmetrical double-Gauss concept was the basis of an entire family of
Leitz lenses, the Summar, Summitar, Summicron, the Summarit/first Summilux,
and the first Noctilux. "

From an auction for such a lens: Schneider Xenogon f/28 35mm Lens No. 3077518, Leica
Sold For $425

 

[benmacphoto]

Is not the Leitz 21mm SA a Schneider design also?

The Schneider and Leitz 21mm are both 8element 4group lenses.
I think the Schneider Xenon and Leica Xenon are the same design as well.

 

[raid]

Roland often reminds us that the Canon 50/1.4 is a Xenon design.