VALOO Lens shade (Elmar 50) - early version ?

Luddite Frank

Luddite Frank

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Greetings !

I am on the prowl for a VALOO lens-shade/aperture control to use with my Elmar 50mm lens.

So far, all the VALOOs I have seen on eBay have the "modern" f-stops on the aperture ring; eg: f 3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16.

Was there an "early" version of VALOO that was marked for the "European" (?) or earlier aperture scale, eg; f 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5 ?

Also, are the "early" f-stops "numerically" equivalent to "modern" f-stops, or is there a conversion factor, such as used when going from the old US (Uniform System) or Waterhouse stops to modern settings... ?

This all occured to me as I was out shooting this past Sunday with my Leica D (black II), and nickel Elmar w/ 11 o'clock Inf lock, and trying to transfer my aperture settings from my Luna-Six meter... 😕 I had forgotten that my ancient Elmar was marked with the earlier aperture scale...

Thanks for your help ! 🙂


Luddite Frank
 
Frank

Old to new F stop progression is not directly comparable and requires a conversion factor. Don't ask me what it is but IRC it is not much and with print film I never worried about it too much. Don't know about old vs new hoods.

Bob

edit to add

http://photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/005y8A
 
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The European f-stops are based on exactly the same measurement as the American ones. They just chose different values to put the "click stops" at, so to say. The intervals are still one stop (half the light).

They are all 1/3 stop smaller than the closest American one. So 1:4.5 is 1/3 stop smaller than 1:4, 1:6.3 is 1/3 stop smaller than 1:5.6, etc. Many analog light meters have 1/3 stop tick marks on the dial.
 
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The VALOO isn`t even a lens shade, it`s an adjustable hood for a Leitz enlarger
(I don`t remember the code) seems that people have been using them as hoods for years though.

I prefer the FISON b/c it`s lighter and smaller.....just seems MORE EXPENSIVE and RARER than a VALOO (especially the "wartime"version)

Tom
 
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I suggest a FISON coupled with a VOOLA. The VOOLA is a metal ring that fits inside the FISON and clamps to the aperture lever. Changing aperture is not as convenient as with the VALOO hood but its not that bad. Just loosen the screw from the FISON hood a tad, rotate the hood to change to the desired aperture and then tighten the screw again. You can use the VOOLA ring with the Leitz clamp on filters too.

The FISON/VOOLA combo will be quite expensive though.
 
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Nando said:
I suggest a FISON coupled with a VOOLA. The VOOLA is a metal ring that fits inside the FISON and clamps to the aperture lever. Changing aperture is not as convenient as with the VALOO hood but its not that bad. Just loosen the screw from the FISON hood a tad, rotate the hood to change to the desired aperture and then tighten the screw again. You can use the VOOLA ring with the Leitz clamp on filters too.

The FISON/VOOLA combo will be quite expensive though.
Click to expand...

Next to the OKARO the VOOLA is more than likely the most expensive Leica accessory by weight in the entire postwar catalog 😉

Tom
 
Well.... not so fast...🙄

I've got an "aperture adjustment device" for using the Elmar 50 as an enlarger lens... it came with a batch of filters... at first I thought it was a VALOO, but the outside is satin chrome, the insides are flat black, and the index numbers on the outside of the "hood" run from 1 to 10, not the usual sequence of f-stops... it is marked E. Leitz, New York.

If I remember correctly from one of my 1930's Leica catalogues, the description of the VALOO includes its usefulness in the darkroom when using the Elmar 50 on the enlarger... (revision: see my next post down the thread...)

So, how rare /expensive / heavy would a VALOO with the European f-scale be ? 😉

LF
 
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Luddite Frank said:
Well.... not so fast...🙄

I got an "aperture adjustment device" for using the Elmar 50 as an enlarger lens... it came with a batch of filters... at first I thought it was a VALOO, but the outside is satin chrome, the insides are flat black, and the index numbers on the outside of the "hood" run from 1 to 10, not the usual sequence of f-stops... it is marked E. Leitz, New York.

If I remember correctly from one of my 1930's Leica catalogues, the description of the VALOO includes its usefulness in the darkroom when using the Elmar 50 on the enlarger...

So, how rare /expensive / heavy would a VALOO with the European f-scale be ? 😉

LF
Click to expand...
Could that be a VALAU: https://www.leicashop.com/vintage/valau-nickel-p-1106.html?

The same shop has two VALOO's: 60-70 Euro. Don't know if they have old or new F/stops.
 
VALOO, oder VALAU ???

VALOO, oder VALAU ???

It seems there's always something new to learn about Leica...

After signing-off last night, for bedtime reading, I took my Hove reprints of the Leica catalogues for: 1933, 1936, and 1955/'58...

The 1933 & 1936 catalogues do not mention the VALOO black shade with "click stops" for the aperture; the only shades they list for the Elmar 50 are the FISON or FIKUS. (Consulting the "Index of Telegraphic Codes" in the back.)

These two catalogues DO mention a VALAU "slip-on aperture control ring" for use with the enlargers that use the Elmar camera lens. The VALAU is the chrome plated gizmo with no click-stops, and the "1 thru 10" "arbitrary" index I mentioned in my post a few lines up.

The 1955/58 catalogue lists the VALOO (but no VALAU by this time), again primarily as a aperture control for use with the Elmar with the various close-up stands (BEHOO), Focaslide, and on the enlarger. As a side-bar, they also mention it is useful as a lens shade.

So, my apologies to Leica Tom - indeed Leica appears to have regarded the VALOO primarily as an aperture control aid , and then as a lens shade as an "alternative use"...😱

So, as my original question continues to evolve, WHEN did Leica introduce the VALOO, and was there (ever) a version with the older "European" f -stop scale (3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, etc) ?

Thanks ! 😎

Luddite Frank
 
Hmmm, it's just a point but the USA scale I know is Kodak's and there was the International scale and the Universal Scale where f/8 is f/11 and worse (or was it the other way round?). So why do we say "American" and "European" scales.

I see the f/1 then f/1·4 the f/2 then f/2·8 and so on scale as the International Scale, btw.

And since I'm looking at a pre-war Zeiss as I type this and it's f/4·5 then f/5·6 then f/8 and so on, I'm inclined to think that the "European" scale is actually Leitz's own. Ditto those strangly spaced shutter speeds. OK they sold the "Leicameter" that was marked to match and it gave a wider choice but at times...

Regards, David
 
Hi David,

Good point... now that you'ved mentioned this, I recall having some pre-Depression folding Kodaks (like a 3-A Autographic) that had the "older" f-scale: 4.5, 6.3, 9, etc... these cameras were American-built, with Bauch & Lomb or Kodak shutters, as opposed to the Kodak-Nagel cameras of the '30s.

Somewhere in the '50s (?) wasn't there a "standardization" on scales for both shutter speeds and aperture scale ?

I have some black Leicas (II s/n 77xxx, III) s/n 117xxx) whose shutter speeds run: Z-20-40-60-100-200-500, (add 1/30 & 1/1000 for my III-f BD)


and f-scales run: 2- 2,2 - 3,2 - 4,5 - 6,3 - 9 - 12,5 (Summar , "feet"s/n 3121xx)

3,5 - 4,5 - 6,3 - 9 - 12,5 - 18 ( Elmar 5cm, "mtr", 999xx)


Moving up to 1953, my Contax IIIa BD (s/n A 606xx) has the following:

shutter: 1 - 2 - 5- 10 - 25 - 50 - 100 -250- 500 - 1250

lens: f: 2 - 2,8 - 4 - 5,6 - 8 - 11 - 16 - 22 (f 2 Sonnar 14496xx)


My 1955 Exatka VX (sorry - "Evil SLR Alert!" 😎)

shutter: B - T - 25 - 50 - 100 - 250 - 500 - 1000

lens: f: 2,8 - 4 - 5,6 - 8 - 11 - 16 ( CZJ Flektogon 2,8 /35 s/n 45709xx)

My 1955-56 V-lander Prominent I ( s/n 80153xx)

shutter: B - 1 - 2 - 5 - 10 - 25 - 50 - 100 - 250 - 500 (Synchro-Compur)

lens: f: 1.5 - 2 - 2,8 - 4 - 5,6 - 8 - 11 - 16 ( Nokton 1,5 / 50 )


Additionally, I have a pre-War (?) Retina I (s/n ?)

shutter: B - 1 - 2 - 5 - 10 - 25 - 50 - 100 - 250 - 500 ( Compur-Rapid )

lens: f: 3,5 - 4,5 - 5,6 - 8 - 11 - 16 (Kodak anast. Ektar 5cm #15628xx)


My "benchmark" user meter is a Gossen Luna-Six, s/n 1039xx (1960's?), whose aperture scale is marked:

f: 1 -1,4 - 2 - 2,8 - 4 - 5,6 - 8 - 11 - 16 - 22 - 32 - 45 - 64 - 90
(with " tick-marks" in between for the "older" stops ?)

Shutter speeds: '2 - '4 - '8 - '15 - '30 - '60 - '125 - '250 - '500 - '1000 - '2000


Wow - I've really gone off into the trees here...

So, are the shutter / aperture markings on the Luna-Six indicative of the "modern", "Universal" systerm for exposure ?


AND, was there ever a VALOO marked with the "old" 3,5 - 4,5 - 6,3 - 9 - 12,5 scale ?


Sorry to be so tedious... 😱


LF
 
Dralowid said:
Gaze lovingly at the dial on an older Weston Meter (try IV) and all will be revealed....

Absolutely. Just a slight problem though, whilst the IV's dial does have 1/3 stop markers, it doesn't have all of the f-stop numbers printed. The V (and the II) does have them all marked on however - it's a joy to use with older cameras. In fact, it's a joy to use, period!
Click to expand...
 
FP John,

Thanks - I took a quick look at the Wiki link, and have book-marked it.

The comparative table from 1899 is most helpful.


So, in a nutshell, where 35 mm cameras are concerned, " f: is f: is f: ", which numbers a lens-maker chose to apply as a "stop" were somewhat arbitrary ?

LF

PS: to Drawolid & Mark Wood - I believe I have Weston II & IV, maybe a III as well... I will "gaze lovingly" upon their "computer" dials and await enlightenment.
 
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