Cooke Triplet thread - Normal Lenses from 40mm to 50mm

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

In 1893, 123 years ago, Harold Dennis Taylor designed and patented(British patent 22,607) a lens that became a legend: Cooke triplet. This design had become one of the most important landmarks in the history of photography lenses.

After more than a century, some of the triplets are still being produced for the lovers of manual focus lenses. Although one the 50mm triplet is not very affordable, most old triplets can be found for very little money. It might be a good time to open a thread for members of this community sharing their works with their triplet(s) with focal length from 40mm to 50mm.

Here is a list of some common triplets with FL from 40mm to 50mm:
Angenieux: Z
Argus: Cintar
Isco: Isoctar
Ludwig: Victar, Meritar
Meyer(Hugo Meyer): Trioplan, Domiplan
Schneider: Radionar
Steinheil: Cassar, Cassarit, Cassaron
Voigtlander: Lanthar

and here is a list of common triplet enlargers:
Rodenstock: Trinar, Rogonar
Schneider: Componar, Componar-C
and the generic 50mm F3.5 Japanese enlarger with various names: E-Lucky, EL-Omegar, Marumi, Soligor and Voss etc.

Please post yours if you have samples taken with your own lens. Any comments or feedback is welcomed! Thank You Dog

Scroll down for information of the other triplets.

P.S. Abstract of the British patent 22,607

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

Steinheil Cassarit 50mm F2.8 @ NEX-5N

A bit soft wide open but sharpen up at F4. A pretty decent lens with balanced color.

F2.8

F4

RubberFlubber · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 4:48 pm Post subject:

I love my cine Cooke Kinic (I'm pretty sure I read that it's another Cooke Triplet of a sort, but modified), but that's a C-mount lens and it's got a focal length of 25mm. Regardless, I hope to pick up a regular Cooke Triplet some day as I love how they render images. I like your samples!

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

RubberFlubber · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 5:34 pm Post subject:

You're welcome!

And that's neat to know, and sorry to slightly derail the thread but do you know what other formulas the Kinics could be?

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

I've just rescued the list and optical diagrams of triplets and derivatives that were lost when the forum had a technical problem a few years ago. Of course, the triplet lenses are those corresponding to the diagram T1.

http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1381407.html#1381407

SXR_Mark · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 506 Location: England

There were of course hundreds of triplets used on folding and fixed lens cameras. Here are the ones I have:

Agfa Agnar
Agfa Apotar / Color-Apotar
Agilux Anastigmat
Balda-Werk Bunde Baldanar
C. Friedrich Munchen - Corygon Anastigmat
Contessa Nettel Conastigmat
Dacora Subita Anastigmat
Ensign Ensar
Feinmess Dresden Bonotar
Franka Frankar Anastigmat
Ihagee Anastigmat
Kershaw Otar Anastigmat
Kodak Anaston
Kodak Ektanar
LOMO T-22
LOMO T-43
Meyer Gorlitz Primotar
 Rodenstock Reomar
Rodenstock Trinar
Roeschlein-Kreuznach Pointer
Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar
Schneider-Kreuznach Reomar
Staeble-Werk Kata
Steiner-Bayreuth Steinar
Voigtlander Lanthar (not to be confused with Apo-Lanthar which isn�t a triplet AFAIK)
Voigtlander Voigtar 
Zeiss-Ikon Novar Anastigmat

Mark

EDIT: Oh, I think you are only interested in ones in the FL range of 40-50mm. Most of these are longer of course

SXR_Mark · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 506 Location: England

OK, I'll have another go at answering the question. Here is the list of triplets I have with FLs less than or equal to 50mm.

Steinheil Munchen Cassarit (35mm f2.8 )
Steinheil Munchen Cassar (36mm f3.5)
Kodak Ektanar (38mm f2.8 )
LOMO T-43 (40mm f4)
Steinheil Munchen Cassar (43mm f3.5)
Agfa Color-Apotar (45mmf 2.8 )
Agfa Apotar (45mm f3.5)
E Ludwig Meritar (45mm f2.9)
ISCO-Gottingen Color-Isconar (45mm f2.8 )
Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Trioplan (45mm f3.5)
Rodenstock Reomar (45mm f2.8 )
Roeschlein-Kreuznach Pointer (45mm f2.8 )
Schneider-Kreuznach Reomar (45mm f2.8 )
Staeble-Werk Kata (45mm f2.8 )
Steinheil Munchen Cassar (45mm f2.8 )
Balda-Werk Bunde Baldanar (50mm f3.5)
Steinheil Munchen Cassar (50mm f2.8 )
Voigtlander Lanthar (50mm f2.8 )

The 35mm Cassarit is an interesting lens as it came from a Iloca Stereo Realist camera - i picked up a lens board with the two Cassarits attached but no camera. It works well, but has a lot of spherical aberration glow at f2.8.

The two Reomars came from Kodak Retinettes. The Rodenstock is utter crap (despite being mint) but the Schneider is very nice.

Mark

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

Thanks for the contribution of the lens list. Triplets are more readily available for longer focal length and medium format camera.

For normal lenses from 40mm to 50mm with aperture of F2.8, most Japanese makers will choose better corrected Tessar formula.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 "1Q"

DSC04791_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04701a_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04705_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04718_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04683_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04706a_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04792_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04799_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04687_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

DSC04695_Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f2.8 by wNG 555, on Flickr

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

Good to see these nice photos from the humble Domiplan. Unlike its bigger brother Trioplan 50/2.9, it can be bought for next to nothing in Germany. Wink

BTW, I have updated more information from the original patent document.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Yep, great DOMIPLAN shots!! Like 1 small

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

Added a list of common triplet enlargers:

Rodenstock: Trinar, Rogonar
Schneider: Componar, Componar-C
and the generic 50mm F3.5 Japanese enlarger with various names: E-Lucky, EL-Omegar, Marumi, Soligor and Voss etc.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

E.Ludwig Meritar 2.9/50 wide open on Sony A7, straight JPG from camera:

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Thanks Kurt and Calvin!

Yeah, I got lucky with a very good copy...and it was so affordable!

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

jrsilva · Joined: 06 Dec 2012 Posts: 117 Location: Portugal

Interesting topic.

The Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50 is also a triplet, isn't it?

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

jrsilva · Joined: 06 Dec 2012 Posts: 117 Location: Portugal

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3437 Location: Netherlands

Additionally found on P&S camera's:
Dacora Dignar 2.8/45 (Ilford camera)
Dr. C. Schleussner Frankfurt Adoxar 3.5/45mm (Adox)
I don't kow if they are worth to take them off the simple old camera's and test them on a mirrorles digital camera. Confused

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

I get my new Triplet recently. This should be one of the best in this range in terms of sharpness and build quality.