Schneider Tele-Xenar 360/5.5 M42

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I picked this thing up expecting the worst - this lens has been USED, and used hard. This was a pro's lens, who seems to have liked this one in particular. There isn't a square millimeter on this that hasn't got a scratch, a chip, a dent, a scrape, a smudge. Even the knurled rings are worn from use. Thats why I gor it cheap I suppose. I was prepared to deal with frozen helicals and fungused glass.

However - the glass is excellent and everything works beautifully ! The helical is in excellent condition, and is as smooth as a good Takumar. This was an expensive lens back in those days, and of the highest quality. The fit and finish certainly show that, as does the ergonomic design - on this one one can turn the preset ring and the focusing ring with the thumb of the left hand without moving the hand or changing your grip. Its also much lighter than it looks.

As to performance - I have no complaints. As long lenses go, this one is probably the best I've got, perhaps in competition with the Komura 400.

A G Photography · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 1480 Location: Bologna - Italy

The last two shots are IMPRESSIVE!!! I really like a lot the Tele Xenar 135 and this one confirms the quality of Schneider lenses.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Scheneider always fingerprint of quality! Impressive shoots, impressive quality!

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

That's really impressive and another proof that there often is a reason why an excellent used lens looks "used". Wink

Pepper · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 16

Is this lens adaptable to EOS EF FF ? Infinity ?

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Mine is M42, so there should be no problem with EOS if thats the version you are looking for.
There is nothing protruding on the mount.

They can also be found in other mounts, commonly Exakta. Exakta sometimes can be a problem on EOS because of too-thick adapters.
Get the right adapter though and you should be able to get infinity.

tao · Expire: 2015-03-12

I am curious how long this lens was in production. My copy has serial number in the five million range so it was almost ten years older but still looks very similar to yours.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I only know of two body styles for this, we both have the later one. The earlier one was brass, not aluminum.
I suspect this was available for almost the whole decade of the 1960's.

std · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 1826 Location: Bulgaria

That's a wonderful picture quality - I would not expect less than a Schneider.
And being so heavily used just proves that it's an excellent copy.

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

here is a Alpa one :

Images from a german eBay seller

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

and a Exakta one

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

The Exakta one you are showing there is the earlier body style.
I think this early one had more brass parts, or perhaps was all brass.
I held one once (never owned it), and its very heavy.

LORAG · Joined: 26 Aug 2013 Posts: 2

SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH TELE-XENAR F=36 cm f:5,5

Tele objektiv s bajonetem pro předválečné (Pre-war) horizontální Exakta66 (System 66H).
Ser.No. 1459738 – vyroben mezi listopadem a prosincem 1938.
Ostření je plynulé, clona je složená z 18 lamel, nastavení tuhé, ale plynulé v celém rozsahu. Na clonovém kroužku jsou vyražena pouze čísla 5,5, 8 a 11. Průměr pro filtr je 68 mm (!).
Skla objektivu jsou v pořádku, žádná plíseň, žádné škrábance, uvnitř jednotlivá malá zrnka prachu. Objektiv má závit M8 pro uchycení ke stativu. Délka objektivu 23,5 až 25 cm, váha cca 1300 g. Kosmeticky je objektiv vynikající, na povrchu má pouze jednotlivé malé poškrábání velikosti do 1 do 4 mm, ale celkově působí velmi pěkně.
Přední krytka, která má na vnitřní straně černý samet, s originálním tubusem z tvrdého papíru, vnější povrch je sametový. Na horním krytu tubusu je originální logo "Schneider", zespodu pak originální známkový štítek s označením typu a cenou (2.600 (DM ?).
Myslím, že objektiv obecně v tomto provedení patří mezi velmi vzácné a navíc s nedoraženými clonovými čísly na clonovém kroužku je také raritním výrobním "zmetkem".
Podle průzkumu na ebay není nikde ve světě nabízen, ani jsem jej nenašel ve sbírkách muzeí.
Objektiv pochází z pozůstalosti z Čech.
Další fotky na vyžádání zašlu mailem.

trifox · Expire: 2014-05-29

Hi LORAG

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the info about the XENAR..

Despite the fact that there is a bunch of members here who understand czech language - including me -
it would be nice when you post in english language as this forum is an international forum.

One more thing, if the text below is an add or you want to sell, then sorry you need to provide more info about you and again, it needs to go to the different forum here.

if you have any questions, please contact send me a message.

thanks

RSalles · Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:42 pm Post subject:

Luis,

A tad nice piece of glass! What a quality this lens have, the results speaks for itself,

Congrats for your new acquisition,

Lorag,

Na trhu je v jiné oblasti,

Díky,

Renato

LORAG · Joined: 26 Aug 2013 Posts: 2

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Hi Lorag.
You can use translate.google.com
I did with czech to English and it seems it's quite a good translation :

Translation : Hello and thank you for your response. Sorry for the Czech language, but I do not want to give halting English, please fold themselves.
I do not want to sell the lens, but please for more information about it. I can not put photos here, but I'll like them in my mail mir.lorenc @ seznam.cz, write about them. Thank you for your patience. LORAG, Czech republic

What informations about the lens ?
Co Informace o objektivu chceš?

PS : sorry I don't speak czech
líto, že jsem již česky nemluví

So, if I translate your text :
"Tele -mount lens for pre-war ( pre -war ) horizontal Exakta66 (System 66H ) .
Ser.No. 1459738 - manufactured between November and December 1938.
The focus is smooth , aperture is composed of 18 blades , setting stiff but smooth in its entirety . On the aperture ring are engraved only numbers 5,5 , 8 and 11 Diameter of the filter is 68 mm (! ) .
Glass lens are fine , no mold , no scratches, inside a single small dust grains . The lens has a thread M8 for mounting on a tripod . Lens length 23.5 to 25 cm , weight 1300 g Cosmetically the lens is excellent , the surface has only a single small scratch size to 1-4 mm , but overall looks very nice.
The front cover , which is on the inside of black velvet , with original tube of cardboard, outer surface is velvety . The top cover of the tube 's original logo " Schneider " from the bottom and original stamp label type and price ( 2.600 (DM ?) .
I think the lens in general in this design are very rare and, moreover, nedoraženými f-numbers on the aperture ring is also a rare factory " crap" .
According to a survey on ebay is not offered anywhere in the world , I did not find it in the collections of museums.
The lens comes from the estate of Bohemia.
More photos will be send by mail."

Do you need informations about this lens you can buy ?
Potřebujete informace o tomto objektivu si můžete koupit?

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

If I understand correctly that the lens in question is made for the quite uncommon Exakta 6x6 of 1938 - the "horizontal" 66 - then it is indeed very rare.
Consider though that in those days it was quite common to have lenses specially adapted so this one may be such a custom job.

Anyway, this is certainly a collectors item and should probably be auctioned.

The camera is listed in this 1939 catalog -

http://www.ihagee.org/cat/IHGcat1939D.pdf

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4073 Location: Switzerland

I just got an uncoated early Schneider Tele Xenar 5.5/36cm:

The lens needs to be cleaned, but focusing is smooth, and the aperture works flawless. The lens has an unusual, very large srewmount:

Does anyone know this mount? Maybe the (new) post-war "large diameter screw thread" of the Reflex Korelle??
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Reflex-Korelle

Stephan

EDIT: above images used with permission from the seller, Mr. Durrer from Luzern!

pdccameras · Expire: 2014-08-11

Perhaps the original Hasselblad multistart screw mount? It has a 78mm diameter and an 82.1mm register.

Best,

Paul

pdccameras · Expire: 2014-08-11

BTW, I think the Reflex Korelle mount had a diameter of 40.5mm.

P.

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4073 Location: Switzerland

pdccameras · Expire: 2014-08-11

My grievous error - I did not check my source:

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/mounts-alphabetical.html

A site I am going to cross off my list! Thank you for the corrections.

You are correct about the Korelle - I was thinking of the pre-ward Reflex-Korelle, not the post-war Meister-Korelle. Shown below is my pre-war 7.5mm f/3.5 Ludwig Victar for the prewar model with a diameter of close to 40.5mm

I can corroborate you measurement of the Hasselblad screw mount at just under 60mm (6cm) as I have an adapter to measure:

Sciolist · Expire: 2021-04-16

pdccameras · Expire: 2014-08-11

I can explain more about the character of the Victar in a separate post with image samples from the lens, but mounting the pre-war 40.5mm Korelle lenses to Sony E mount is not too challenging. The adaptation required no glue or machining, just cobbling together bits and pieces I had laying around. In a nutshell: lens -> Series VI adjustable filter adapter -> Series VI - Series VII filter step up ring -> Series VII - Tmount reverse adapter -> 30-60mm M42-Sony Emount helicoid tube. Shown below from right to left than fully assembled. Please note I screwed the Tmount adapter into the M42 helicoid, plenty of thread contact to hold despite the thread pitch mismatch. Focussing goes from about 8" to way beyond infinity.