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More Astro-Berlin stuff
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:16 pm    Post subject: More Astro-Berlin stuff Reply with quote

Three Astro Pan-Tachar teles (125/2.3, 150/2.3 & 200/2.3) all modified (by me) to Hasselblad F mount. Quite serious glass in their era, and rather big too - the 35/2.8 Flektogon is for size comparison purposes:




PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its a pity theres no green emoticon to indicate extreme envy.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done job Spyros and very nice lenses!

Cheers,


PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like your dedication to Astro-Berlin lenses. When did this all start and why?


PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kds315* wrote:
Well done job Spyros and very nice lenses!
Cheers,


Thanks a lot, very kind of you.


Spotmatic wrote:
I like your dedication to Astro-Berlin lenses. When did this all start and why?


Actually it was in the early days of eBay (I'm an active member since 1999) when the whole thing started. I was curious to explore the quality of this less known German lens manufacturer who managed to survive till the '90s with rather interesting - albeit mechanically simple and movie-derived - lens designs. Soon I ended up with a significant amount of various long-focus lenses in a number of focal lengths...


PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a crowded corner hosting two Astro-Fernbildlinsen (6.3/1000 Hassy 2000F mount & 5/640 Hassy 1600F mount) plus an Astro-Apo-Telastan 5.6/600 (Praktina mount):


The white stranger in the group is a Birns & Sawyer Omnitar aka TEWE-Berlin Telon 6.3/1000 (Primarflex mount), shown here alone:


The differences between the then competing Astro-Berlin and TEWE-Berlin designs are more than obvious.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know its a bit difficult to make pixel-peeping comparisons with these, as they are mounted for MF cameras, but what would your opinion be as to the resolution/contrast and general optical quality of the Astro lenses ?


PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
I know its a bit difficult to make pixel-peeping comparisons with these, as they are mounted for MF cameras, but what would your opinion be as to the resolution/contrast and general optical quality of the Astro lenses ?


There exist quite few types of Astro-Berlin lenses with many specialised series among them making it rather impossible to summarize their qualities. Having said that, if I had to do a very short comment as regards the most commonly found ones, namely Tachar/Pan-Tachar and Fernbildlinse families -and purely based on the samples I have used to date- this would have been: good to high resolving power / medium to medium plus contrast / overall good to excellent optical quality / excellent plus mechanical quality & engineering.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Simply WONDERFUL! I would love to see more of these, especially your nice lineup of the three Astro-Pan Tachars (and I'll bet others would too).

They look so....Retro...yet so obviously excellent in construction. This looks like SERIOUS glass. Shocked


PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 5:53 pm    Post subject: My astro-berlin, help with ID'ing the mount? Reply with quote

Hello,

I have one of the astro-berliin 1000mm f/6.3 lenses with a unitron telescope focuser attached. I am trying to figure out what kind of mount it is, and if I can find an adapter to Nikon or Canon. It works well as a telescope with eyepieces 20mm or larger, It cannot focus at infinity beyond that as the focuser tube will not shorten up enough.

I have posted a picture of the mount end. Can anyone help me ID the mount style? The focuser attaches using a screw on ring 65mm in diameter.




I would love to use this as a camera lens, or find a home for it with someone who can use it.

Keith Garrett
Wolfeboro NH USA


PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:02 pm    Post subject: Picture link Reply with quote

error post, cant delete this one. I forgot how much I dislike phpbb forum.

Last edited by keithjg on Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:03 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote



PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote



PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks quite different than my own samples of the same lens (I own four in total). Actually it lacks the whole rear part of the lens behind the focusing helicoid, having in its place the telescope focuser. Obviously manufactured by Astro-Berlin on behalf of Sterling-Howard and probably converted into a telescope by the latter, the mount looks rather factory-modified.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since this thread appears to contain some serious Astro Werke knowledge I'm wondering if anyone here can fill me in on a few details about my most unusual telephoto lens.

I've got an Astro-Berlin 640mm f/4.5 C lens. The previous (and first) owner claimed it was a special order lens made for an American nature photographer, who wanted to use it on a Pentax 645 camera. Unfortunately, he died in a tragic accident and the lens was never finished or delivered. The previous owner bought it after the company ceased to exist.

This lens appears to be a variation of the older 640mm f/5, and is claimed to be optimised for a smaller film format. It is a astonishingly simple 2 element achromatic design, relatively lightweight but very long, similar in design to the Leitz Telyt 800mm and 560mm. It consists of a lens head with aperture mechanism and a separate modified Pentacon 6 bellows on a heavy tripod adapter base. The lens is quite sharp, though with CA wide open not up to modern APO designs.

Does anyone know of a nature photographer that fits the above description? I've got no clue when he died, just that it has to be before 1991 when the Astro Werke closed shop.