Hofmeister Jena Syrconar Doppel Anastigmat 6.3 13.5cm

[iangreenhalgh1]

I found this lens in a rimset Vario shutter so it will date from the 1920s. There is no info on Hofmeister available but the Vade Mecum says the lenses were of very good quality.

Obviously, this is a 4-glass double anastigmat type, and I suspect it was made by someone for Hofmeister so it could be a Steinheil Unofokal, Meyer Helioplan, Goerz Dagor/Celor or something else.



Four air-spaced elements means 8 air-glass surfaces so contrast is likely to be low, but it should be a sharp lens. The Vario works but is pretty rough looking, lens needs a good cleaning, I might have to find a better shutter for this thing if it shoots well on my Century Graphic, it should fit a Prontor-S I have from an Isolette that had swiss cheese bellows.

[ForenSeil]

I have an extremly similar looking 13.5/F8 "Spezial-Aplanat" fixed on an black 9x12 folder without any brand name.
Here's the same camera with "Porst Nürnberg" label http://www.kamera-geschichte.de/files/mysterie_1.htm
It only says "made in Nürnberg, Germany" on the body of my camera.

I found a Porst catalog from 1930 online, showing my camera called "Porst Noris" with the 13.5/8 and an "deluxe eidtion" of that camera with an 13.5/6.3 Laack Rathenow Doppel Anastigmat "Dialytar" - I guess it's the same lens as yours.
For comparision:

Source: http://www.kamera-geschichte.de/files/noris1_d.htm (Porst Catalog 1930, German language)

On your lens it says "Hofmeister Jena" and it says "Laack Rathenow" on that in the Porst Catalog
I guess both were a marketing gag, similar to (Cosina) Voigtländers from today.

As I know that the camera was made in Nürnberg I'm pretty sure that Bolta made it, as Bolta was the only camera- manufacturer in Nürnberg during that time.

I guess Bolta made their own lenses until they started with 35mm cameras, but I have no prove for that.
Theres not much info about this company on the net.

[iangreenhalgh1]

It could well be the same, thanks.

[pavko]

I have similar lens under the name:
G. Rodenstock München Doppel-Anastigmat Eurynar 1:6.8 f=13.5cm
Unfortunetly shutter is missing in my case.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Interesting. Probably the 6.8/135 doppel anastigmat was a common item. Whether one company made the mall and they were branded with different names I don't know, or maybe several makers made very similar variants?

[pavko]

Could you read serial number on yours and check whether it fits here: http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/agevs.htm If yes then probably Hofmeister was some kind of distributor / integrator (talking in today's terms).

[luisalegria]

Pretty much everyone made a doppel-anastigmat of similar design by the 1920's.
I have or had several.
Rodenstock Eurynar, Steinheil Unofocal, Meyer, Leidolf, Kodak, etc.
Also some small makers - I have an Erkos "Selar"
Many are seen just marked Doppelanastigmat.

[iangreenhalgh1]

The Eurynar and Unofokal have reputations for being sharp and usable by modern standards so fingers crossed my Hofmeister is too.

[iangreenhalgh1]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Now I've had time to play with it, I've discovered the Vario shutter works perfectly and the times look good, shame it only has 25, 50, 100, B and T, but it is still usable. The cells are smaller than a #00 size Prontor or Compur and I don't have a working shutter in the next size down, so the cells will stay in the Vario for the time being. I'll give it a good workout on my Century Graphic and if I like how it shoots I'll get a Prontor or Compur to fit the cells into.

[luisalegria]

The Vario and Ibsor (Gauthier) shutters are actually pretty good and durable.
Not exactly high performance but more likely to work after 90 years than a Compur or Compound.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Yes, I have three other small Varios of similar age and they all work perfectly.

[pavko]

[iangreenhalgh1]

I briefly tried this lens on my NEX today. Light was crappy, dull and gray, typical English spring day, freezing cold too.

All wide open at 6.3, sharpness is excellent as I expected from a dialyte, contrast is on the low side, as to be expected from an uncoated lens. I'll fabricate a lens board and stick it on my Century Graphic as I think it will shoot really nicely on 6x9.

#1

#2

#3


#4


#5

[iangreenhalgh1]

A couple with fixed contrast and sharpened:

[pavko]

Looks very good. Especially taking into consideration density of NEX sensor and intended use of that lens.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers Pavko, I agree, I didn't expect it to work so well on the NEX. It's been horrible here, constant rain and no sunlight, so I'm hoping we get a few nice days so I can get out and shoot some more worthwhile pictures.

[iangreenhalgh1]

I made some sample shots on film with this lens on my Century Graphic 23. It's a good performer but the 3-speed Vario shutter lets it down. The slowest speed is 1/25 which mean I had to shoot at f8 and this meant dof issues robbed a little sharpness, but in the areas that are in proper focus, it is pretty sharp. Definitely a usable lens but needs a better shutter.

#1

#2