Kodak Projection Ektars

[Ray Parkhurst]

I see these for sale on eBay all the time and am wondering if they are any good. Anyone tried them as taking lenses?

[Lightshow]

People have used them as taking lenses, the physics are the same, so no reason they won't work good, they may not have an Iris to change the aperture.
A couple projector threads:
http://forum.mflenses.com/testing-my-golden-navitar-150-230mm-f3-5-projector-lens-t61331.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/meopta-meostigmat-70mm-f-1-4-adapted-on-gh1-t60854,highlight,%2Bmeopta.html

[ZoneV]

I have not tested Ektar projection lenses yet.
I love the Meyer Diaplan or Pentacon AV 100 projection lens, cause it is a cheap Trioplan copy.
I like the newer cine projection lenses from Schneider, Isco, even older Rathenow Visionar and Meopta 70mm f/1 because they offer a high quality image quality and are fast (and it seems the Visionar is probably undercorrected for spherical abberation).
I like older cine projection lenses like some of them are Petzval tyype ones and I do some experiments.

But I don´t like (at the moment) the quality most other slide projection lenses give.

[Attila]

Projection lenses are great if you can apply size and solve lack of aperture , I am using Sony NEX-EOS adapter with blades + feet focusing for small and slower ones VNEX system also an excellent choice but no blades in this case.

[danfromm]

Ray, start here http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/KodakEktarsDB-Index.htm .

The projection Ektars you see on offer are usually enlarging or gauge projection lenses. The Heliar type enlarging lenses are very good for closeup and photomacrography. Symmetrical, don't have to be reversed for use about 1:1. But you already have macro lenses that are at least as good. The gauge projection lenses might be useful for photomacrography. None for general out-and-about use.

I just looked at eBay, found enlarging lenses as expected, including a 127/4.7 (surprise), and Television Projection Ektars. The 127 is a very good tessar type, and I think that's all one needs to know about it. I'm not acquainted with the TV Projection Ektars.

There was recently a discussion about the 100/4.5 Enlarging Ektar. Ian Wossname said good things about it as a general out-and-about taking lens, but the images he posts makes me wonder whether he's a good judge of sharpness.

EKCo nomenclature confuses many people. In this instance, the posters who replied about lenses for slide projectors.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Kodak Enlarging Ektar 4.5/100 on my Century Graphic 23.



It's got more resolution than my old Epson Perfection 3200 is able to extract and sharper than my Schneider Xenar 3.5/105. It's a dialyte 4/4 type, coated, in a very heavy chromed brass barrel. I have the 75mm version as well, which is a Heliar type and has exceptionally smooth, attractive bokeh.

[Ray Parkhurst]

Thanks for the responses. I was unsure about the purpose of these lenses, ie were they really for projectors and what issues I'd have in mounting and using them. Many are so cheap that it's worth giving them a try...Ray