Lesser known German Lens Makers for 35mm?

[Gatorengineer64]

Hi,

Was looking for some German lens makers other than the usual suspects to explore. I have on my known list Schneider, Prakticar, Zeiss, Meyer, Leica, Edixa, and Meyer. Voigtlander I consider Japanese, perhaps wrongly.

Any others worth giving a go?

Makr

[ZoneV]

Astro Berlin, old Voigtlaender, Schacht, Agfa, Enna, Feinmess Dresden, Isco, Futura, Rodenstock, Zeiss Ikon, Steinheil, Staeble (partly Novoflex), Roeschlein, Rollei, ..

[iangreenhalgh1]

Voigtlander were German until the 21st century.

Their lenses are the equal of Schneider and Zeiss, but less common than both.

Any of the DKL series Voigtlanders are worth having, very sharp and highly corrected, but a little less contrasty than their Schneider DKL contemporaries. Standouts are the Septon, a normal lens with 7 elements that is highly prized and expensive and the groundbreaking Skopagon 40mm that was very complex for it's time and really state of the art.

List of Voigtländer Bessamatic/Ultramatic SLR DKL-mount lenses:

Voigtländer Skoparex 35mm f3.4[1] (I: 0.9/1m or 3ft; II: 0.9/1m and 3ft; III: 0.9/1m and 3ft + bigger ring; IV: 0.4m and 1.5ft + bigger ring)
Voigtländer Skopagon 40mm f2.0[1] (I: 0.9m or 3ft; II: 0.9m and 3ft; III: 0.5m and 2ft)
Voigtländer Color-Skopar X 50mm f2.8[1] (I: 0.9/1m or 3ft; II: 0.9/1m and 3ft; III: 0.9/1m and 3ft + bigger ring; IV: 0.6m and 2ft + bigger ring)
Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm f2.8 (0.6m and 2ft + bigger ring; since ca. 1965)
Voigtländer Color-Lanthar 50mm f2.8[1] (for Bessamatic m)
Voigtländer Septon 50mm f2.0[1] (I: 0.9m or 3ft; II: 0.9m and 3ft; III: 0.6m and 2ft)
Voigtländer Dynarex 90mm f3.4[1]
Voigtländer Dynarex 100mm f4.8[1]
Voigtländer Super-Dynarex 135mm f4.0[1] (I: 4m or 13ft; II: 4m and 13ft)
Voigtländer Super-Dynarex 200mm f4.0[1]
Voigtländer Super-Dynarex 350mm f5.6[1]
Voigtländer Zoomar 36–82mm f2.8[1]

There were also 4 DKL mount leses for the Vitessa T:

List of Voigtländer Vitessa T rangefinder DKL-mount lenses:

Voigtländer Skoparet 35mm f3.4
Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm f2.8
Voigtländer Dynaret 100mm f4.8
Voigtländer Super-Dynaret 135mm f4.0

Lenses for the Vitessa T feature an aperture ring of their own. They are not compatible with Bessamatic lenses.

Then there are the lenses for the Icarex which replaced them, those come in either Icarex bayonet mount or M42, are labelled Zeiss but are actually Voigtlander designed and built, I have a couple of them and they are ery sharp and highly corrected, with interesting character, but overall less contrasty than the contemporary Schneider and Zeiss.

35/3.4 Skoparex
50/1.8 Ultron (concave front element)
50/2.8 Tessar (4 element)
50/2.8 Color-Pantar (3 element)
90/3.4 Dynarex
135/4 Super-Dynarex
200/4 Super-Dynarex
400/5 Telomar
36-82/2.8 Zoomar

Least common are the RF lenses for the Prominent, but they are beautiful, said to be the equal of the contemporary Leica RF lenses and includes the famous Nokton 1.5/50 and Ultron 2/50. The Ultron 2/50 is very highly regarded and sought after, the Nokton is a legend and fetches high prices.

35/3.5 Skoparon
50/3.5 Color Skopar
50/2 Ultron
50/1.5 Nokton
100/4.5 Dynaron

[luisalegria]

To add a few, Piesker, Kilfitt, Tewe

[Gatorengineer64]

Any suggestions on which of them might be worth giving a go? I have a Voigtlander Septon comming in the mail. Hopefully its in decent shape. A non-gauss design will be interesting to play with.

[luisalegria]

"Any suggestions on which of them might be worth giving a go?'

All of them, for one reason or another.
They all made cool things.
Often enough very pretty things.

[papasito]

Voigtländer Skopagon 40mm f2.0

What a lens!!!!

Really first class one

[memetph]

About Voigtländer being german (after being austrian) before being japanese, the first generation of Voigtländer lenses during the Rollei ownership are also german lenses.
Color Ultron 50 1.8 and Color Dynarex 135 4 are examples.
Then the next generation was japanese ( Mamiya).

The nowadays CV are japanese but sometimes they pay tribute to the tradition ( Heliar 50 3.5 ).

[Gatorengineer64]

Well, I got some Lesser known (to me) germans to play with. I am looking for lenses with a unique attribute whether it be extra sharp, bokeh, or other hard to explain character

Edixa 1.9 F50 M42 Zebra Screwmount - Nothing special to see, kind of soft, nothing special bokeh wise or characterwise. Awkward to use.

Enna Munchen Lithagon 35 F3.5 - Really soft, nothing really special alot of folks love this lens, but I didnt see anything characterwise that speical.

Schneider Xenon 50 1.9 Zebra Exakta - WOW, nothing much wore to say other than wow. Wondering how the DKL version of this critter does.

Schneider Xenar 3.5 135 Exakta Zebra - Hard to get really excited about 135mm and slow but this lens is a very nice sharp lens.

E. Ludwig Peronar 50 F2.9 Exakta Mount - This one will get a little more time, not sharp, but has a look to it.....

Will post more when and if I get them. The only new thing coming is a Septon...... Want to see if it lives up to its billing

[iangreenhalgh1]

The DKL version of the 1.9/50 Xenon is a wow lens too.

[bornbad]

I have a little "A. Schacht, Ulm" collection:

35 2,8 S-Travegon nice colours, small heavy lens, 7 lenses in 3 groups
35 3,5 Travenar preselect, 13 blades, small and light, fun to use, 4 (3) lenses
50 1,8 S-Travelon very fast and good iq for that time, 6 (4) lens gauss
50 2,8 Travenar standard lens, have both: the older 13 blade bokeh- and the 6 blade-version, 4 (3) lenses
90 2,8 Travenar 17 blade, nice bokeh !, very nice IQ , very small, I like it alot , 4 (3) lenses
100 3,3 Travegar 17 blade bokeh-monster, m39 head on a tubus for macro on a balgengerät , 3 (3) lenses
135 3,5 Travenar 17 blade, nice bokeh !, very nice IQ, 4 (3) lenses
135 4,5 Tranenon 17 blade, very nice bokeh !, also m39 macro-head for balgengerät on a tubus, 4 (3) lenses

50 3,5 Travegar enlarger lens for balgengerät, 3 (3) lenses

each of them has something special and its fun to work with them.

So give Schacht a try

[Sjak]

I don't own any Schacht-lenses, but have handled a few. They are indeed really nice: well built, and e.g. the 90mm 2.8 is very light and compact for it's focal length. Also a nice history, a lens-engineer from Zeiss who started his own optical company.