MFlenses - A new life in a digital age
MFLenses 2026

Manual Focus Lenses Forum

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
DiskFreeVault safely moves Mac apps and data to external storage.
Spotlight

Featured partner placement for the forum front page.

Will. Wetzlar Vastar 2.8/50 M42 - What a tiny lens !
Post new topic Reply to topic
View previous topic :: View next topic  


Post
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:58 pm
Post subject: Will. Wetzlar Vastar 2.8/50 M42 - What a tiny lens !
Reply
Post
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:58 pm
Post subject: Will. Wetzlar Vastar 2.8/50 M42 - What a tiny lens !
Reply
Hello.

2 days ago I received a Will. Wetzlar Vastar 2.8/50.
It was a big surprise to me as I received a little parcel in which I found a lot of protection and in silk paper a very very small lens. Shocked

M42 ??? Confused
Very quicly I got my M42 to Eos adapter to check that point... and, well yes it is M42.

So, here it is compared to the Aus Jena Tessar 2.8/50 and the Helios-44M 2/58 :
Left = Will. Wetzlar Vastar 2.8/50 ; f2.8 to f22 ; min focus 0,90m ; 12 blades...
Center = Aus Jena Tessar 2.8/50 ; f2.8 to f22 ; min focus 0,35m ; 5 blades
Right = Helios 44-M 2/58 ; f2 to f16 ; min focus 0,55m ; 8 blades



Now all alone :




Now a few comparison shots between the Tessar and the Vastar.
Wide open at f2.8 :
Tessar

Vastar


Tessar

Vastar


stopped at f8 :
Tessar

Vastar


Tessar

Vastar


I was surprised of the results of this dwarf lens.
Sure it is soft wide open, but closed a bit it renders quite well.

Nice found ! Very Happy

Last edited by Olivier on Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:16 am; edited 1 time in total


Post
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:49 am
Post subject:
Reply
Post
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:49 am
Post subject:
Reply
Very interesting ! It seems like a very uncommon lens, I have never heard of this before.

Seems like it may be a triplet like the Ludwig Meritar. A wild guess - Your lens I think may have been made as a low-price option for the early Edixa.

I am even more curious to know what Will Wetzlar was.


Post
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:17 am
Post subject:
Reply
Post
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:17 am
Post subject:
Reply
To my knowledge this company made a lot of slide projector and enlarger lenses, most at the lower price range. Gnome, the now defunct Welsh enlarger and projector manufacturer, used a lot of lenses by Will.


Post
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:47 am
Post subject:
Reply
Post
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:47 am
Post subject:
Reply
I found this :

It seemed to be a well-known microscope manufacturer (will wetzlar gmbh) :
http://www.juelich-bonn.com/site/microscopes/hund/index_en.html
http://www.hund.de/en/company/history.html

A vario stellar which looks a bit like Luis'.
http://cgi.ebay.com/VARIO-STELLAR-WILL-WETZLAR-2-8-95-160-LEICA-ZOOM-LENS_W0QQitemZ150389860205QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2303ef276d

and a picture of a Ludwig Meritar shown by... Lucispictor. You're right, Luis, it looks like it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucispictor-photo/2516075936/
Post new topic Reply to topic
Page 1 of 1