E.L 60 mm (unknown, probably 16 mm projection lens?)

simple.joy · Joined: 30 May 2022 Posts: 646

Asked this question on dpreview adapted lens forum but apparently no one there is familiar with such a lens... perhaps someone here might know a thing or two?

I recently found a lens, which I suspect to be a 16 mm projection lens. It has a diameter of 34 mm (that's measured, don't know if there's a "standard" close to that, perhaps 32.5 mm?) and a focal length of 60 mm.

The only engraving on the lens is:

E.L
F = 60 mm

Here's how it looks:

The lens seems to be uncoated and looks and feels quite old. It's interesting that it's measured in mm however.

I have no idea what the E.L means... of course "Ernst Leitz" comes to mind immediately, but this lens doesn't look like something Leitz would have made and I also don't think they ever used abbreviations like that on their lenses. My next guess was "Ed. Liesegang" which would make a lot of sense, because the first name Eduard is often seen abbreviated. So far I haven't been able to find any lens of that company, which looks close to this one... The closest match I've seen was some Epidiaskop lens (E.L?) but they're usually significantly longer in focal length and way bigger, so I think that's not really an option.

I've been thinking about Enna as well, but the L. just doesn't make sense, and finally I was reminded of Kodak. "Eastman Kodak" was the common earlier name of the company, which had multiple lens names starting with the letter E, like Ektar, Ektanon, Ektanar, Ektagraphic...

Kodak seems to have used a similar pattern on the front of some projection lenses:

https://oldlenses.blogspot.com/2012/09/kodak-ektanon-3-inch-f2-projection-lens.html

So E.L standing for something like "Ektanon Lens" (perhaps because of some 3rd party dealings etc. is the closest I've come to any theory. I still don't think it's very likely. Usually it's just a sign of "no-name-ism" when something is abbreviated or left out like that.

If you have any knowledge on that lens and its origin or at least a better theory than mine, please let me know! I'm always curious about those things.

Apart from all of that I had to try the lens of course... so here's what it does on a full-frame camera (where it clearly is not supposed to be... but trying it anyway is half of the fun!):

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

What a joy Wink

Lovely pictures and a lens saved.

alex_d · Joined: 19 Jan 2019 Posts: 424

Congrat! You have officially buried Helios and similar prospects.

Besides that, that lens could be patented to act as a substitute for LSD-alike stuff ..

simple.joy · Joined: 30 May 2022 Posts: 646

simple.joy · Joined: 30 May 2022 Posts: 646

BTW. I‘m pretty sure I just found an identical or at least very similar related lens with a slightly different look:

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/276535450903

It has the inscription "Electro Technique Moderne 60 mm f/1.7" on it so it seems like that would be a good explanation for the E.L! It‘s quite possible that the f/1.7 aperture is true for my lens as well.

kiddo · Joined: 29 Jun 2018 Posts: 1274

is this a petzval design? what about medium distance shots? i guess about the same , only sharp area is the middle one? i thought 16mm would vignette more on FF, interesting lens indeed

simple.joy · Joined: 30 May 2022 Posts: 646

alex ph · Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 1674

That's a nice gentle swirl. Congrats for the find!

This is for certain a 16mm projection lens, the barrel looks like many others and the rear part is destined to match the purpose.

I doubt it was produced later than in the 1950s. The machinery of the front part reminds some East German samples. But it is not East German. E.L. may signify everything related to custom seller brands, such as "ElectroLux", as there was a period of projectors boom with smaller suppliers in game.

The barrel let me think for a moment of a lens coming from EA Laboratories. This is certainly not the case. Just an extension of the idea that the producer might be less known today.