Extremely Rare German Lens Edixagon

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Here is some more "evidence" to ponder:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yoyo31/sets/72157607817309661/with/3038533812/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yoyo31/sets/72157624006758705/with/4611706029/

Same photographer. One set shot with an Edixagon 2/50, one set shot with a Mamiya 2/50.

Mamiya_50F2_SX by yoyo31, on Flickr

Edixagon 50/2 by yoyo31, on Flickr

Notice that both lenses bright line to the same degree, double line in the background OOF areas, and that the specular highlights become more and more "football" (the American kind) shaped as they near the edges, giving both lenses a slight "swirl" bokeh.

Interesting isn't it?

If you look through the other photos you'll notice another common characteristic, the OOF foreground rendering is very soft, whereas the background rendering is very "edgy" with all the bright lining and double lining going on.

Compare to a 2/50 Heligon:

Big Funk Guarantee by Filippo He, on Flickr

Much less noticeable double lining, although the bright lining is still there - overally less edgy OOF area.

Yashinon 2/50 for good measure:

pin forest by deaf burglar (to bokeh or not to bokeh?), on Flickr

Note the rendering is noticeably different from the two lenses above which I don't believe the Edixagon could be related to the Yashinon.

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7555 Location: Hong Kong

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Phenix jc · Joined: 19 Dec 2009 Posts: 398 Location: France

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

The myth is becoming even more absurd: http://www.ebay.com/itm/M42-Schneider-Tomioka-zebra-EDIXAR-1855mm-for-WIRGIN-Edixa-RARE-SERVICED-/261293072016

Now these lenses aren't content with just being either German or Japanese - now they're both simultaneously! Laughing

The Edixar is obviously the product of cooperation between Schneider and Tomioka. Rolling Eyes

This is probably the zaniest theory behind the origin of these lenses yet.

100% certain this is the same lens as the 1.8/55 Yashinon. Compare the back of the Edixar to this Yashinon: http://www.ebay.com/itm/auto-YASHINON-1-8-55mm-Lens-M42-Japan-/190909587909?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item2c731921c5 They're identical.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I don't know what's more absurd - the ebay claims or the speculating about the truth. Wink

fermy · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 1974

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

Thank's for bringing out the subject. I was aware that is imminent. In fact i was the one starting this topic. Regarding the Edixar it has some distinctive features, it was used on EDIXA cameras and there is no "made in Japan" on it. I didn't alter the lens in any way.

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

I had two or three of these "rare" lenses. From my impression, it is not made in Germany. Looked japanese made.

Klaus

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

I think it is quite obviously Japanese, really quite indisputably Yashica/Tomioka. The difference, cosmetically of the focus and aperture rings is not that significant, Yashica used the same style on several of their first SLR lenses as well as on some rangefinder lenses, so they obviously had the ability to produce them this way. The cut outs for the f stop and depth of field, and the construction of the mount are indistinguishable from the normal Yashinon 1.8/55.

The mystery as always - is what Wirgin had to do with all of this. Confused

Bladejunkie · Joined: 05 Apr 2017 Posts: 11

These keep popping up on eBay as "Rodenstock Edixagon"s or "mystery Edixagon"s or sometimes even "mystery Heligons", probably to fleece the unknowing of their hard earned dollars. I have been collecting German 50mm M42 mount primes of the 1950s and early to mid 1960s (when things turned plasticky), and I will be darned if this is a lens made in Germany. Admittedly, if this were a Rodenstock lens, the serial numbers of these "mystery Rodenstocks" would place them in the period between 1969 and 1971, which would seem about right. But note that the lens suddenly went from 6 to 7 digit serial numbers (pictures 1 and 2 below).

So what's the circumstantial evidence that this is not a German lens?

1. The lens does not bear a marking that it was made in Germany. Every German lens I own bears this marking in one way or another.

2. The lens does not bear the name of the producer. This is the strongest indicator that this is a generic store brand kind of lens. Like Japanese, German high-quality lenses bear the producer's name, the location of its headquarter, and a serial number. Some producers, like Rodenstock and the West German branch of Zeiss, are exceptions and do not bear the location, but they always bear the producer's name.

2. The lens has a minimum F-stop of 2.0. This would be an uncommon widest aperture for a German 50mm SLR prime, who tended to have 1.8 or 1.9 maximum apertures since the mid or late 1950s, including the truly rare Rodenstock Heligon.

3. The lens coating seems to develop yellow tinging like the radioactive Takumars do. I have never seen this color of tinging or coating on a German lens, whose coatings tend to have a blue, purple, or a purple and orange hue.

4. The barrel design simply does not look like anything German. Like many others who wrote before me, my first reaction just looking at it and before reading this thread was that the lens looks like a Mamiya Sekor. In fact, the numerals for the focus and f-stop markings, and their layout, resemble a Mamiya-Sekor 50/2 almost to the mu (figures 3 and 4) and that the diaphragms appear to be identical (figures 5 and 6). The serial number on the other hand is more reminiscent of either a Yashinon or, in fact, a Rodenstock. So either it is a generic "Edixa store brand" lens made in Japan, or it is an early case of outsourcing (Picture Edixa calling Rodenstock: "Eh, Rodenstock, you got some cheap semi-fast primes for our low end model?" Rodenstock: "Are you @#$%ing kidding me? Do you not know who we are? - but wait, I got an idea.")

5. This is where it gets subjective, but the color rendering is not typically German. Across a variety of photographers the photos taken with this lens are too intense in color, in ascending order in the blues, skin tones, and reds. In particular the skin tones and reds strike me as being too warm, perhaps because of the yellow tinging of the lens, but it is also common to my new Sonys which don't have any tinging. Hence, it might be a "cultural difference" in how Japanese and German lens makers like their colors rendered. The only older German lenses that I have seen that produce colors of similar intensity are the CZJ Flektogon and the Leica Elmarit (both 35 mm lenses).

All that said, I find this lens produces very pleasing results except in skin tones. But why pay hundreds of dollars for something you don't know what it is instead of paying $30 or 40 for a Mamiya Sekor and have a ton of fun with it?
#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Interesting thread to revive. I have since my last post in this thread several years ago, seen that the Edixagon is the same lens as the Exaktar 2/50, just with an M42 mount. So it is unquestionably Japanese.

I do quite like the lenses really, but it goes to show how effective internet myths can be at inflating prices - the Edixagon 2/50 is often listed for prices five to ten times more than an Exaktar 2/50 will bring. Granted the M42 mount is a little more convenient, but I'm not convinced that convenience is worth a few hundred dollars.

Bladejunkie · Joined: 05 Apr 2017 Posts: 11

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

I am positive that the Exaktar 2/50 and Edixagon 2/50 are the same lens. If you hold them side by side you will see there is no question about it. Superficially there are some outward differences because of the different mounts and aperture actuation mechanisms, but when you look at the glass, coating, diaphragm, retaining rings, screws, etc. those are all identical. I'd expect one could swap lens elements between the two without any problems. While that still doesn't answer the question of who made them, at least a few of the Exaktar lenses are marked with "Japan" so it's safe to say the whole lot is Japanese in origin.

edit: check out this thread on a fake Pancolar (Exaktar with fake Pancolar name ring screwed on over the original one) :
http://forum.mflenses.com/did-i-buy-a-fake-pancolar-50-2-t65543.html

Easy things to spot are the unique front element with the metal ring visible behind it, same amber color coating, and the same rendering as the Edixagon.

Bladejunkie · Joined: 05 Apr 2017 Posts: 11

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3930 Location: Switzerland

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3930 Location: Switzerland

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Stephan, PLEASE do not step into that trap. Don't accept his game, you can only lose.
Been there myself, best way is simply ignore, as hard as it may be. You do great work,
take that as a "compensation" and move one doing that, don't let yourself down... Wink