List of classic triplets and derivatives (Tessar, Sonnar...)

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

I hope the list below, with information about triplet lenses its and derivatives, are useful for people interested in these classic types of photographic lenses.

Excerpt from the 1979 Spanish edition of the original Photographic Optics, by Arthur Cox.

Enjoy it!

PS: Arthur Cox was a great connoisseur, but of course I can not guarantee absolute accuracy of all information presented in his book.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Seems to be quite a few errors. In the Ross section, he lists the Rosstar 4.5/75 as a 4/3 tessar,it isn't, it's a triplet. The Xpres he lists as a 4/3 Tessar too, which is wrong, some are 5/3 with a cemented rear triplet, some are dialytes, some are double gauss, Xpres was just a trade name.

The Wray section is also wrong, he lists Supars as being both tessars and triplets, they are all triplets, and he lists the Lustrar as being both dialytes and tessars; Lustrar, like Xpres was a trade name and covered other designs too, I have a double gauss Lustrar, for instance.

In the Wollensak section he lists the Raptar as a tessar, again wrong as Raptar was also a trade name and covered several designs, I have a dialyte type Raptar and there are double gauss Raptars as well.

In the Kodak section he lists the Proy Ektanonas as triplets, this is wrong, some are dialytes. He also lists the Ektars as tessars, whereas some are Heliars.

The diagram T52 for the Isco S-Projar 2.5/90 is completely wrong, I have one of those lenses and have dismantled it, it is nothing like that diagram, it is an almost symmetrical 6 element design.

In the Aldis section he lists the Anastigmats as being triplets, well,most are, but some are Uno types with a cemented pair in front of the diaphragm and a single element behind.

Just the errors I spotted after a quick scan. Doesn't inspire confidence. Sad

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

Nice document . Thank you.
The Zeiss Novar is absent.
There are articles explaining that the Tessar is not a derivative of a triplet.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

The Novar was not a Carl Zeiss lens, it was a Zeiss Ikon lens, made ether in the Hensoldt factory or bought in from outside makers, Rodenstock are said to be the company who made many of them.

The Tessar is developed from the Unar and Protar, it is the back half of a Protar and the front half of a Unar.

Marco Cavina covers the Protar, Unar, Tessar progression here:

http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Zeiss_cute_DFR_DDR_lenses/00_pag_English.htm

The 4/4 Dialyte/Aplanat type isn't derived from the triplet either. Goerz pioneered this type with the Syntor and Celor followed by the Dogmar and Artar. Steinheil were only a few years behind with their Unofokal. The Cooke Aviar which is also a 4/4 of this type was derived from the triplet though, during ww1 the British captured an example of the Tessar the Germans were using to make aerial maps and gave it to TT&H to copy. TT&H replied tat they couldn't copy it due to the glass types used not being available and instead submitted a superior design using available crown and flint glass. Almost all the early Kodak Anastigmats were 4/4 dialyte types too, they perform very differently to a triplet.

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

I have two cameras equiped with a Novar : an Ikonta 4.5x6 and an Ikoflex TLR.
I have been using the Ikoflex many, many years ago in B&W.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, the Novar is used on most Zeiss Ikon cameras in the lower price range. I have a Nettar 6x6 with a Novar 6.3/75. Stopped down to f11 the results are indistinguishable from those from my Ikonta 6x6 with a Tessar 4.5/75.

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

How old is the book?,perhaps by "dating" the info it will give a better understanding of what era of lenses he was trying to catalogue at his time of life.

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7581 Location: Hong Kong

Cassar and Zuiko 3.5/135 have similar optical construction. Rolling Eyes

Some lens have few versions and have different optical design. For example, the Quinon 2/50 exist in LTM and M39 but they have totally different optical construction(Sonnar vs double Gauss).

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

For the sake of completeness I added the process and enlarging lenses, as listed in the book of Arthur Cox. Many of these lenses are Triplets or Tessars, so that the diagrams shown before apply here.

It is interesting to note that the Stenheil Cassar reappears here, but with a construction type Triplet (diagram T1) and ranges of FLs and apertures different from that shown in the first list. This suggests that indeed Cassar had many versions with varying optical formulas. Another possibility is simply that there is a typo in the first list, causing T1 to turn into T11.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

It will be a typo because every Cassar I've seen was a triplet.

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

I've just rescued the list and optical diagrams of triplets and derivatives that were lost when the forum had a technical problem a few years ago.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11