Rathenower Visionar oder Zeiss Visionar?

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

What is connection with Zeiss and Rathenower Optische Werke? It seems Visionar lens (and possibly others) are labeled both ROW and Zeiss. Anyone research that already?

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I am interest in too, no idea.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Wikipedia has a page:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathenower_Optische_Werke

carlzeissjena · Joined: 15 Aug 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Munich Germany

Hi there

the Visionar was developed by Carl Zeiss Jena in the sixties as a 6 lens/element Gauss type for 35mm Film/cinema projection (exactly 18,1 x 23,2 mm) and thus will nearly fill for example the Sony Nex´s sensor. It was a series of powerful high aperture lenses, mostly manufactured at Carl Zeiss Jena but also at Rathenower Optische Werke ROW up to the very impressive 1,9/200mm which has a 4.1" front element.

The resolution of those lenses (fully open, no aperture) reached 10µm from center to 10mm off center and then gradually declines to 20 µm at 15 mm (circle of 30 mm) and is therefor suitable for a lot of CCD or CMOS sensors with similar µm pixel size ( or via binning) for example in astronomy.
Obviously, beiing a projector lens for larger cinemas uo to car "drive in" type it was optimized for larger distances, there is no focus mechanism.

Info about this lens series was first published by Carl Zeiss Jena in the anual Yearbook 1960 part 1 on page53ff.

Georg

Divisional Director at Carl Zeiss Vision, retired.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Thanks for the precious insider info!

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

According to Wiki since 1966 ROW and CZJ were the same GDR state holding company. But already before WWII they worked together (Zeiss made glas for ROW labels)