Schneider Super Xenar 2.8/50mm T2 mount

arri · Joined: 13 Jul 2014 Posts: 95

Today I finished a new lens rehousing.
It is one of my favorite lenses, I made one for Leica M39 as well but I measured the focal flange distance and I see that it is possible to use the lens with SLR cameras as well.
I try to give all lenses a T2 univesal mount because I donÂ´t know what kind of camera system I want to use in the next years.
This near were computed in the early 1930th by A.W. Tronnier for Schneider.
He were not pleased with the optical quality of four element Tessar type, or Xenar, lenses and the speed of f/2.8
The Tessar from Zeiss with f/2.8 is not good usable full open, Zeiss said about this lenses that it can be used for soft focus pictures, really good usable at f/4 or below.

Tronnier designed a new kind of lenses, the rear is similar to the Xenar/Tessar but the front has now three single elements and this gives the lens a new class of quality.
This Xenar lenses are known under the name Super Xenar. It were made in 75mm focus as well and with f/2.8 also.

The 50mm lens were sold under the name Xenar and Xenon as well but both with f/2.8
Under this name it is often found with the Kodak Retina camera.

For me it is the best pre war standard lens of all.

Now the lens has a helicoid and can be focus between oo-0.5m
It has an aperture with 15 blades.

The first picture shows the Retina Xenon 2.8/50mm I adapted for Leica
The second picture shows the Xenar 2.8/50mm in T2 mount and with Nikon F adapter.
Samples I made with this lens are found in my Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cinegon/albums/72157712004243146/with/51659449563/

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

arri · Joined: 13 Jul 2014 Posts: 95

My first samples I made today.
Ilford HP5+, Wehner Developer, Nikon F4
Schneider Xenar 2.8/50mm

fiftyonepointsix · Joined: 30 Apr 2017 Posts: 292

I've got a Karat Xenar coated, wartime, that turned out to be the 5 element design. This is not the same optical formula as the pre-war (or post-war) 5cm F2.8 Xenon. I also converted a pre-war 5cm F2.8 Xenon to Leica mount, and had to replace the front element with one that I still have. The latter- a Retina-Xenon 5cm F2.8 uncoated lens, converted to C-Mount.

The Post-War 5cm F2.8 Xenon is a standard 1-2-2-1 configuration, has a truncated front section. The back section is the same as the 5cm F2 Xenon, at least true in my Retina IIC and IIIC.

The Super-Xenar is basically a Tessar formula lens where the front element is split into two elements of lesser power, are closely spaced. The postwar Xenars of the Retina line went back to four elements, must have had better glass available.

The front section of the pre-war Retina 5cm F2.8 is very different from the 5-element Xenar, the underside of the front element is flat. The front group is mounted in a brass fixture, does not separate. Not sure if it is a cemented pair, or air-spaced doublel. On the Xenar the front fixtures all come apart and you can get to all three elements. The rear fixture- I cannot get to it. Maybe I'll buy a pre-war Retina II.

Alex Kraus · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2023 9:16 pm Post subject:

I'm going to get an early postwar Karat with coated Xenar f:2.8/50mm soon. The lens has a 2 million serial number and should still be the 5 element "Super-Xenar". I intend to adapt it to my Sony A9 and I'm looking forward to the results Smile