Laack Rathenow Anastigmat Pololyt 13,5cm f/4.5

[no-X]

I bought this (very) old uncoted lens as a soft-focus tool, but I've just discovered, that the lens doesn't create any effects, it's just sharp.

I used it this way:




Pololyt 135/4.5 -> T2->M42 adapter -> 7mm M42 extension ring -> small M42 helicoid (from Alex) -> big M42 helicoid (from Alex) -> SA->M42 adapter (from Alex ) -> Sigma DSLR


wide opened image:




crop:




another image taken wide-opened (f/4.5):




at f/6.3:




at f/9:




crops at f/9:




Maybe next time...

[bawang]

Nice.

Can you explain how you accomplish that. The tubes/helicoid alone looks interesting enough.

[Spotmatic]

Thanks for the photos! You've just proved what I knew before: old and uncoated does not automatically mean that the results should be soft. Yes, if you use simple meniscus lenses maybe... But many lenses way back then were fairly well corrected against common lens defects.

Granted, the old lenses can be less contrasty, but this can be repaired in post processing.

But with regards to the photos: I really like the bokeh. Any chance to take photos in more harsh conditions (busy backgrounds)?

[no-X]

Yes, but I'll wait for better weather and some flowers

Background for the first shot is created by a sofa and for the others by oil-paint of Bohemian Central Highlands (just in case - I believe, that majority of users recognized it)

[luisalegria]

What I like the most is the name !

"Laack Rathenow Anastigmat Pololyt"

It just sounds dead cool.

[no-X]

Yeah, the name is good, but I still prefer "Contessa-Nettel Sonnar Anastigmat"

[ManualFocus-G]

Nice find! And lovely bokeh in the last shots there!

[Wormhandler]

Lovely shots.
I have had some similar suprises when I was looking for lenses with "defects".

Hope to see some more from this lens.
And yes, it is an awesome name. Maybe we can start a thread with cool names.

/Jan

[no-X]

Thanks to all member for nice comments

Today I recieved a few more old lenses (in shutters):

• CZJ Triotar 7,5 cm f/4,5 (1933 according to the SN)
  
• Turf Anastigmat 7,5cm f/3,5
  
• Kodak Doublet (no other info, f-values are almost unreadable, possibly from f/6.5 to f/36)
  
• Ica lens (from Ica Atom, no other info)
  
• Eastman Kodak (no other info, there are only numbers "1 - 2 - 3 - 4" instead of f-values)

Triotar behaves like macro lens on DSLR, not good for general usage.




Turf Anastigmat has longer register distance it works with the short focusing helicoid from Alex




Kodak Doublet is another "macro" lens.




Ica Atom lens- I'm not sure, if the lens is complete - it hasn't rear element)




Eastman Kodak lens is in fact meniscus type (pinhole, iris, doublet). I tried some shots, but the glow effect was quite weak - in fact, it was quite sharp (not really sharp, but far from soft-focus). But I found out, that the front black pinhole part can be removed and iris can be opened to values much under "1" (even to the place of serial number). After this modification, the lens behaves as I expected. Iris can be used for regulation of the soft effect.

pinhole / pinhole part removed:









//edit: pictures of all lenses are taken by the Pololyt