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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 6602 Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:55 pm Post subject: Isco Tele-Westanar 135/3.5 M42 Semi-Auto for Edixa |
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luisalegria wrote:
I got this in a lot with other things, and as I really don't collect Isco's or similar lenses in M42, I am selling it.
I did want to try it out though, as it is a rather interesting piece.
A classic "zebra" finished lens from the great days of the German SLR industry. I guess this dates from some time between the late 1950's to maybe 1964 or so, as I am lacking an Isco serial number reference. Its also got the ditinctive "window" type aperture/DOF display. I have seen this on some early 1960's Schacht lenses also. Isco was of course a spin-off of Schneider. Isco after WWII generally made lenses for the mass market as compared to Schneider which dealt with the upper end of the industry.
This particular model is a bit unusual because it is not just the typical preset aperture lens of the time, but a transitional "semi-automatic" lens intended for use on a very specific line of cameras, Edixa. In, fact, it is a triple-mode lens -
Semi-Auto on Edixa -
The lens can be "cocked" using the sliding latch (see pictures below), whereby the aperture will remain wide open, even as the taking aperture can be set for some smaller aperture. When the auto pin is pushed by the cameras auto mechanism the lens is automatically stopped down. But for the next shot it has to be cocked again. This of course is not unique to this lens, a similar system was used by Asahi for early Takumars, by Zeiss and Schneider for some Exakta and M42 lenses, etc.
Why Edixa ? Edixa's were M42 mount cameras, but their lens mount thread was skewed. This lens when fully screwed into a regular M42 camera will not have its auto pin in the same place a regular M42 auto lens would, it would be about 20 degrees off. The push plate wont hit the pin. Similarly a regular M42 auto lens on those Edixas won't work in auto mode either.
Semi-Auto with dual shutter cable -
This lens also includes a shutter cable socket, intended for use with a double-ended shutter cable. One end went into the camera shutter socket, the other on the lens. The lens could be cocked as above, and it would automatically stop down when the shutter cable fires the shutter. This mode could be used on any M42 camera. This is a very unusual mechanism on an M42 lens.
Preset -
The aperture mechanism is also a preset - typical on German style presets, the stop can be set by pulling back the ring and moving it to the preset aperture. Then the aperture ring will turn between the preset aperture and wide open. This mode can of course be used on any M42 camera.
Other than the curiosity regarding the special semi-auto modes, this is a normal M42 lens, and can be used on any M42 camera or DSLR with standard M42 adapters. Its a very conventional 4-element 135mm lens it seems. Minimum focus is 1.5 meters. I got it in good condition, I just had to clean some haze behind the rear element.
Performance is fine. It works well wide open, giving very good sharpness to my mind.
Samples - some taken with extension rings.
The bird -
crop -
_________________ I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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Ymmot
Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 168
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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Ymmot wrote:
Maybe the shutter release socket is useful with certain bellows units (and non auto tubes)?
Now it does not really matter I guess, any sort of m42 tubes, auto or non auto, can be had for peanuts anyways. |
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ManualFocus-G
Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 6622 Location: United Kingdom
Expire: 2014-11-24
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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ManualFocus-G wrote:
That's a nice looking vintage lens, and the results have a vintage edge to them too _________________ Graham - Moderator
Shooter of choice: Fujifilm X-T20 with M42, PB and C/Y lenses
See my Flickr photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/manualfocus-g |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:17 am Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Looks like an older version of mine. I rather like the ISCO lenses. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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fatdeeman
Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 780 Location: UK
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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fatdeeman wrote:
Nice looking lens and great results, as always! I love pic 3 _________________ - Dave
www.lensporn.net
www.flickr.com/photos/fatdeeman/
DSLR: Canon EOS 60D, Samsung GX-1S (Pentax *ist DS2)
Mirrorless: Panasonic DMC-G1, Sony NEX-5N
Compact: Canon PowerShot G3
Lenses:
Wide: Tokina RMC 28mm F/2.8, Tamron Adaptall 2 28mm F/2.5, Sun Optical 28mm F/2.5, Super paragon 28mm F/2.8, Sigma filtermatic 24mm F/2.8, Fujinon 35mm F/2.8, Sun Optical 35mm F/2.8
Standard: Industar 50-2, Helios 44-2, Helios 44M, Helios 44M-3, Pentax-M 50mm F/1.4, Pentax-M 50mm F/1.7, Pentax-M 50mm F/2, Ricoh 50mm F/1.7, Chinon 50mm F/1.7
Tele: Pentacon 135mm F/2.8, Pentacon 200mm F/3.5, Optomax 200mm f/3.5, Sun Optical 135mm F/3.5, Soligor 350mm F/5.6
Zoom: Tokina 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 SZ-X270 SD, Sigma Zoom Pi 35-200mm F4-5.6, Sun Optical 28-80mm F/3.5-4.5, Sunagor 80-205mm F/3.8, Tokina RMC 80-200mm F/4, Vivitar 70-150mm F/3.8, Tamron 95-205mm F/6.3, Tamron Adaptall 28-200mm F/3.8-5.6 LD Aspherical, Tokina RMC 70-210mm F/3.5
Mirror: Falcon (Samyang) 800mm F/8, MTO-11CA 1000mm F/10, Tamron Adaptall 2 500mm F/8
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