Berthiot Special 4.5/105, an old folder lens

[alex ph]

A couple of years ago I got a Som Berthiot Flor 3.5/105 coming from a Super Kinax or a similar 1950s high grade folder.

This time it came to a level down folder which is Kinax II, with a Berthiot Special 4.5/105 attached. The bellows were worn off and the mechanics faulty, so I had no headache to screw off the lens and to put it on extension tubes and helicoid.

When cleaning the rear part of the lens, I took it off to discover that it most probably is made of a single glass. This suggests the lens to be a triplet.

These days are rainy, so it makes a perfect echo to the Flor test shots above, with the similar scenery. Sony Nex, contrast is moderately boosted.

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[kds315*]

Surprisingly good!

[alex ph]

That is indeed! I expected a more regular triplet IQ, such as Novar, with fuzzy corners WO (even on APS-C), or a clear but low contrast picture, such as Bonotar gives. These French lenses are a species of their own.

Here is a couple more shots. Simple BW conversion, with contrast boosted even more, which is typical for BW images.

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#3 And the same scenery as above, with a brighter light

[alex ph]

A 100% unprocessed crop in a better light



Taken from this shot