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Were Steinheil macros the first infinity-1:1 lenses?
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PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2018 5:54 pm    Post subject: Were Steinheil macros the first infinity-1:1 lenses? Reply with quote
I found an old 1967 ad on ihagee's site for the Steinheil Macro-Quinon 55mm f/1.9, with this statement:

Quote:
What makes this lens so new and different? Well, There has never been a lens like this one! For one thing, it gives you an unbroken focusing range all the way from Infinity through "normal" focusing range to "same-size" image (1:1) to Ultra Close-Up Range of one and one half inches with a magnification of 1.4 to 1 (enlarged!) on the film. And all this CONTINUOUS: no blind spots, no gaps."


Were these old Steinheil's really the first to have unbroken infinity-macro focus?


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2018 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
https://moneymakerphotography.com/history-macro-photography/
Quote:
1955 Kilfitt Makro-Kilar 4CM f2.8


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2018 10:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Lightshow! Funny, I saw a Kilfitt 40/2.8 in an auction literally 60 seconds before opening your reply. If only I could afford it right now....! Perhaps the implication on the ad was specifically for exakta cameras.


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2018 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
paleblue wrote:
Thanks Lightshow! Funny, I saw a Kilfitt 40/2.8 in an auction literally 60 seconds before opening your reply. If only I could afford it right now....! Perhaps the implication on the ad was specifically for exakta cameras.

That would make sense to me, I've seen numerous claims of groundbreaking designs, the first ever....in this format, this mount, this brand, this focal length.
I've been tempted because I like 40mm focal length, it's just that the rubber is usually cracked, being some of the earliest rubber gripped lenses, they may be worse than Topcor lenses in this regard.


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Macro-Quinon goes from INF to 1.4:1 continuously. There is no other consumer macro lens made with similar specification at its time.


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
calvin83 wrote:
The Macro-Quinon goes from INF to 1.4:1 continuously. There is no other consumer macro lens made with similar specification at its time.


Like 1 small Like 1 small Like 1 small


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
calvin83 wrote:
The Macro-Quinon goes from INF to 1.4:1 continuously. There is no other consumer macro lens made with similar specification at its time.


That may well be.

However, the OP's question was about the first real macro lens from 1:1 to INF and this was undoubtedly Heinz Kilfitt's Makro-Kilar apprx. 10 years earlier.

Therefore Kilfitt is regarded as the inventor of real macro lenses.

See also here: http://www.alpareflex.com/Lenses/Kilfitt.htm


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
There are two questions raised by OP:

Were Steinheil macros the first infinity-1:1 lenses?
Were these old Steinheil's really the first to have unbroken infinity-macro focus?

The answer for 1st and 2nd question are the same: NO

For the 2nd question. The first macro lens, focusing from INF to 1:1(the data on the web says it is 1:1 but I think it might be 1:2) for 35mm film, is the Fed macro rigid Industar 10 50/3.5 made before the 1940s.

http://ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=87&ParentID=2&ContentID=457
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?1153858839


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
calvin83 wrote:
The first macro lens, focusing from INF to 1:1(the data on the web says it is 1:1 but I think it might be 1:2) for 35mm film, is the Fed macro rigid Industar 10 50/3.5 made before the 1940s.


That's indeed interesting if it was really 1:1.

However, I'm really wondering how focusing was possible on the FED rangefinder camera with this lens.


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
There is a DOF table comes with the FED lens showing the DOF for every numbers on the focus ring.
http://www.sovietcams.com/sovietcams/m/m_images/wfiles/ilsi6m9630.jpg


PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
calvin83 wrote:
There is a DOF table comes with the FED lens showing the DOF for every numbers on the focus ring.
http://www.sovietcams.com/sovietcams/m/m_images/wfiles/ilsi6m9630.jpg


OK, thanks. Obviously according to this table it's only 1:2....
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