Xenar 15cm f/3.5 for Big format (but on Sony A7)

Musashichan · Joined: 18 Nov 2015 Posts: 96

Hello,
Opening this thread even if i'm pretty sure i'll be the only one to post on it...
Finally decided to test an old lens (seems to be 20s or 30s) on my Sony A7 : i taped it in a Helios-44 body, mounted on a bellow and attached to the Sony with a M42 adapter.
Distance to the sensor seems to be around 14cm for infinity so with the bellow i'm able to focus normally from infinity to very close.

Xenar on Sony A7 by Yann Dubois, sur Flickr

First results with bad weather are showing a soft image wide open, but with no lack of sharpness. Seems to be only the low contrast making this impression. It's very promising for portraits as definition is nice, bokeh just wonderfull, transitions are soft.

Xenar 150mm f/3.5 on Sony A7 by Yann Dubois, sur Flickr

Xenar 150mm f/3.5 on Sony A7 by Yann Dubois, sur Flickr

I'll try to make greater shots with this beauty !

Xenar on Sony A7 by Yann Dubois, sur Flickr

Sciolist · Expire: 2021-04-16

Nicely done Musashichan Like 1 small

. I love seeing the results of experiments like this. That's such a steampunk looking lens. Thanks for sharing.

sergtum · Joined: 14 Nov 2016 Posts: 735

nice pics

spleenone · Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 1130 Location: Slovakia

What a find. Would be interested in more samples=)

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

A fairly early Schneider.
You can get the age from the serial numbers on the lens or the Compur shutter.

The shutter is the dial-set Compur, which was replaced by the rim-set at the end of the 1920s for most uses, but persisted in larger shutter sizes, as this is.

I like the dial-set Compurs because they are much easier to repair, for an amateur like me anyway.

f/3.5 was quite fast for a Tessar-type of the time, a bit of specification competition which was hot and heavy even in those days. The original Xenar was a reversed Tessar with the doublet in front, and I think you may find, possibly, that this is one of those. Later ones after the end of the Zeiss patent were regular Tessar-copies.

f/3.5 might have been meant for groundglass (focusing) use only as this formula was not ideal for such apertures in those days.

This lens of 15cm would have been a "normal" on a 9x12 German format plate cameras, longer than the common 13.5 cm, but the tradeoff would have been that it had a larger image circle and more scope for movements. 15cm was also quite common on US 4x5 inch formats.

You may want to put a hood on this as these things are uncoated and flare, in spite of the simple formula. Also its worth checking for haze. Almost all these old LF lenses have haze between the elements. Fortunately they are almost always easy to disassemble and clean. You should get considerably better contrast with a hood and a cleaning (I don't know if you have).

Musashichan · Joined: 18 Nov 2015 Posts: 96

Wahou luisalegria that's an answer thanks a lot !!!

To me it's a front triplet but i have to check again, i tried to clean a very light "something" (like a very transparent haze but definitly not looking like usual haze) but it seems to stand between the too front elements and if i remember they are glued ; i'll try again...but it's hardly visible and i'm sure it doesn't affect image.
I'll try to find a hood for this one yes.

I would love to try it on film but i never made something bigger than 6x6 and i don't know anyone near me doing big format photography. I would love to, i imagine that it's not that expensive to find a working chamber if i already have the lens and shutter but i don't even know how to start looking...

Thanks again !