Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/12/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Marc, I've had and used a few 50mm Xenons over the years. The best of them being in a Retina IIIc which I got for swapping a Topaz Filtered power supply. Using Plus X and Panatomic X. I would get critically sharp 8x10s. at wide open or f2.8.. The worst Xenon I used was in a Leica SM on my IIIa. It did not suffer from flare, it was just unsharp. When I put a Summarit on it (supposedly a coated Xenon). it was excellent wide open on Isopan F. Jerry Marc James Small wrote: > At 05:57 PM 12/1/2007, Jim Nichols wrote: > >Phil, > > > >If I recall correctly, the Xenon 50mm f/2 was used on one of the Retina > >models available in the early 50s, and was considered to be a fine > lens at > >the time. I almost bought one, but, instead, found a Leica IIIa with an > >Elmar 50mm f/3.5 and went that way. > > Jim > > I own a JSK-lensed Retina IIIc set and a Rodenstock-lensed IIIa set. > The Xenon is a superlative lens. It was produced in LTM by JSK, > incidentally, though these are now rather scarce on the ground and > hard to find. The Retina is a grand camera and quite user-friendly. > > JSK, of course, worked closely with Leitz fron the 1930's to the > 1960's, primarily through the efforts of Taylor, Taylor, Hobson in the > UK. Tronnier and Berek and Harold Dennis Taylor co?perated on a > number of lens designs during this time. Taylor's papers surfaced > about five years ago but neither myself or other researchers seem to > have gone through them in detail: if one of you kind folks wants to > gift me a six-month trip to the UK, I will cheerfully do so. > > Marc >