Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/20

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Subject: Re: [Leica] cosina/voigtlander
From: "A.H.SCHMIDT" <horsts@primus.com.au>
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 00:39:47 +1100
References: <3.0.6.32.20010316181636.00a62cd0@pop.infi-net.mindspring.com> <019301c0ae73$fc3e7e80$e904c53f@pacbell.net> <3AB6CE15.B2D9C88A@umich.edu>

Dante, Let me correct a couple of points.  According to Marc Small, besides the
50mm Nokton, Voigtlander also made a Leica screw mount Ultron.
According to all my literature I have, The Nokton was a symmetrical (Gauss) design.
It was a 7 element in 4 groups design. However it was in no way derived from the
Zeiss Planar.
It was a very own design.
The Scopar, was not only used on fixed cameras, but also on interchangeable lens
cameras
like the prominent and the Vitessa T, I think.  It was the same 4 element design as
was the Tessar. belonging to the Cooke triplet family.
The Heliar was a special lens. lovely and soft (intentionally) when wide open and
very sharp
when stopped down. It was a five element design also from the Cooke triplet family.

 The design looks a bit similar to the Leitz 28mm f6.3 Hektor and even closer to
the 50mm f2.5 Hektor except that it has 6 elements with the centre element a double
cemented element.

I agree, that it would have been nice to keep closer to the original Voigtlander
naming conventions.

Many of the longer lenses, made for 24x36mm, with a focal length up to about 200mm
where called Dynaron, Dynarex or Super Dynarex. The shorter lenses, E.G.  35mm
where named Scoparon, Scoparex and Scopagon.
I believe, all these lenses where interchangeable lenses. I don't know of any fixed
lens camera
using these. I may stand corrected..

Maybe if Cosina one day releases a zoom lens , they get it right and name it
Zoomar, but one never knows.

Regards, Horst Schmidt



Dante A. Stella wrote:

> Not to join the fray on this, but the only really offensive thing about using
> Voigtlander's name to push LTM equipment IS THAT VOIGTLANDER NEVER MADE LEICA
> STUFF (except for the original Nokton, which is exceptionally rare and fetches
> $1,300 even when busted up).
>
> The Bessa was a 6x9 folding rangefinder (or VF, depending on which one).
>
> The Nokton was a 50/1.5 lens for the Prominent.  It had a bayonet mount.  And
> it was a Sonnar, not a modified, aspherical planar.
>
> The Ultron and Skopar, if I recall correctly, were compact fixed lenses for
> compact RFs.  The Skopar was just a Tessar.
>
> The Heliar was another Tessar-type lens for the Bessa.
>
> Geez, at least they could get the product names to match something close in the
> old line!
>
> Ken Iisaka wrote:
>
> > > At 05:21 PM 3/16/2001 EST, Photovilla@aol.com wrote:
> > > >
> > > >I can't completely agree with you here.
> > > >
> > > >While the use of the Voigtlander name is certainly a bit suspect, I think
> > > >that they make a few interesting niche products of quality that is
> > > >commensurate with the prices they charge.
> > >
> > > This is a different issue, Rich.  I am not speaking to the quality of the
> > > Cosina products.  I am only speaking to their legally permissible, but
> > > ethically improper, use of the Voigtländer name.
> >
> > Whether something is ethical or not is purely subjective.  If we have
> > digressed into arguing about subjective points, there is no reason to
> > continue this discussion.

In reply to: Message from Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net> (Re: [Leica] cosina/voigtlander)
Message from "Ken Iisaka" <ken@iisaka.org> (Re: [Leica] cosina/voigtlander)
Message from "Dante A. Stella" <dante@umich.edu> (Re: [Leica] cosina/voigtlander)