Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]<<Leitz, NY lenses, made by Wollensack, were indeed coated and their quality equaled or surpassed that of other manufacturer's lenses of the same era.>> As long as we are on the subject of Wollensak lenses for Leica cameras, Leitz, NY supplied three different Wollensak lenses for Leica cameras sold in the USA during WW2 and shortly after. The rarest seems to be a 50mm f3.5 Wollensak Velostigmat fitted to Leica E and Leica IIIc cameras in place of the Elmar. More common was the 90mm f4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat short telephoto. The longest lived seems to be the 127mm f4.5 Wollensak Velostigmat, used from 1944 through 1951. Leica supplied the focusing mounts while Wollensak made the lens heads. Many of the Leica cameras sold by Leica, NY during that period were assembled out of the spare parts stock. Because of the comparative rarity of the Leica/Wollensak lenses, they bring higher prices in the collector's auctions that do the comparable Leica lenses of the same period. I have only seen pictures of the 50mm f3.5 but I own and regularly use the 90mm f4.5. I have never used the 127mm F4.5 on a Leica but it seems to be the same lens head that was fitted to 4x5" Speed Graphics. Wollensak Optical Co. of Rochester, NY was a well respected lens maker in the 40s and 50s. They were among the first US lens manufacturers to use coatings and made high quality press and enlarging lenses. I believe the company was acquired by Eastman Kodak. A good trivia question among Leicaholics would be to ask if Leica ever supplied a 127mm lens. The Wollensak lens seems to be the one and only 35 mm camera lens of that focal length. Larry Z - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html