Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/11/17

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Voigtlander 50/2 Heliar Lens?
From: marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Fri Nov 17 15:15:09 2006
References: <cf028ac613581.455736c3@shaw.ca> <000001c706a7$d3871960$4d45e344@GATEWAY> <d0a89c3b16fdd.45573ecf@shaw.ca> <455963A7.5040307@earthlink.net>

At 01:35 AM 11/14/2006, Stephen Gandy wrote:

 >But that is part of the reason the classic Heliar optical
 >design was so prized.

The sharpest lens I have ever used, bar none, was 
the 3.5/7.5 Heliar on a Voigtl?nder Superb 
TLR.  This was just one hell of a great lens.  (I 
had my mother smuggle it into Canada where it was 
swapped for a Bullseye Contarex kit, a deal I still regret making.)

Kingslake was underwhelmed by the Heliar but he 
tended to view this as a very early modified 
triplet intended for LF work and not as the 
capable lens it was later to become.  The basic 
design dates from 1900 and was made by Hans 
Harting and in essence consists of a 2-1-2 
design, with the middle element being a double 
concave lens.  The evolved Heliar of the Interwar 
years was actually a modification orignally 
marketed as the Dynar:  this design seems to have 
been the inspiration for both the fine Dallmeyer 
Pentac and for the Kodak lenses on the Medalist line.

Tronnier and several of his pupils worked 
extensively on the Heliar design during the 
Interwar years, and it is these formulations 
which established the outstanding reputation for 
the design.  Tronnier later used heavy-earth 
glasses to morph the basic Heliar design into the 
Apo-Lanthar lens, first with radioactive elements 
and later with non-radioactive lenses.

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



In reply to: Message from gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO) ([Leica] Voigtlander 50/2 Heliar Lens?)
Message from jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith) ([Leica] Voigtlander 50/2 Heliar Lens?)
Message from gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO) ([Leica] Voigtlander 50/2 Heliar Lens?)
Message from leicanikon at earthlink.net (Stephen Gandy) ([Leica] Voigtlander 50/2 Heliar Lens?)