Jörg Krüger
35mm lens comparison #2
Welcome to my second comparison of lenses with a focal length of 35 mm. This time all contenders are more than 50 years old and are equipped with the M42 screw-mount. There are two famous lenses amoung it (Flektogon 2.4/35 and Super-Takumar 3.5/35), two insider tips (Color-Skoparex 2.8/35 and Travegon R 3.5/35) and perhaps a stunner.
Results for the center:
Results for the corner:
Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon MC 2.4/35
Perhaps a Flektogon was the first wide angle lens for SLRs with a retrofocus design, the other suspicious is the Angénieux R1. The first attempt was to put a divergent lens element in front of a well known lens, in that case a Biometar, to obtain a 2.8/35 with a (7/5)-design. In the early seventies the Flektogon was completely redesigned, this time based on a triplet. The new version was cheaper to produce, better and faster, was the first multi-coated lens by CZJ, and it has 6 elements in 6 groups. The lens here has an impressive nearest focus distance of 0.2 m.
Voigländer Color-Skoparex 2.8/35
Made by Rollei in Singapore, belongs to the Voigtländer VSL1 and offers open-aperture-metering with it. It is a (5/5) design by Zeiss and was also available as Distagon with QBM-mount for the Rolleiflex (it is different from the later Distagon for the Contax, which is a (6/6)-design). The Distagon was provided single coated or multi coated (HFT) - I don't know, what the Skoparex is. The lens is from about 1974 and has 6 blades. Another note: the lens has no A/M-switch, but you can close the diaphragm by (carefully!) screw in the tiny set screw next to the aperture pin.
Pentax Auto-Takumar 3.5/35
Clearly the smallest lens of the group. It was produced around 1960. "Auto" means, that the camera automatically closes the aperture via the common pin at the lens mount, but the user has to open it by himself again by pushing the small lever at the f-stop ring, so it is rather "semi-auto". A (5/4)-design with 5 blades.
Pentax Super-Takumar 3.5/35
The same optics like the Auto-Takumar, but in a new outfit: this time with really fully-automatic aperture and with A/M-switch. Usually seen on a Spotmatic.
Enna Lithagon 3.5/35
Certainly the most simple lens in this field. It is based on the 4.5/35 Lithagon, the first retrofocus lens for 35 mm SLRs made in West Germany (1953). The retrofocus effect is achieved by adding a divergent lens element ahead of common lens, so here: the Lithagon has a comparable large front lens element in front of a simple triplet, the result is a (4/4)-design. Also the construction of the lens is simple: full manual aperture setting (even no preset ring) and a rotating front. This combination can by annoying, because you can loose the focus when closing the aperture. 8 blades, the zebra look should be from the late sixties.
A. Schacht Travegon R 3.5/35
Made by a very small manufacturer, but certainly one of the most extravagant lenses of that type which I hold in my hands. The mechanics are extraordinary, the 6 blades sport a ball bearing, the lens has an A/M-switch, a socket for a cable release, and an automatic display for the depth-of-field. The lens was designed by Ludwig Bertele (it's said he designed all lenses of Schacht). As the inventor of the Sonnar Bertele was a master in arranging many lens elements in three groups, so here, the Travegon is a (6/3)-design.
Super Yashinon-R 2.8/35
Perhaps the oldest lens in this field, together with the Auto-Takumar. It was already available for the Yashica Pentaflex around 1960, but then with a bayonet mount. When Yashica switched to the M42 mount with the "J"-series, this lens was carried. It has a preset aperture, 8 blades, a nearest focus distance of 1 m and is a (6/5)-design.
Auto Yashinon DX 2.8/35
The "Auto" indicates an automatic aperture, and there exists also DX-lenses without "Auto" which have a preset aperture then. Contemporary cameras should be the TL and TL Super from the mid-sixties. Those DX lenses were followed by the DS-lenses, rather seen on the TL Elektros. The lens here has an A/M-switch, 6 blades and also an (6/5)-design, and as you can see from the results of this comparison, the design should be very different from the one of the Super Yashinon.
35mm lens comparison #2
Welcome to my second comparison of lenses with a focal length of 35 mm. This time all contenders are more than 50 years old and are equipped with the M42 screw-mount. There are two famous lenses amoung it (Flektogon 2.4/35 and Super-Takumar 3.5/35), two insider tips (Color-Skoparex 2.8/35 and Travegon R 3.5/35) and perhaps a stunner.
Results for the center:
Results for the corner:
Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon MC 2.4/35
Perhaps a Flektogon was the first wide angle lens for SLRs with a retrofocus design, the other suspicious is the Angénieux R1. The first attempt was to put a divergent lens element in front of a well known lens, in that case a Biometar, to obtain a 2.8/35 with a (7/5)-design. In the early seventies the Flektogon was completely redesigned, this time based on a triplet. The new version was cheaper to produce, better and faster, was the first multi-coated lens by CZJ, and it has 6 elements in 6 groups. The lens here has an impressive nearest focus distance of 0.2 m.
Voigländer Color-Skoparex 2.8/35
Made by Rollei in Singapore, belongs to the Voigtländer VSL1 and offers open-aperture-metering with it. It is a (5/5) design by Zeiss and was also available as Distagon with QBM-mount for the Rolleiflex (it is different from the later Distagon for the Contax, which is a (6/6)-design). The Distagon was provided single coated or multi coated (HFT) - I don't know, what the Skoparex is. The lens is from about 1974 and has 6 blades. Another note: the lens has no A/M-switch, but you can close the diaphragm by (carefully!) screw in the tiny set screw next to the aperture pin.
Pentax Auto-Takumar 3.5/35
Clearly the smallest lens of the group. It was produced around 1960. "Auto" means, that the camera automatically closes the aperture via the common pin at the lens mount, but the user has to open it by himself again by pushing the small lever at the f-stop ring, so it is rather "semi-auto". A (5/4)-design with 5 blades.
Pentax Super-Takumar 3.5/35
The same optics like the Auto-Takumar, but in a new outfit: this time with really fully-automatic aperture and with A/M-switch. Usually seen on a Spotmatic.
Enna Lithagon 3.5/35
Certainly the most simple lens in this field. It is based on the 4.5/35 Lithagon, the first retrofocus lens for 35 mm SLRs made in West Germany (1953). The retrofocus effect is achieved by adding a divergent lens element ahead of common lens, so here: the Lithagon has a comparable large front lens element in front of a simple triplet, the result is a (4/4)-design. Also the construction of the lens is simple: full manual aperture setting (even no preset ring) and a rotating front. This combination can by annoying, because you can loose the focus when closing the aperture. 8 blades, the zebra look should be from the late sixties.
A. Schacht Travegon R 3.5/35
Made by a very small manufacturer, but certainly one of the most extravagant lenses of that type which I hold in my hands. The mechanics are extraordinary, the 6 blades sport a ball bearing, the lens has an A/M-switch, a socket for a cable release, and an automatic display for the depth-of-field. The lens was designed by Ludwig Bertele (it's said he designed all lenses of Schacht). As the inventor of the Sonnar Bertele was a master in arranging many lens elements in three groups, so here, the Travegon is a (6/3)-design.
Super Yashinon-R 2.8/35
Perhaps the oldest lens in this field, together with the Auto-Takumar. It was already available for the Yashica Pentaflex around 1960, but then with a bayonet mount. When Yashica switched to the M42 mount with the "J"-series, this lens was carried. It has a preset aperture, 8 blades, a nearest focus distance of 1 m and is a (6/5)-design.
Auto Yashinon DX 2.8/35
The "Auto" indicates an automatic aperture, and there exists also DX-lenses without "Auto" which have a preset aperture then. Contemporary cameras should be the TL and TL Super from the mid-sixties. Those DX lenses were followed by the DS-lenses, rather seen on the TL Elektros. The lens here has an A/M-switch, 6 blades and also an (6/5)-design, and as you can see from the results of this comparison, the design should be very different from the one of the Super Yashinon.