“Which Lens is Best? Four or Five Element, F/2.8 or F/3.5”
“Which Lens is Best? Four or Five Element, F/2.8 or F/3.5”
“A. 80mm f/2.8 Zeiss Planar is a five-element alternative to the Xenotar
(below) on the Rolleiflex 2.8E. Although the line-up of optical elements is
rather different from the Xenotar, performance is similar. It produces
excellent definition to the corners of the negative, even at full
aperture.”
“B. 80mm f/2.8 Schneider Xenotar has five elements and can be had on the
Rolleiflex 2.8E. In extensive tests with this lens Modern found it
extremely sharp in overall definition. The five-element 80mm f/2.8 lenses
are considerable improvements over the discontinued four-element 80mm f/2.8
Tessars once available on the Rolleiflex 2.8.”
“C. 75mm f/3.5 Zeiss Planar is a five element alternative to the Xenotar on
the Rolleiflex 3.5. It shows excellent definition even at full aperture.”
“D. 75mm f/3.5 Schneider Xenotar with five elements has now completely
replaced the four element Xenar on all Rolleiflexes. Differences in
definition between the discontinued four-element Xenar and this
five-element Xenotar at f/3.5 are almost impossible to see, even with great
magnification of the negative corners. Definition, to say the least, is
excellent in the 75mm f/3.5 Xenotar.”
“E. 75mm and 60mm Schneider Xenar are available on the Rolleicord Va and
Rolleiflex 4×4 respectively. The Xenar design is of a traditional
four-element Tessar-type construction. Performance at such moderate
aperture (f/3.5) and focal length (75mm) is excellent compared with that of
the 75mm f/3.5 five-element Xenotars and Planars.”
Are the new rolleis really better?
Modern Photography, May 1956, pg. 50-132
Are the new Rolleis Really Better?
(3.5G [E] and 75mm f/3.5 Xenotar)
“Five or four element lens?”
“Now lets take a look at that five element f/3.5 lens. It’s no secret that
there was a cry from professional photographers for a Rolleiflex with an
f/2.8 lens and that these camera enthusiasts only got what they wanted when
a five element optical system was developed.”
“With a maximum f/3.5 aperture in 75mm focal lengths, the story has been
quite different. The four element Zeiss Tessar and Schneider Xenar 75mm
f/3.5 lenses have long been standards of excellence for Rolleis and many
other cameras. What more can the new Xenotar five element offer? For all
but the most persnickety professional, a good Xenar or Tessar will do
nicely. Testing the new Xenotar against a good example of a Schneider
Xenar, the resulting picture definition with both lenses was almost
identical. This is not to disparage the new Xenotar but rather point out
that a good four element Xenar or Tessar can be a very good lens indeed.
Perhaps the Xenotar proved a shade sharper in the corners at full aperture
than the Xenar. However, in actual photographic practice we doubt that this
difference would be perceptible. Xenar or Xenotar? They’re both fine
lenses.”
Super Cool Handmade Polaroid TLR
Source: http://petapixel.com/2012/10/31/beautiful-handmade-polaroid-twin-lens-reflex-camera/
London-based photographer Kelly Angood has had quite a tumultuous year so far in 2013. Last month she announced that she would be turning her popular cardboard medium format camera design into a proper do-it-yourself kit. After launching a Kickstarter campaign to take preorders, she quickly raised over £23,000 (~$34,000) from over 600 supporters.
However, the fact that her camera was based on Hasselblad’s famous design turned out to be a dealbreaker. After being informed that she was putting herself at risk of a lawsuit, Angood decided to cancel the project and turn her back on the money. Now, one month later, she’s at it again with a different (original) camera design and a new camera kit Kickstarter campaign.
The new camera is Videre and is a medium format pinhole camera designed to look like a twin-lens reflex camera. It’ll come as a flat pack kit, and will be a camera you assemble yourself. Think model making, except what you get is a working camera.
Materials-wise, the camera is assembled from pieces printed onto thick recycle card. Inside the kit will be easy-to-follow instructions and an extra medium format spool.
Angood hopes to have these new cameras shipped to customers by November, so it could make for a fun Christmas present this holiday season.
The new Kickstarter campaign has already raised over £10,000 at the time of this writing, and there are 44 more days for Angood to raise the £15,000 she needs. A £30 (~$45) contribution will preorder you a kit come November, while a £150 donation will secure you a preassembled camera that’s shipped to your doorstep.
You can also follow along with this project’s progress on its official Tumblr page.
TLRgraphy 