Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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.