Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/03/08

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To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: Zeiss Jena Biotessar f2.8/165mm
From: msmall@roanoke.infi.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Fri, 08 Mar 1996 16:14:49 -0500
Cc: Jack Campin <jack@purr.demon.co.uk>

One more quick note on this fine lens and I'll shut up about it, already yet!

I did a calumny to Dr Kingslake:  he DID discuss the Biotessar design,
though not until his 1989 opus, _A History of the Photographic Lens_, as a
Tessar derivative.  It was designed in 1925 by Drs Wandersleb and Merte.
Similar designs are the Ross Xpres, designed by Stuart and Hasselkus in
1913, the Gundlach Radar, and the Berthiot Olor.  The Voigtlander Heliar,
though an older design, is of extremely similar construction as well.

Three lenses in this series of perhaps 500 lenses (Campin's being the third)
are now known to the Zeiss Historica Society:  the other two are in Bentzin
Primarflex mounts, indicating that they, too, are probably conversions, as
the Primarflex did not appear until, I believe, the 1936 Leipzig Fair.

And, now, back to Leitz and Leica and Wetzlar and Solms -- though I'll be
delighted to discuss ANY Leica-fitted third-party lens with anybody, anytime
-- but perhaps private E-Mail is best for this.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!