Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/12/01

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Subject: [Leica] 2/60 JSK Xenon
From: glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer)
Date: Sat Dec 1 19:13:46 2007
References: <200712011611.44806.photo.forrest@earthlink.net> <00bc01c8346d$8bf26f60$6101a8c0@jimnichols> <200712012305.lB1N5Me3014146@server1.waverley.reid.org>

Marc, 

I've had and used a few 50mm Xenons over the years.  The best of them 
being in a Retina IIIc which I got for swapping a Topaz
Filtered power supply.  Using Plus X and Panatomic X. I would get 
critically sharp 8x10s. at wide open or f2.8.. The worst Xenon
I used was in a Leica SM on my IIIa.  It did not suffer from flare, it 
was just unsharp.  When I put a Summarit on it (supposedly
a coated Xenon). it was excellent wide open on Isopan F.

Jerry


Marc James Small wrote:
> At 05:57 PM 12/1/2007, Jim Nichols wrote:
> >Phil,
> >
> >If I recall correctly, the Xenon 50mm f/2 was used on one of the Retina
> >models available in the early 50s, and was considered to be a fine 
> lens at
> >the time.  I almost bought one, but, instead, found a Leica IIIa with an
> >Elmar 50mm f/3.5 and went that way.
>
> Jim
>
> I own a JSK-lensed Retina IIIc set and a Rodenstock-lensed IIIa set.  
> The Xenon is a superlative lens.  It was produced in LTM by JSK, 
> incidentally, though these are now rather scarce on the ground and 
> hard to find.  The Retina is a grand camera and quite user-friendly.
>
> JSK, of course, worked closely with Leitz fron the 1930's to the 
> 1960's, primarily through the efforts of Taylor, Taylor, Hobson in the 
> UK.  Tronnier and Berek and Harold Dennis Taylor co?perated on a 
> number of lens designs during this time.  Taylor's papers surfaced 
> about five years ago but neither myself or other researchers seem to 
> have gone through them in detail:  if one of you kind folks wants to 
> gift me a six-month trip to the UK, I will cheerfully do so.
>
> Marc
>


Replies: Reply from marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small) ([Leica] 2/50 JSK Xenon)
In reply to: Message from photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Philip Forrest) ([Leica] Opinions on a lens?)
Message from jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] Opinions on a lens?)
Message from marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small) ([Leica] 2/60 JSK Xenon)