Voigtlander Lenses?

Manufacturers often give lens coverage based, not on vignetting, but on the largest circle that meets a particular criterion for some aberration. In simple terms, the image no longer meets their standards outside the published circle, even though there may be adequate light distribution in a much wider area.

If you're only contact printing (as is common from 8x10 and larger), you might well find you can accept a lower quality, and thus a larger circle from the lens; only you can decide that.

The Heliar design is 5 lens elements (pieces of glass) in 3 groups. That is, four of the glass elements are cemented into two pairs so that there are only three separate pieces. Many people think of it as a modification of the tessar design, but Rudolf Kinglake in his book A History of the Photographic Lens points out that it predates the tessar and is most likely a modification of the triplet.

Only the Universal Heliar is a soft focus lens. The position of the center element is adjustment to effect the corrections. The Heliar is a general purpose taking lens of moderate coverage. In the catalog that I have, Voigtlander listed the 24 cm Heliar as suitable for the 5 x 8 1/2 inch format.

The most famous Voigtlander lens is the Apo-Lanthar, which is a Heliar design which used lanthanum / thorium glass for improved color correction. This was advanced technology at the time. A drawback is that this glass is mildly radioactive and browns with time. The brown color may be cleared with UV light. There is more information about thorium glass on my webpage: http://home.earthlink.net/~michaelbriggs/aeroektar/aeroektar.html.

Today the Apo-Lanthars have a mystique and fetch collector's prices. But there is no need to pay collector's prices for excellent color performance. Many of today's lens use high performance optical glass and there have long been high-index, low-dispersion glasses that do not contain thorium.

There is an article by Arne Croel on Voigtlander LF lenses in the May/June 2005 issue of View Camera magazine. Scans of a Voigtlander LF lenses catalog are available at http://yandr.50megs.com/vt/lenses/pro.htm.

Things are even more interesting... The common Heliars as well as the Apo-Lanthars are of the same basic design. But neither is a Heliar-design! A little after designing the Heliar, Voigtländer designed the Dynar. The sharpness was better, so that was put in production - but the Heliar name was already well known, so the name was kept even though the design was changed.

I have tried a 150mm Heliar and a 150mm Apo-lanther on 5x7" film, and they just cover. Corners might be a little soft, but not enough to stop me from using them on 5x7". So the 240 Heliar should be about the same when used on 8x10".

I like the Heliar, and I like the Apo-Lanthar even more. Same "smoothness" and even sharper, is that makes sense? My Heliar came on a 9x12cm Voigtländer Bergheil, I don't think I would have bought the lens alone since I already had the A-L.

This is to Donald! I'm familiar With the vignetting also what or how manufacturer giving out information but still I find that or it's better if I say feel that there is so much left before I get even a little vignetting so I don't think it would be any aberrations of fading in any way! Is that anyone out there have a bigger camera and own a heliar so he can try could try? I'm not joking! I give averything what my camera got and I got supprised that's why I come out with this! I looked the corners on the ground glas with the loop and technicly speeking that was sharp as in the middle on f 4.5!

This is to Michael! Thanks from all of us whom read this lines on the heliars, that was very informative! Frankie!

This is to Ole! Yes it is! It make sense! Smootness with sharpness. Smootness out of fucus doesn't! Informative, thanks again from all of us!

You might find it interesting that a recent re-make of the 50mm Heliar f/3.5 was given very high marks, using something called SQF as an evaluation technique.

(I believe the lens a Cosina implementation of an old design. See Voigtl䮤er Heliar 50mm f/3.5)

Apparently, SQF is based on the better-known MTF: depending on the size of the image, it considers only those portions of the MTF data which a person would use in perceiving sharpness. See MTF and SQF.

I love my 150/4.5 Apo-Lanthar mounted on my 6x9, 985 Technical Horseman lens board. Plenty of movements, and producing gorgeous 6x9 "slides".

Frank, What Voigtlander lenses are you referring to?

Just like Schneider, Voigtlander made a wide variety of lenses. We need more information before anyone can give you a good answer.

As to the value of an old lens, it's worth whatever a buyer and seller agree it's worth at the time of sale. R. Peters