Anyone know anything about an Orbit SII lens?

[darinwc]

I picked up a 'Orbit S-II 210mm f5.6' lens.
Does anyone know anything about it?

 

[Ian Grant]

It's a Calumet re-branded Symmar S and an excellent lens.

Ian

 

[holmburgers]

I assume the "S-II" makes it different than this one? -> (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

My lens somehow doesn't have the aura of a Symmar-S, but I've been wondering about it.

 

[darinwc]

It's a Calumet re-branded Symmar S and an excellent lens.

Ian

Thanks for confirming that. It looked much like a symmar but Ive never heard of that brand before.

 

[Jon Shiu]

I assume the "S-II" makes it different than this one? -> (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

My lens somehow doesn't have the aura of a Symmar-S, but I've been wondering about it.

your lens looks more like an older Caltar, ie copy of Kodak Commercial Ektar, tessar.

Jon

 

[holmburgers]

Thanks Jon; that actually corroborates with what darinwc PM'd with. So now I trust that neither of you are "making stuff up"... haah

Any idea what its coverage would be?

 

[Ian Grant]

It's a 7x5 lens, it won't get even close to 10x8. You can easily find the coverage for a 210mm Tessar, but being f6.3 it'll have slightly better corner and edge sharpness wider than f22 (the recommended sharpest aperture) than an f4.5 Tessar or Tessar type lens.

The best of the Zeiss Tessars was the f6.3 and corners get softer with the f4.5 and f3.5 designs, this is why the late production Xenar's went back to f5.6 from 4.5/4.7.

Adding: Now I've got home the image circle for that older Orbit 8.5" lens should be about 245mm @ f22

Ian