Kodak Enlarging Ektar 90 F4.5, seeking info

[jjphoto]

I'm seeking information about the Kodak Enlarging Ektar 90 F4.5. I have the lens, mine dates to 1967, but I've been unable to find any technical information about it at all so if anyone can contribute I'd appreciate it. I'd like to know about construction, number of elements/groups, or any technical info at all.

Maybe someone has a Kodak book from the period that has info.

Thanks
John

 

[Paul Howell]

The only reference I have is Montgomery Ward Catalog, Montgomery Ward was a competitor of Sears. The MW Photographic Catalog 1952 lists all the Ektars 4 elements and coated. Same for the Wollensak Rapids. In 1952 the 90mm or 3 1/2 inch was going for $24.95, or $224.68.

 

[jjphoto]

The only reference I have is Montgomery Ward Catalog, Montgomery Ward was a competitor of Sears. The MW Photographic Catalog 1952 lists all the Ektars 4 elements and coated. Same for the Wollensak Rapids. In 1952 the 90mm or 3 1/2 inch was going for $24.95, or $224.68.

Thanks.

There's something fishy about that as the 50mm and 75mm Enlarging Ektars are definitely 5E-4G Heliars, not 4 element. So is the MW Catalog referring to Enlarging Ektars? Maybe there's a typo or maybe it's referring to other Ektar lenses, there were many Ektars.

JJ

 

[jimjm]

John -

I've got the 75mm/4.5 enlarging Ektar which I've dated to 1954 - 5 elements as far as I can determine. Everything I've read about these lenses has been positive and I've been using it to print 645 and 6x6 negatives with great results. No difference I can see from my 80mm Schneider Componon-S, which is a very recent lens. Mine has a funky thread diameter of around 29.5, but I found an adapter to mount it to a standard 39mm lens disk.

I haven't found much more in the way of technical info, but if yours is in good shape, hang on to it and use it!

Interested to hear if you find any additional info on these lenses.

Jim

 

[Paul Howell]

Thanks.

There's something fishy about that as the 50mm and 75mm Enlarging Ektars are definitely 5E-4G Heliars, not 4 element. So is the MW Catalog referring to Enlarging Ektars? Maybe there's a typo or maybe it's referring to other Ektar lenses, there were many Ektars.

JJ

Sorry just the product description, I am not hooked up to a scanner.

"Kodak Enlarging Lenses. Fine color corrected Ekataronon F 4.5 4 element coated lens. Two inch lens has plastic barrel, is permanently mounted on 2 5/8 by 2 5/8 plastic board, all others metal barrel, mounting rings and 2 /58 by 2 5/8 metal lens boards. With lens caps. No Credit Charge on these times, Post paid."


After rereading it might be that MW did make a mistake, is an Ekataron the same as an Ektar? The Kodak lens are about 30% cheaper than Wollensaks listed in the same catalog, the Wollensak raptars were 4 elements and the product description says "Optically corrected for spherical and chomomatic aberrations.

Ektar was usually the top of the line in the Kodak lens line up, I don't currently have any Kodak enlarger lens so I cant look, I have 2 Wollensaks of the same time period, one is a 3 element, 2 1/2 inch, the other is a Raptar which is a 4 element. Maybe Kodak made 2 level of lens, a 3 and 4 element, if that was the case I would assume that the Ektar would be the 4 element.

 

[jjphoto]

Thanks.

There's something fishy about that as the 50mm and 75mm Enlarging Ektars are definitely 5E-4G Heliars, not 4 element. ...

JJ

Speaking of typo's, a Heliar is 5 elements in 3 groups, not 5E-4G! Oops.

...Maybe Kodak made 2 level of lens, a 3 and 4 element, if that was the case I would assume that the Ektar would be the 4 element.

Thanks. That catalogue is referring to the Ektanon, not Ektar lenses. Kodak had 2 lines of enlarging lenses, the Ektanon which was 3 element Triplet or 4 element Tessar depending on the specific lens and the Ektar which was their top-of-line.

I've listed the info I have on the Enlarging Ektar and Ektanon's here http://photocornucopia.com/1061.html . The data relating to the Kodak lenses is sourced largely from a Kodak Data Book published in 1948.

JJ

 

[Paul Howell]

Speaking of typo's, a Heliar is 5 elements in 3 groups, not 5E-4G! Oops.



Thanks. That catalogue is referring to the Ektanon, not Ektar lenses. Kodak had 2 lines of enlarging lenses, the Ektanon which was 3 element Triplet or 4 element Tessar depending on the specific lens and the Ektar which was their top-of-line.

I've listed the info I have on the Enlarging Ektar and Ektanon's here http://photocornucopia.com/1061.html . The data relating to the Kodak lenses is sourced largely from a Kodak Data Book published in 1948.

JJ

Yep it seems that MW make the mistake, they sold 2 levels of lens, Kodak was the less expensive 3 element with Wollensak as the 4 elements or 5 elements at higher price. WM did not describe the Wollensak by number of elements and I believe the 135 and 162 were 5 elements. So a Kodak Ekar ought be at least 4 elements, a 90 likely 5.