Leitz Elmar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens on a Vollenda 620 folder

blee1996

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Hi

I found a bit unusual lens on a Kodak/Nagel Vollenda 620 folding camera today: it is a Leitz Elmar 10.5cm f4.5 front cell focus lens on Compur shutter. I guess it is a Tessar formula lens. But I did not find much literature on the Internet about Leica/Leitz made medium format lenses in general nor this lens in particular. Do any of you have any more information from printed references?

Thanks!
 

lobitar

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Are you sure it's front-cell focusing? Mostly they have a helicoid, at least the few specimens I've seen.
 

Dustin McAmera

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Pacific Rim Camera has some Kodak AG/Nagel brochures:

The left-hand one is general; it includes the Elmar in the first page or two, but doesn't list it in the lenses for the Vollenda or Librette 6x9. It's not made clear whether they use it with front-element focus or unit focus. It has the usual little sectional lens diagrams, and says (in German) 'The Leitz-Elmar 1: 3.5 (Fig. 3) is also a four-lens, asymmetrical lens and is excellently corrected. It has neither coma nor field curvature nor any noticeable zones of astigmatism and is completely free of distortion.'
This brochure only lists the 6x9 Vollenda with a Radionar. It does say (on p11) that front-element focusing is particularly easy.

The other two brochures are about the Pupille, which seems to do unit focusing whatever lens you have.
 
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blee1996

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lobitar said:
Are you sure it's front-cell focusing? Mostly they have a helicoid, at least the few specimens I've seen.
Click to expand...
Yes it is front cell focusing, and everything looks original and untampered. Thus I was very curious.

I researched a bit more, and there were a couple of mentions in the Leica-i forum, as well as one auction result. Thus my sample definitely have a few "cousins" from the same batch.

I need to repair the shutter, or replace the shutter in order to test this Elmar 105/4.5 lens. I guess it should be on par with the best of that era, namely Zeiss Tessar, Voigtlander Anastigmat Skopar, Kodak Anastigmat Special, and etc.
 

JPD

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Can we see this strange Elmar? I have never seen a front element focusing Elmar before.
 

Dustin McAmera

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They sold a Vollenda with one at Leitz Photographica (used to be Westlicht) in the summer:

Eastman Kodak Vollenda 620 with Elmar 10.5cm | A00522

A very rare Kodak Vollenda for 6x9 on roll film 120, in excellent cosmetic condition, with Leitz Elmar 4.5/10.5cm no.113427 in Compur shutter (needs service), very good optics, with leather case (cond. B+).
www.leitz-auction.com

and just for interest, here's a Rifax with an f/4.5 Elmar, which does unit focusing by a radial lever:

Beier Rifax 6x9cm with Elmar 4.5/10.5cm | AI_20220121_1128_41704

rare folding rollfilm camera for 6x9cm in good condition and working order, with rare rangefinder coupled Elmar 4.5/10.5cm no.112553 (1932) mounted in Compur shutter, later version with squared body
www.leitz-auction.com
 

JPD

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Thanks, that is interesting. Fancy focus ring with hidden infinity stop. I wonder if Leitz used the regular Elmar for this, or tweaked the formula for front element focusing.
 
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blee1996

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JPD said:
Can we see this strange Elmar? I have never seen a front element focusing Elmar before.
Click to expand...

My sample looks almost identical to the Leitz Photographica (Westlicht) auction item, and the serial number is very close.
 

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blee1996

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Now the problem with my Elmar lens is that not only the shutter is totally bad, the previous owner also managed to destroy all three tiny set screws for the front focus ring. So I cannot remove the front lens cells and transplant to another shutter.

I have contacted several repair technician but the prospect is not too high. A pity really, such as nice looking and unusual lens.
 

JPD

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Maybe you need a skilled watchmaker to remove and make new set screws, and then let a camera repairman fix the shutter?
 
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blee1996

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One small good news, the shutter can use the self-timer to release the shutter. So current situation:

1) The shutter only fires at one speed: around 1/125s. Moving speed dial does not change any speed. Shutter release does not work.
2) The focus scale seem to be correct through its entire range (infinity to 2 meters), by examining focal plane with ground glass. I have to hold onto the shutter cocking lever to keep the lens open for the focusing test.

So at least I can shoot outdoors, one speed 1/125s, and adjust aperture according to meter/sunny16.

Long term, maybe the shutter can be serviced from back side? Anyone has experience with repairing older Compur shutter from the mounting flange side?
 

JPD

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blee1996 said:
Long term, maybe the shutter can be serviced from back side? Anyone has experience with repairing older Compur shutter from the mounting flange side?
Click to expand...
No, that's impossible. But since you can focus and fire the shutter you can at least take a test roll and see how the lens performs.
 
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blee1996

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JPD said:
No, that's impossible. But since you can focus and fire the shutter you can at least take a test roll and see how the lens performs.
Click to expand...

That's my plan as well: the image on ground glass is pretty sharp. So I expect it to perform well outdoors, albeit with only one speed.
 
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