Novar135mm f6.8 curious question

I just bought a Zeiss Ikon Volta 146 9X12cm folding plate camera off the big auction and I'm curious about the lens. Why is the 135mm Novar on the Volta 146 a F6.8 lens when almost all Novar lenses in the f6 range were f6.3. What's the difference between the f6.8 Novar and the f6.3 Novar? The camera I got looks to be in great shape for a very cheap $22.00. I couldn't pass it up and I'm a sucker for these beautiful old plate cameras.

It seems that the f/6.8 Novar is the extra rapid aplanat of ICA. The f/6.3 Novar is a Cooke triplet derivative.

Rather a dialytic design

Europan said:

It seems that the f/6.8 Novar is the extra rapid aplanat of ICA. The f/6.3 Novar is a Cooke triplet derivative.

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What made me curious was the fact that this lens is mark "ICA Novar Anastigmat 135mm f6.8 and I thought all the ICA f6.8 Aplanat's said "ICA Rapid-Aplanat Novar 135mm f6.8" on the lens.s

lobitar said:

My first 9x12 plate camera (more than half a century hence!) was a lever-focused Volta with 135mm Novar. This Novar (sorry, I don't remember the f.nr.) was definitely a triplet, and although the camera was quite shabby it was really a fine picture taker. Triplets are often quite good, I seem to have noticed.

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Yes, I've had several cameras with triplet lenses and they can be very good. I had an old art deco Rolleicord with a lovely triplet. I've also had Ikoflex and Zeiss Ikon folders with Novar lenses that were great also. With a triplet you have the best of both worlds, a really nice portrait lens wide open and a sharp lens stopped down. That said, like is the case with many different lenses, some are much better than others.

John Wiegerink said:

Yes, I've had several cameras with triplet lenses and they can be very good. I had an old art deco Rolleicord with a lovely triplet. I've also had Ikoflex and Zeiss Ikon folders with Novar lenses that were great also. With a triplet you have the best of both worlds, a really nice portrait lens wide open and a sharp lens stopped down. That said, like is the case with many different lenses, some are much better than others.

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Copy that!

The camera is in shipment so I'll know soon enough whether it's a triplet or not. The f6.8 still puzzles me?

My ICA Icarette rollfilm camera (6x9) has a 105mm/6,8 Novar. (This post reminded me it should be used more often.) At f12,5 it resolves all lines of 1951 USAF target, but only in the middle, corners being nicely soft. Focal length can be halved by removing front lens, there's a scribed line in the base plate for new infinity setting, needs to be stopped down quite a bit in this wide mode if sharpness is required.

I am guessing that the shutter your lens is mounted in may have some impact on the aperture calculation. I had a similar situation several years ago but I am only guessing re: your situation.

Pioneer said:

I am guessing that the shutter your lens is mounted in may have some impact on the aperture calculation. I had a similar situation several years ago but I am only guessing re: your situation.

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Dan,
I'm pretty sure that the Novar Anastigmat135mm f6.8 is a triplet just by having "Anastigmat" in the lens name. We'll see soon enough I guess. I'm actually hoping it is a triplet instead of more uncoated glass elements to knock down contrast. I have several 6X9 and 9X12 plate cameras I use film in and most of them are very good picture takers and some are just plain beautiful to look at too. I'm very surprised they aren't much more popular with the film shooting crowd since the price of many older plate cameras is just peanuts. Mine just don't get used enough, but that's my fault.

it will be interesting to see what you get.

Pioneer said:

it will be interesting to see what you get.

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TTH Cooke series III f/6.5 triplet (branded as TTH Kodak Anastigmat) was released shuttered as 6.8.
150mm.
Same guess - most probably due to shutter mounting limitations.
Good performer closed down.

Well, I probably will never know if the lens on the Volta was a triplet or not. The camera arrived and was left by the back door while I was at my cottage. I called my son who lives in a nearby town to see if he could pick it up, but he said he couldn't. I texted my neighbor and he went over, got the camera and locked it in the back storage box on my quad 4X4 which was parked by the back door. This was fine since I told him I was coming back home in the morning. He leaves for work in the dark and the next morning noticed the Quad was not on the trailer. He texted me at the cottage at around 6 am and ask if I had gotten home and moved it. Long story short, The 4X4 quad was stolen right of the trailer. This had to be a multi man (kid) job just to get it off the trailer and then move it with no keys. Funny, we live with neighbors within a few feet away, a bank across the street and the village police dept. kiddy corner across the street also. The police were a little embarrassed when they took my report. So the lens make up of the Volta will probably always remain a mystery to me.