A Tessar (or a Sonnar) by any other name, would it shoot as sweet?

Update - originally posted on September 16, 2010.

I found the resource for the list of Tessar equivalents. It comes from Rudolf Kingslake's study of photographic lenses. Here is the list as it appears in his lens history.


I posted the list previously as follows:

"According to this site, makers and their Tessar equivalents:

  • Agfa :Solinar
  • Berthiot: Flor, Ilor
  • Boyer: Saphir
  • Busch:Glyptar
  • Dallmeyer:Dalmac, Perfac,
    Serrac
  • Erenmann: Ernon
  • Hermagis: Hellor, Lynx
  • Ilex: Paragon
  • Kodak: Ektar
  • Laak: Dailytar
  • Leits: Elmar, Varop
  • Meyer: Primotar
  • Playbel: Anticomar
  • Rodenstock: Ysar
  • Ross: Xtralux
  • Roussel: Stylor
  • Schneider: Comparon, Xenar
  • Tayer-Hobson: Apotal, Ental
  • Voigtlander: Heliostigmat, Skopar
  • Wollensak: Raptar
  • Wray: Lustrar"


Interesting note, the distinct feature of the Tessar is two elements cemented together into a group at the rear.

But, as Kingslake notes, there is a variation using two elements in a front group.

This class includes the following lenses:

Agfa - Solinar
Isco - Westanar
Meyer - Primotar
Steinheil - Culminar, Neodar, Triplar (which is an odd name for a formula that intends to improve on the Cooke triplet by adding another element)
Voigtlander - Avus, Heliostigmat


Now, if you love the Nikon L35AF as much as I do, you may also know that the camera uses a Sonnar-type lens in its 35mm f2.8 set-up (right).

In Kingslake's book, he also identifies Sonnar equivalents.

Agfa - Prolinear
Angenieux - All Y-type objectives (not sure what that means)
Bell & Howell - Lumax
Enna - Kinaston
Isco - Kiptagon
Kodak - Cine Ektar
Meyer - Optimat, Primagon
Rodenstock - Lumar, Ronar
Taylor-Hobson - Ivotal, Serital, Super Comat
Wray - Unilux
Zeiss - Sonnar




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