Were the 1920's a good time for lens manufacture?

[linhofbiker]

Back in the late 1990's I had a "5x7 set" of Zeiss Protarlinse's in 22 29 35 and 2@41cm. They were sharp but not particularly the best for chromes. I traded this set and preferred more modern Symmar's for color work with Fuji 64T.

Now I have 3 Dopple Symmars from the 1920's in 120 240 and 270mm. These are sharp 80 degree Dagor-like lenses.

And also a Dallmeyer 12" f/7.7 dallon tele-anastigmat 238XXX in a perfectly working dial set Compur from the same era.

These lenses are nearing their centennial.

I hope I will good too at that age, just 22 years to go.

[ic-racer]

That is good to know. I have a landscape lens from the 1880s that is very sharp and that was a good time for lenses too.

[jim_jm]

I have a few Wollensak Velostigmats (7" and 15.5") and an Ilex Paragon (12") from this period and they're all very good lenses, albeit uncoated. The old shutters are sometimes a bit problematic, so I've adapted the 15.5" Wolly and the Ilex to Packard shutters.
I think performance made some jumps after lens coatings were introduced in the '30s and '40s by companies like Zeiss and Eastman. I have several Kodak Ektars from the '40s that are excellent lenses, even by today's standards.

[arri]

All fully cemented lenses like the Dagor, Symmar 6.8, Doppel Amatar etc. are having a slight focus shift when stoped down.
The reason is the not 100% corrected spherical aberation.
The Doppel Protar with 8 elements has it not or I never realised it.

In colour work it is visible that the lens design is from the 19th century, the last little bit of sharpness is missing, an airspaced Plasmat type lens design of the 1950th or later is a much better choice for it.

For B&W work all anastigmat lenses can be use, the first Protar made in 1890 or a Dagor made in 1904, A Gundlach or Wollensak lens as well.
Take care to check the sharpness again when stopped down!

Tessar type lenses or four element dialyt system like the Rodenstock Eurynar are free of focus shift.
Also tele photo designs, this are well corrected optical systems, most of it are made of 4 elements, similar to the Tessar design.

Some tele lenses are made with five elements when it is a little bid faster.

A glass coating is a must have in colour work, my experiance, but in B&W I like to use uncoated lenses or max. single coated glass.

It reduces the contrast and make it easier to print the negatives.

[Dugan]

That's my favorite era for lenses...
Wollensak Velostigmat Series IIA, Verito, Gundlach Radar, Görlitz Trioplan, etc.

[John Kasaian]

I don't know how they treated their employees back in the 20's.
i like to think they may have served beer and sausage and played polka music during the lunch hour.
Now that would be a good time!
One never knows.