My oldest and most unusual lens.
This German lens was made (by Optisches Werk Ernst Ludwig) for Exakta and Praktiflex SLRs as a low-cost standard lens. It had different names:
- Victar 1:2,9 F=5cm Ludwig-Dresden
- Anastigmat Victar 1:2,9 F=5cm
- Victar 1:2,9 F=5cm
- Praktiflex Anastigmat 1:2,9 F=5cm (OEM for Praktiflex)
- Practicar 1:2,9 f=50mm (Export)
I have the Anastigmat Victar 1:2,9 F=5cm version for Praktiflex with the M40x1 mount from the 1940s. And there is no serial number at all.
There is a claim that the lens has 4 elements in 3 groups, but I don't think so. The 1939 price catalog lists 3 elements for the Praktiflex Anastigmat 50/2.9. The 50/2.9 successors of this lens, called Meritar and Peronar, also have only 3 elements. However, the f/2.9 is quite fast for the a triplet.
(the optical design is similar to this one)
This lens also had no optical coating, which makes it something special today.
The lens is tiny. It (on the right) is smaller than the Индустар-50 (Industar-50) 50/3.5 (on the left) and the Индустар 50-2 (Industar 50-2) 50/3.5 (in the middle):
There is a cutout for mirror movement.
The aperture has 13 blades. Almost an even circle, but you have to consider the age.
Note that the lenses are almost colorless (no coating).
The focusing mechanism is quite good. When focusing, the front part does not rotate, so you can change the aperture without fear of losing focus. The mentioned Industars are much worse in this aspect.
The M40x1 (that's right, not M39x1 or M42x1) mount with the 44mm flange focal length (smaller than the 45.5mm of M42x1) for the first Praktiflex SLRs is very rare, so it's not so easy to adapt it to modern cameras, although it's possible.
Of course, this lens is not suitable for general use now, but its own nature is interesting.
I've wanted a triplet lens for a long time. I already have the Riconar 55/2.2, but it's not a triplet. The Victar is now the first triplet I've ever owned. The copy is not perfect, but it is playable.
See also related notes:
- My triplet lenses (2024-08) (2024-08-27)
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/3.5 (M40x1): Uncoated (non-T) version (2024-05-30)
- ISCO Iscovitar 50/2.8 (M42x1/45.5): Triplet with simple focusing mechanism (2024-05-21)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: Samples [1] - FF (2024-04-16)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: Finding a cap (2024-01-17)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: With close focus (helicoid) adapter [2/2] (2023-10-16)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: With close focus (helicoid) adapter [1/2] (2023-10-14)
- Lenses without cemented elements (2023) (2023-10-12)
- Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5 (M39x1/44): Very rare wide-angle triplet (2023-10-05)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: My experience [2/2] (2023-09-30)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: My experience [1/2] (2023-09-29)
- Anastigmat Victar 50/2.9: Old lenses and contrast (2023-09-14)
- Praktiflex M40x1 lenses on modern cameras (2023-08-25)
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