Vintage Rodenstock tiefenbildner Imagon

<p>Hello mike here from tennessee, just wondering what i have here , kinda new to this all i have found this lens at a local thrift shop, and cant find any info on it online, ie year made, rarity, collectible? value, etc.. can anyone please send me in the right direction, or add some info on this lens , its a 120mm Rodenstock tiefenbildner Imagon thanks in advance mike</p><div></div>

<p>A quick google search on "Rodenstock tiefenbildner 120mm Imagon lens" turned up several sites but not much info.<br>

Here's one, video, no sound:<br>

<p>"Tiefenbild" is German for "deep picture", so it may be telephoto, probably for a large format camera...</p>

<p>The lens appears to have no conventional iris diaphragm to control aperture. Is this correct? Instead it seems to have attachments for the front which have central circular holes corresponding to certain aperture sizes (are these marked f5.6, f8 etc.)? These attachments also seem to feature numerous small holes arranged around the main hole - the attachments are made in two parts which can be rotated relative to each other to open or close the small holes either partially or completely. If all these assumptions are correct (I can only judge from the not very informative video), then this would seem to be a portrait lens which allows a choice of depth of field (size of main hole) and degree of soft-focus effect (little holes). The lens fitting would seem to be Leica thread mount (39 mm).<br>

The term "Tiefenbildner" seems to be one Rodenstock have made up, based on "Weichzeichner" (soft focus filter/lens) and "Bildtiefe" (depth of field). It is probably meant to mean something like "variable-depth soft focus lens".</p>

<p>Mike,<br>

The Imagon lens is a soft focus portrait lens. The disc's with the additional holes in them are the aperture stops, expressed as "H4.5" in lieu of "f/4.5" etc. I guess that "H" means "Hole".<br>

Please see Rodenstock's website for more information on this type of lens. From what I have been able to find out, the 120mm lens was manufactured from around about 1935 to about 1960. I am not sure what type of lens mounts were available for the lens. Leica screw (39mm) would seem to be a more common mount. I have one in a Nikon F mount. Leica Shop, Vienna recently had one for sale in I think a Hasselblad mount, although I am not too sure about the mount.</p>