Meyer-Optik lens

<p>Hello, I have inherited a Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm F 2.8 ( this lens is known as the "soap bubble lens", due to its distinctive bokeh when shot wide open at 2.8. After doing some research on the lens it would appear to be manufactured between 1952 and 1959. serial number 2156787. When researching the iris design I find a 15 blade type was used, but oddly this lens has a 10 blade type. Has anyone ever seen this. Is aperture blade replacement something that would be done normally? thanks for your help</p>

<p>Meyer Gorlitz made many three element lenses named Trioplan based on the Cooke triplet of 1893. They made them in many focal lengths and apertures and for many film formats from about 1914 to about 1960. Originally they were used in cine applications but later stiil camera usage took over. I had one on a 1930's 6x9 folding plate camera. It was a 105mm f2.8. The faster aperture Trioplan variants had a reputation for softness as they probably pushed the triplet layout beyond its optimum.So they were medium quality lenses which gave quite good results based on the earlier Cooke triplet layout. Most manufacturers about this time made triplet lenses for their cheaper options models - for example the Zeiss Novar.<br /> More recently there has been a revival of the Trioplan name using the 'soap bubble lens' as a selling point. This recent lens (2015) although named Trioplan is a different animal from the Meyer of old, being a 6 element 100mm f2.8 lens with a diaphragm designed to produce the 'soap bubble effect'. <br /> The original Meyer Trioplan lenses could be fitted to a number of shutter / diaphragm combinations. Mine was in a nice rim-set Compur. I imagine the interesting bokeh was a result of the fast aperture creating lots of out of focus areas together with the shape of the diaphragms of these old shutters.<br /> If your Trioplan has a 10 blade diaphragm then I suggest you try it as it is. I think it is unlikely you will be able to find a suitable replacement and you probably don't need it. So, maybe, shoot at f2.8 in strong sunlight at flowers with lots of water droplets on them and I reckon you will achieve the result you are looking for. Have fun!</p>

<p>I've just dug out an Exacta fit Meyer Trioplan, f2.8 100mm serial number 3687848 and it certainly has a 15 blade iris diaphragm..<br>

I don't think I have ever used it - it came with a batch of other Ihagee stuff and it is a preset lens - my least favourite method of operation.<br>

Just out of interest what is the 'soap bubble' bokeh - and does it only apply to the new lenses as has been suggested or also to those like mine?<br>

Thanks<br>

Nick</p>

 

<p>http://www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com/kickstarter_trioplan/?gclid=CNXY-5G2jcoCFWgUwwodkOIEZQ<br /> http://petapixel.com/2015/07/10/trioplan-100mm-f2-8-rebirth-will-bring-soap-bubble-bokeh-to-modern-cameras/<br /> <br />I would have thought most 100mm f2.8 lenses would give you much the same out of focus effects but I suupose it is possible that the inherent imaging problems of the original three element f2.8 Trioplan gave rise to an accentuation of the 'soap bubble' bokeh not found in better corrected lenses.<br>

The 1893 Cooke triplet was a breakthrough in lens design especially in the days when coatings were still to be invented. The fewer elements (or more strictly air-to-glass surfaces) used in a lens the better the light transmission and the higher the contast. However the more elements you use the more corrections can be applied to create a better image.<br>

Almost immediately the Cooke triplet appeared it was improved by adding a fourth element to create what became the classic Zeiss Tessar design. This 4 element design became standard for good quality lenses right up to the 1950's. At this point coatings became widespread and the number of elements could be increased. As a result the Tessar was largely dropped in favour of the better corrected six element designs based on the Gauss Plasmat.<br>

However cheaper lenses using the old Cooke triplet formulation were often sold as a more reasonably priced alternative to the Tessar-type lenses. The lower level of correction of these triplets is probably what gives rise to the 'soap bubble' bokeh. </p>

<p>So the current enthusiasm for the Meyer Trioplan seems to be based on a creative use of the inherent weaknesses of the lens. It is noticeable that many of the example images in the above links use a strong, sharp central image with the 'soap-bubble' bokeh apparent in strongly lit, out-of-focus areas towards the edges of the image.<br /> That makes good use of the Cooke triplet strengths - sharp centre and less well corrected edges. Why should the Meyer Trioplan be singled out among the hundreds of triplets made? I think that is because Meyer were one of the few manufacturers to push the triplet design to f2.8. Most, such as the Zeiss Novar, were f3.5 aperture or sometimes like the Zeiss Triotar were f4. So the Meyer Trioplan has more scope for out-of-focus effects.</p>