connealy Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 I've added a brief presentation on the <a href="http://www.zianet.com/connealy/vintagecameras/pony4/index.html">Pony IV</a> to the Vintage Camera section of my web site. I was curious about the quality I might get from the four-element Anastar lens on this inexpensive camera. The lens is not a Tessar design, and I was not able to coax Tessar sharpness from it. However, that may be more a reflection of my skills as a photographer and camera restorer. I would be interested in reading about the experience of others with this lens as well as the Anaston which was used on similar Kodak offerings in the '40s - '60s period.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_oleson Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Hi Mike: <br><br> What is the formula of the 4-element lens in the Pony? Kodak had an unusual all-air-spaced 4 element lens that they used in the Kodak Reflex TLRs, which was reputed to be very good; is this the same design? That lens, named "anastar", is described here by Brian Wallen: <br><br> <a href="http://www.prairienet.org/b-wallen/BN_Photo/LD48_Refl_80Anas.htm">Kodak Anastar 4-element Lens</a> <br><br> rick :)= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted December 12, 2004 Author Share Posted December 12, 2004 Rick,<br> I had read your comments on the lens before, and my assumption was that the design was basically the same as the one on the MF cameras. However, I don't really know that to be the case as I did not fully disassemble the lens. The middle and rear group are well sealed and did not appear to need any cleaning in my camera. Also, the page I referenced on my site indicates that the rear lens element is very difficult to remove in the Pony IV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_mckeith Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Hi, Mike- I've got a Tourist,with an Anaston 6.3 105mm lens- pretty nice- but it's 6x9-kind of a no brainer- I shot a couple of rolls with a Bantam(not the Art Deco special- the cheapo one) I was kind of suprised how sharp the Antistigmat special is-Tmax 100(in the rain) developed in Rodinal- like a razor- gotta roll your own,though 828 film- and you only get 8 frames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted December 12, 2004 Author Share Posted December 12, 2004 Right, I think the Anastigmat Special was actually a Tessar design. The one on my Vigilant is super sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_mckeith Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 I can't find the article I was looking for- but this one says the Anastar "is" the anastigmat special- 20.02- Kodak lenses- http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/pf-faq/faq-20.html I have a Kodak Reflex, that has an anistigmat lens, and I know the Reflex II has the Anastar,so it could make sense- if anything about kodak lenses makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_oleson Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 I think the first rule at Kodak is that you can't tell anything by the name. Ektars were whatever formula they felt made the best lens for a given type and speed, and I don't think the other names held any particular formula significance either. The Anastar in the Kodak 35RF was, to the best of my knowledge, substantially the same lens as the Anastigmat Special in earlier 35RF's.... a Tessar type. This was followed by the Signet 35 with its Ektar lens.... again a Tessar type. But the Anastar in the Reflex was quite different from the Anastar in the 35RF. I THINK the lenses in the Kodak Reflex and the Reflex II were the same formula, but I can't say that with any certainty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_mckeith Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 well, just to add to the Kodak madness, maybe the lens is the--- ANAS-tigmat T-ess-AR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn_thoreson Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 I have a Kodak data book that shows the design of these lenses. I'll take a peek and get back. I have a Kodak 35 with the Anastar that was quite disappointing, for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 The Kodak Pony IV has a 44mm F3.5 Anastar lens. The Signet 35 has a 44mm F3.5 Ektar lens.I-50-2 <BR><BR> Both have the same cross sections; 4 elements in 3 groups; ie these are Tessar type lenses. <BR><BR>Ok; on the Signet 35; the lens is an Ektar; it has matched front and rear lens blocks. This camera has a nice tight helix; that rides on 50 ball bearings. The focusing is the "unit type"; the entire lens block is moved. This camera was also a military camera; and has a very robust rangefinder. The shutter had some problems at first; the ratchets/pawls were redesigned. Still often the shutter is just average; and needs cleaning. <BR><BR>The Anastar is focused by rotating the front element ; this changes the spacing of the lens front and rear lense blocks. Here this works; but sharpness is less. This is not the best way to focus a Tessar; messing with the spacing.<BR><BR>Thus an Pony Anastar user's results may or may not be equal to a Signet 35's Ektar; depending on how CLOSE the objects are to the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Most all Kodak Anastar's are Tessar type designs; but they focus by rotating the front element; not with the better "unit focusing"; used in more expensive cameras. Low cost entry cameras use the simple "rotate the front elment" method.<BR><BR>The 80mm F3.5 Anastar on the Kodak Reflex II is a 4 elment 4 group lens; not a Tessar. Only 1 element is behind the stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micah_henry Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Mike, Nice images with your Pony IV! I really like mine but haven't used it in a while (testing other acquisitions). I have had wonderful results with the Pony IV and like it's built-in filter holder (for Series V drop-in filters). I also have a Pony III but its shutter is quirky at 1/25 and 1/50. I also picked up an 828 film Kodak Bantam camera that looks like the Pony IV (Bantam Pony? I forget). Not used it yet. I shot the hood ornament of a 1935 Pierce-Arrow a couple years back with my Pony IV and Kodak consumer C-41 Black+White film. Wonderful shot, IMHO. Will post it if I can dig it up! --Micah in NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorn ake Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Those are great photographs! I especially like the water shot. Really great surfaces. Should be printed up somewhere. Maybe we should have a Classic Camera forum wall calendar - like the Toy Camera site is doing. Old camera profile and photograph each month. A few notable dates sprinkled in (Leica M3 intro, Nagel bought by Kodak, etc.) Red can provide us with Miss January (see above thread.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene m Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Good reading, good photos. The "elements" shot is very Adams-like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfophotos Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Nice presentation Mike! It comes as no surprise that you got some nice results - aesthetically. When we think of how many of these cameras were probably used as nothing more than "snapshot" cameras and rarely, for serious photography, it's easy to maintain a low opinion of them. Then, you, like others in this forum, take them out and make some beautiful images with them. It's no wonder that this is one of my favorite places on the web...<p> I like that idea of a calendar, but another possibility is a print exchange. Take one of your favorite images, make x number of prints, and everyone participating gets a copy, and of course, the sender gets a copy of someones elses' print. Would have to limit it of course, because nobody wants to make 100 copies of the same print...<p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamastersphotos Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 <p>The Pony IV is the camera I learned photography on. I was interested in photography in 7th grade and asked my mother (the family photographer) if she had an old camera I could use, expecting some cheapo instamatic type thing she usually used. <br> She pointed me to our home's "storage closet" and I found a box with a 35mm camera in it. It was the Kodak Pony IV that she had stopped using years before.<br> I wrote a bit about it on my photography blog a few years ago and have images of the camera, the original box, and the included accessories. <br> Take a look if you get a minute: <a href="http://jampictures.blogspot.com/2007/04/humble-beginnings.html">http://jampictures.blogspot.com/2007/04/humble-beginnings.html</a></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamastersphotos Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 <p>The Pony IV is the camera I learned photography on. I was interested in photography in 7th grade and asked my mother (the family photographer) if she had an old camera I could use, expecting some cheapo instamatic type thing she usually used. </p> <p>She pointed me to our home's "storage closet" and I found a box with a 35mm camera in it. It was the Kodak Pony IV that she had stopped using years before.</p> <p>I wrote a bit about it on my photography blog a few years ago and have images of the camera, the original box, and the included accessories. </p> <p>Take a look if you get a minute: <a href="http://jampictures.blogspot.com/2007/04/humble-beginnings.html">http://jampictures.blogspot.com/2007/04/humble-beginnings.html</a></p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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