Hypergon Lens

[martin_f._melhus]

I saw in the Wisner catalog that they are selling a remake of

the Zeiss Hypergon lens. Supposedly, this is an 85mm lens that

can cover 8x10 with movement, and is rectilinear, flat field, and

has virtually no distortion or astigmatism. Coverage is claimed to

be a whopping 140 degrees. Of course, this is their ad copy, so I don't expect them to dwell on the lens's inaccuracies and problems. Wisner's version has waterhouse stops, and sells for something like

$2000. From what I could gather from the ad, it's just 2 elements

in 2 groups, looking a bit like a hollowed out glass marble.

 

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I've never heard of this lens design, or anything like it. Has

anyone used it, or any of it's cousins? Does anyone have any familiarity with it's history, design strengths and weaknesses,

and most importantly, usefulness for photography? Are there any

lenses of similar design for other formats? I can't imagine that

a lens of this type, scaled down to 35mm (and perhaps improved to

get up to modern lens standards) wouldn't sell well. But perhaps

the 4x5 version would have the most usefulness, if it had a focal

length of about 40mm, and could cover 4x5 with significant movement.

 

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Any comments on this?

[johndesq]

????????????????????????

Never heard of.....

 

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THe Hypergon is a very famous lens and anyone who knows lenses would

know that. The lens I designed is a faithful copy and performs just

like the original.

The old one is the one which had a little fan in the middle to even out

illumination. THese days we can use center filters instead.

Anyone interseted can have complete optical information from the

computer design.

 

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WISNER HYPERGON

 

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The lens is a redsign of the original Goerz lens of the early 20th

Century. The design was executed by Ron Wisner using modern glass.

Computer data is computer generated and a faithfull representation of

real performance of the lens.

All data was generated at f45, the overall diffraction/resolution

limited stop of the lens.

Though its image circle is large enough to cover 11 x 14, this lens is

intended to be used on 8 x10 and smaller.

 

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Additional information:

The lens is provided with its own special rotary sector-shutter.

It is a bulb/time shutter only.

The stops are the old-fashioned waterhouse type and have four settings:

for viewing f14, f22,f32,f45.

 

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The reason for this style of stops is that the waterhouse stops are the

most accurate type.

Accuracy is important for centering reasons and normal exposure values

and conventional leaf diaphragms are not terribly accurate at small

stops

 

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The lens is recommended to be used with a center filter.

Purchasers of this unique lens should be prepared to buy the center

filter, although some may want to experiment photographing without it.

Careful printing by dodging the edges of the negative can reduce the

fall-off, while preserving some fall-of in the final print may enhance

the wide angle effect to some degree.

 

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The price of the lens is $ 2500.

There will be a balance of 50% on receipt of the order.

Balance will be due upon shipping, delivery 8-10 weeks.

 

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Note:

Because of extreme radii and full hemisphere the lens elements must be

made as they were originally , one at a time.

This means the cost of savings making many is nil.

Each lens must be individually mounted and tested as well, since such

extreme design parameters can lead to slight differences in focal length

and astigmatism.

More info:

 

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[emil_ems]

Since this marvelous new/old classic is intended for 8x10 cameras, it

would be very useful to get information on the lens-flange to

film-plane distance, or bellows extension. How much would that be when

the lens is focused at infinity? Can the lens be used on ordinary 8x10

cameras as, e.g., the Toyo M II 8x10?

[sheldon_hambrick]

You can get a look at the original here:

http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/hyperg_e.htm