Heliar prewar vs later Heliar (dynar type) what is the difference?

[sam_ng2]

Hello everyone,

 

Simple questions as the thread title, I was wondering what is the different between prewar and postwar Heliar. I

want to get couple of them to use on my deardorff. The price seems to go up the roof lately, i remembered reading

threads back in 2001/2002 when barrel Heliar went for something like 100USD :(

 

 

One more question, I was offered a heliar 480 at some handsome price (>500USD), but im not sure i can mount this

one my deardorff, has anyone ever tried it? Please let me know stability issue.

 

 

Many thanks

[frank_menesdorfer]

The later ones you can read about here

 

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/voigtlandera/voigtlandera.html

 

But the pre war Heliars might be more difficult to get info on, or it must be a statement of somebody who had both lenses and made some seriuos testing and therefore know the differences.

 

US distributor might have info on the pre war lenses or have possibilites to get it for you.

 

Photovillage.com Mr. Rich Pinto 1133 Broadway, Suite 824 New York, NY 10010

 

Tel (212) 989 1252

 

I have a couple Heliars and they are a kind of lenses I wouldn't trade off as the images has that clearity with softness and they are perfect to create some nice moody effects. Smaller the f stop is the sharper the image become. Say, sharp as any Nikon or Schneider. However non of those give you that smooth image on the large aperture than Heliar. That's all I can help you with.

[frank_menesdorfer]

I forgot to answer your second question. Stability is always the issue, my 300mm heliar weights over two kilos and there is no problem at all on the 8x10 Tachi, the camera hold that big piece of lens with out any trouble but on windy days the story is different. The Deardorff would hold it as the camera is strong built but some days you would get the same problem that I have and observe this is not the issue of the tripod. :-)

[ole_tjugen]

Which war?

 

The change occurred during WWI, when the Heliar construction was largely dropped in favor of the Dynar construction. "Largely", because the "Universal Heliar" remained Heliar-type. The Dynar-type seems to me to have slightly better coverage, with a (1930's) 150mm Heliar having an image circle of around 190mm at smaller apertures.

 

The main difference between a pre-WWII Heliar and a post-WWII Heliar is in the coating.

[frank_menesdorfer]

It's a strong point Ole, all my Heliars are those with a single coating which is a post war production so parhaps the earlier type a little bit richer in tonal reproduction.

[ole_tjugen]

Frank, THe "WWI" in my reply is not a spelling mistake: The change was made around 1914. In other words my 1930's Heliar is the same as yours, the only difference is that mine is uncoated.

[sam_ng2]

Yes, I was refering to WWI. I understand after WWI Heliar design was dropped and replaced by Dynar design, what I'd like to ask is is the change significance and could i expect prewar Heliar has the same "look" as postwar Heliar/Dynar?

[sam_ng2]

Put in another way, is early Heliar as valuable/good as later Heliar/Dynar? (im trying to compare both uncoated version)

[frank_menesdorfer]

Sam,

Mr Hendrickson wrote on your other question about the Dagor.

"The flare introduced by lack of coating helps maintain shadow detail."

And Ole wrote,

"The change was made around 1914. In other words my 1930's Heliar is the same as yours,"

And I wrote to you,

"parhaps the earlier type a little bit richer in tonal reproduction."

 

So it's might be the case with the Heliars too.

To get the answer you seek must come from somebody who owns both and did compare those with each other. Very unfortunately I only own a couple post war single coated lenses so I can't give you any answer.

[piotr_stanislawski]

<p>Soon I will have both Heliar 105mm lenses: f/4.5 and f/3.5 and will make comparison. Both are coated.<br>

I always thought that Dynar design in Heliar line related only to f/3.5 Heliar lenses, not to f/4.5 versions, even postwar.</p>