Sleeper? 2o3mm f7.5 Wollensak

[ernest_purdum]

Whenever a newcomer to LF asks about an inexpensive first lens,

someone always mentions the 203mm f7.7 Ektar. There is good reason

for this. It has ample coverage for 4" X 5", is small and light

enough for the backpackers, and works well at both near and far

distances.

 

I have long assumed that the 203mm Optar, made by Wollensak, is a

near-clone of the Ektar, with a tiny bit of one-upmanship regarding

the aperture. I couldn't be sure, though, because it might have been

possible that Wollensak had decided to make a Tessar type or

something in this length and aperture. Unlikely, but possible.

 

My curiosity eventually took hold and I bought one to see what it

really was. As I had expected, like the Kodak it s a dialyte type,

four elements in four groups. (It's silly to call one piece of glass

a "group", but that's lens-speak.) I found this out by looking at

the reflections of a tiny flashlight. While I was at it, I compared

it to two known dialytes, the Apo Artar and the process Wollensak.

The Artar was similar, but differing somewhat in the radii of the

surfaces. The Wollensak, however, seemed virtually identical to its

smaller sister, differing only in scale. This makes me think that

the 203mm Optar may not have been reverse-engineered from the Ektar,

but instead may be a development of the process lens.

 

Whichever may be the case, it seems that the Optar may be a good

alternative to suggest in addition to the Kodak product, particularly

in view of the considerable difference in selling price that seems to

be the case. I bought this one for $61.00, which is $100 or

thereabouts less than I have seen the Ektars going for. That

difference could be very significant to the starving student type of

first-time buyer. Another factor is that I think all the Optars are

coated, which is particularly important, since the dialyte design has

eight air to glass surfaces.

[chad_jarvis1]

In my view (and experience) every Wollensak of the Velostigmat variety is a sleeper. I've owned a Raptar and two of the aforementioned Velostigmats and found each to be an ample performer.

[mark_sampson]

It's hard to tell now who made what for whom, under what name, in the days when camera lenses were made in Rochester. It's possible that Kodak made your lens as an OEM for Graflex. Or that it was a Wollensak copy of the Kodak, or vice-versa. Wollensak made many "Graflex Optars", usually 135mm, and I've heard that the later Optars were made by Rodenstock. $61 seems like a bargain. BTW, Wollensak held a contest in 1945 to re-name the "Velostigmat" line- the name "Raptar" was the winner.

[ron_shaw]

I have a 162mm Optar, made by Wollensak, which performs very well. It appears uncoated, but chromes are well saturated and sharp. Into the sun shots suffer contrast due to the lack of coating, but when used properly, its a great lens. Optars are quite a bargain, usually.