[LargeFormat] Osaka Commercial lenses?

[Tim Atherton]

from another list:

So I bought this Osaka Commercial something or other 360 f6.8 lens on
E**Y the other day to get the Copal 3S shutter and throw the glass in
the trash can.  Well the 3S became un-needed when I discovered my
Graphic Kowa 240 f9 was different than all the other larger than 210
Kowas.  So I figured put it on a Cambo 8X10 I'm planning on selling
and make a package deal.  Well friday I took it with me and had a
grand afternoon shooting at Death Valley junction in Amargosa Valley.
 Good thing!  Holy cow that is a sweet lens!  Crisp as hell and
tonality is just gorgeous!  Sorry folks, it's a keeper!  Tessar type,
coated, covers 11X14 and is much sharper than it's American cousin,
Kodak 14" Commercial Ektar, and in a snappy modern shutter to boot.
Paid $305.


That might be a surprise to you, but it is no surprise to me.  I have an
Osaka
120 that I have used for years.  It is probably a double Gauss design that
covers 4x5.  It's as sharp as my Schneider Symmar-S 150 and my Shcneider
Super
Angulon 90.  Small and compact, it is perfect for carrying in my backpack.
I
have read statements by others that the Osaka lens quality can vary a lot,
but
this lens is very good!

and

http://www.photo.net/search/search?searchType=rest&queryString=osaka+lens&st
aticPages=on&bboard=on&comments=on

check down the list

> -----Original Message-----
> From: largeformat-admin@f32.net [mailto:largeformat-admin@f32.net]On
> Behalf Of Dale Dickerson
> Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 8:13 PM
> To: largeformat@f32.net
> Subject: RE: [LargeFormat] Osaka Commercial lenses?
>
>
> A Tessar lens has so few air surfaces that a good single coat will do
> the job.  I have used many different Tessar and Xenar lenses that are
> single coated. They perform very well even with a light source in the
> image. MC really is needed in the lens designs with a larger number of
> air exposed elements.
>
> Osaka and Congo lenses go back at least to the 1930s. I prefer German
> glass, but must say these are very fine examples of the Tessar design
> lens. Note the f stop is for optimal quality from the design.  The
> Tessar was called eagle eye for good reason. The design is small, light
> weight and sharp. I like it much better then a Planar design, Osaka or
> Congo is one of the few companies making this classic lens design.  They
> also make a Triplet and other designs, but I like there tessars.
>
> Dale
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: largeformat-admin@f32.net [mailto:largeformat-admin@f32.net] On
> Behalf Of Michael Briggs
> Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 10:00 PM
> To: largeformat@f32.net
> Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] Osaka Commercial lenses?
>
>
> On 15-Jun-2003 William Wiseman wrote:
> > Anbody familiar with this line of lenses? All I have been able to find
>
> > on the web is the current US distributor. I have been looking at one
> on
> > ebay and wondered about the quality/value of the brand.
>
> Osaka is believed to be the name used by the US distributer (Bromwell
> Marketing)
> for the Congo line of lenses.   Congo has their own web page:
> http://www.cosmonet.org/~congo/index_e.html    The agreement of the
> specs
> supports the idea identity of the two.
>
> > The distributor lists them as 4 element Tessars, multi-coated and in
> > Copal shutters.
>
> The Congo Commericals are Tessars.  Congo lists more lens types than
> Bromwell does.
>
> All I see on Bromwell's page is "coated".   Congo's webpage does say
> multi-coated.
>
> You will probably find more on the web under the Congo name, e.g., Kerry
> Thalmann has some comments at
> http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/wide.htm.
>
> --Michael
>
>
>
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