Calling Sherlock Holmes apprentices

[conan]

Can anyone help with this Edixa Lens please. Details are Edixa-Travenar 2.8/50 made by Schacht Ulm. Details/Vintage etc ?


Plenty of pictures online but no operational details. The lens has a pre-set ring which spring loads to the closed position – so to use and focus you have try to keep the aperture ring open and focus at the same time, one hand to open the aperture, one hand to focus and the third hand to hold the camera. There is what looks like a cable release hole near the actual lens mount – this does nothing – broken? what am I missing? or did someone reassemble this lens incorrectly?

[Rachel]

Hello again Conan.

I have the 90mm version of this lens. A semi-automatic type I think. To use first push the auto aperture pin on the back of the lens so that it is in working aperture mode. Then set the required aperture with the projecting lugs on the aperture ring. Then open the aperture for focussing/viewing with the chrome/black aperture ring (clockwise from the front). The aperture should then be locked open until the auto-pin is depressed. Does that make sense to you? The cable release should work to stop down the lens from open aperture. It does on mine.

[belgiumreporter]

This is what i have found on the Schacht Travenar 2.8 50 Its a page in the 1960 sales catalogue.

the page is damaged so i can't be really sure about the price but from what i can make up it was 1830 belgium francs

the lens was still present in later catalogues but by 1962 the price has risen to 3280 Bef !

The travenar was the second "cheapest" 50mm 2.8 available for the Edixa the cheapest being the Steinhell cassar S at 980 Bef (half the price of the travenar in 1960)

I don't know if the travenar dates back to before 1960 as my references stop there.

The ad says : "the bigger part of these lenses are equiped with an automatic pre-selector"

Since your travenar is in black i suppose it's from a later date, i'll check on that...

[conan]

Dec 7, 2016 4:44:08 GMT -5 Rachel said:

Hello again Conan.

I have the 90mm version of this lens. A semi-automatic type I think. To use first push the auto aperture pin on the back of the lens so that it is in working aperture mode. Then set the required aperture with the projecting lugs on the aperture ring. Then open the aperture for focussing/viewing with the chrome/black aperture ring (clockwise from the front). The aperture should then be locked open until the auto-pin is depressed. Does that make sense to you? The cable release should work to stop down the lens from open aperture. It does on mine.

Rachel thanks for the response. I had already tried what you suggested and it does not work – thought there might be an unknown to me method of locking it open - so I am presuming the interlock or whatever between the aperture pin and the front ring is not working properly or is broken.


Thanks for your very fast and the first “Sherlock Holmes” reply because Holmes new assistant is a woman. Have you seen the television series ‘Elementary’ set in modern America where Holmes new assistant is Dr Joan Watson played by Lucy Liu.

[conan]

Dec 7, 2016 18:08:55 GMT -5 belgiumreporter said:

This is what i have found on the Schacht Travenar 2.8 50 Its a page in the 1960 sales catalogue.

the page is damaged so i can't be really sure about the price but from what i can make up it was 1830 belgium francs

the lens was still present in later catalogues but by 1962 the price has risen to 3280 Bef !

The travenar was the second "cheapest" 50mm 2.8 available for the Edixa the cheapest being the Steinhell cassar S at 980 Bef (half the price of the travenar in 1960)

I don't know if the travenar dates back to before 1960 as my references stop there.

The ad says : "the bigger part of these lenses are equiped with an automatic pre-selector"

Since your travenar is in black i suppose it's from a later date, i'll check on that...





BR, thanks for the Edixa advertising.
In terms of average incomes what were the Edixa prices like and how did they compare with their Japanese competition.

[Rachel]

Dec 8, 2016 3:37:30 GMT -5 conan said:

Rachel thanks for the response. I had already tried what you suggested and it does not work – thought there might be an unknown to me method of locking it open - so I am presuming the interlock or whatever between the aperture pin and the front ring is not working properly or is broken.


Thanks for your very fast and the first “Sherlock Holmes” reply because Holmes new assistant is a woman. Have you seen the television series ‘Elementary’ set in modern America where Holmes new assistant is Dr Joan Watson played by Lucy Liu.

That's a shame conan. Just to say that when I turn the narrow aperture ring to open the aperture for viewing/focussing there is a click when the aperture is fully open. This must be a locking action so maybe that's where the fault is in your lens.

Re Sherlock Holmes , I think that I have come across that TV series. Maybe it's been shown on one of the UK TV channels. There are a vast number of non-Conan(!!) Doyle tales of Sherlock Holmes out there with settings from the Gothic through modern times and even into the future.

[belgiumreporter]

Dec 8, 2016 3:38:21 GMT -5 conan said:

Dec 7, 2016 18:08:55 GMT -5 belgiumreporter said:

BR, thanks for the Edixa advertising.
In terms of average incomes what were the Edixa prices like and how did they compare with their Japanese competition.

These are some (list) prices from the 1962 catalogue, they will put the price and placing of the edixa in to perspectif. In 1962 an average worker earned  around 4.000 Bef a month so you can guess slr's weren't for everyone in those days. A roll of 36 exposure color transparacy would cost you 170 Bef (allmost a days wages) and a single color print 9x12cm was 15 Bef.

This could explain why photography was for "special" occasions only.



Edixaflex with iscotar 2.8 50 and prism finder:       8.800 Bef

Edixamat modelD " ":                                          12.180 Bef

Miranda modelF with 1.9 50 and metering prism : 12.925 Bef

Zenith 3M with helios 2.0 58 :                               6.590 Bef

Nikon FPhotomic with 2.0 50 :                             23.200 Bef

Minolta Sr1 with 2.0 55 :                                     10.400 Bef

Topcon RE Super with 1.8 58 :                             22.340 Bef

Leicaflex with 2.0 50 :                                         33.120 Bef