July 2025 — This Month Through Your Adapted Lens

Tomm111 · Jul 23, 2025

As I said earlier I have some sort of facination with Kodak Retina Reflex lenses, as this was the first SLR (III) I used. Simple-Joy's post rekindled the desire to use these lenses. They aren't the best, but not bad either. Though the 50 f1.9 Retina-Xenon is quite good. Here are 3 photos from the Curtagon 28mm f4 on my Leica CL.

This year's apples, they will be ready to pick in a month or so.

A view across a 50 acre corn field.

Some hydrangia

xtam667 · Jul 23, 2025

Tomm111 said:
As I said earlier I have some sort of facination with Kodak Retina Reflex lenses, as this was the first SLR (III) I used. Simple-Joy's post rekindled the desire to use these lenses. They aren't the best, but not bad either. Though the 50 f1.9 Retina-Xenon is quite good. Here are 3 photos from the Curtagon 28mm f4 on my Leica CL.

This year's apples, they will be ready to pick in a month or so.

A view across a 50 acre corn field.

Some hydrangia
.

Nice pics, like the composition on these.

I am also fond of the Retina Reflex and have a good collection of DKL-mount lenses. The Curtagon 4/28 is nothing special optically, but the 2.8/35 is quite good. And the Rodenstock Heligon 1.9/50 is a bit nicer than the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon, with more interesting bokeh. The asking price is steep though for what it is. Another nice Rodenstock is the Eurygon 2.8/30, well above the Curtagon 4/28.

Top of the DKL mount lenses are the Voigtlanders, which do not fit on the Retina Reflex. (Generic DKL adapters will take everything though, except the Vitessa T mount variation.) The Septon 2/50 and the Skopagon 2/40 are impressive if you can find copies without separation.

Tomm111 · Jul 23, 2025

xtam667 said:
Tomm111 said:

As I said earlier I have some sort of facination with Kodak Retina Reflex lenses, as this was the first SLR (III) I used. Simple-Joy's post rekindled the desire to use these lenses. They aren't the best, but not bad either. Though the 50 f1.9 Retina-Xenon is quite good. Here are 3 photos from the Curtagon 28mm f4 on my Leica CL.

This year's apples, they will be ready to pick in a month or so.

A view across a 50 acre corn field.

Some hydrangia.

Click to expand...

Nice pics, like the composition on these.

I am also fond of the Retina Reflex and have a good collection of DKL-mount lenses. The Curtagon 4/28 is nothing special optically, but the 2.8/35 is quite good. And the Rodenstock Heligon 1.9/50 is a bit nicer than the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon, with more interesting bokeh. The asking price is steep though for what it is. Another nice Rodenstock is the Eurygon 2.8/30, well above the Curtagon 4/28.

Top of the DKL mount lenses are the Voigtlanders, which do not fit on the Retina Reflex. (Generic DKL adapters will take everything though, except the Vitessa T mount variation.) The Septon 2/50 and the Skopagon 2/40 are impressive if you can find copies without separation.

I have been happy with the 50 Xenon, excellent images, comparible to my 50 Summicron. The 28 I am trying to like but it is nothing special as you said. I have just ordered a 35 f2.8, we will see how that works out.

I was surprised with the price of the Rodenstock lenses especially the 30 f2.8 Eurygon and somewhat the 50 Heligon, I guess they are rare enough. The Voigtlander lenses also fetch fairly high prices, the Kodak Retina Reflex were a lot more common than Bessmatics in the US.

One of these days I'll have to get a working Retina Reflex body.

simple-joy · Jul 24, 2025

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T-Rex Mark · Jul 24, 2025

simple-joy said:
--
Experimenting manual lens enthusiast.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/simple_joy/

Very nice pictures! Whether the environment, the lens, or the processing - somehow the blues and the yellows stand out “different” here, in a good way, if that can be, both in the second and the first series. I really like the pictures’ composition, again both the first and the second post, just did not have a chance to comment. Love your “surveillance” trip and impressions very much, excellent reportage!

--

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Tomm111 · Jul 24, 2025

A couple using the 28 Curtagon on a Leica M8, I don't have a 58mm IR/UV cut filter so the greens are a little funky with an M8 which has a very thin IR filter on the sensor. Of course not RF coupled.

These are from a small river that often floods

simple-joy · Jul 24, 2025

Tomm111 said:
The images look fairly good. Since the first SLR I used was a Retina Reflex III with a 50 and 135mm Schneider. I inherited them when my father past, he was using an Instamatic Reflex at the end. He had a 28 Curtagon as his normal lens. I didn't have a 28mm so I adapted it to my Leica digital CL, as with your lens it isn't a fantastic lens, not bad but not on Leica level. Seeing your images I looked for a 35 f2.8 in DKL mount, I had only seen 35 f4s. Ordered a 35 f2.8 DKL, we'll see. I'll post some photos from the 28 f4.

Interesting - I wonder if it's identical. According to this site (https://spiral-m42.blogspot.com/2015/09/schneider-kreuznach-curatgon-35mm-f28.html) there were several redesigns. Perhaps your DKL lens is mentioned in there as well... I've only looked it up because of the C-Curtagon.

In regards to the lens being decent, but not great: A couple of days ago I've compared it to my tiny Xenon 35 mm f/2 and even though it is faster the Xenon 35 is SOOO much sharper wide open than the C-Curtagon, it's not even funny. The great thing about the C-Curtagon is its coverage which exceeds that of the Xenon (which barely covers APS-C) by far. However that comes at a cost for sure. In terms of bokeh it's still very interesting for close-ups and stopped down it gets better at distance as well. But I doubt it ever gets close to the Xenon.

simple-joy · Jul 24, 2025

Tomm111 said:
A couple using the 28 Curtagon on a Leica M8, I don't have a 58mm IR/UV cut filter so the greens are a little funky with an M8 which has a very thin IR filter on the sensor. Of course not RF coupled.

These are from a small river that often floods

Looks fairly good in terms of image quality. Nice shot and reflection!

It's a pity that it isn't a f/2.8 lens as well, but it's understandable of course. There are not too many WA Schneider lenses which are somewhat fast. The PC Super-Angulon 28 mm f/2.8 comes to mind, but that's of course a different beast in terms of price and specs.

I have an interesting industrial Schneider Kreuznach 28 mm f/2.8 which might be based on the Curtagon (I don't know for sure yet), and I think there might be hint more vignetting on that one wide-open and according to the manufacturer it's optimized for close-up work.

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Tons o Glass · Jul 24, 2025

I found one of these in a parts bin lot, and thought it would be worth putting in front of a camera.

Diagram as seen at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/mamiya-tlr-best-normal-lens.192581/

Aperture aside, this viewing lens looks to be optically the same as the taking lens in the diagram above. I suppose one could categorize its design as being a derivative of a Trioplan/triplet, a Tessar, a Heliar, or something in between. What would you call it?

Anyways, here are a few samples from it. Adapted to M42 with a 3D-printed adapter and some extension tubes.

Mild outlining in the background bokeh

Looking more up and further out

Cross-eye stereo crop

Not too shabby if you ask me. Will it bubble? I'll have to try and find out. The focus transition area is slightly wilder than usual, too, so I'll have to show that as well.

T-Rex Mark · Jul 24, 2025

Tons o Glass said:
I found one of these in a parts bin lot, and thought it would be worth putting in front of a camera.

Diagram as seen at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/mamiya-tlr-best-normal-lens.192581/

Aperture aside, this viewing lens looks to be optically the same as the taking lens in the diagram above. I suppose one could categorize its design as being a derivative of a Trioplan/triplet, a Tessar, a Heliar, or something in between. What would you call it?

Anyways, here are a few samples from it. Adapted to M42 with a 3D-printed adapter and some extension tubes.

Mild outlining in the background bokeh

Looking more up and further out

Cross-eye stereo crop

Not too shabby if you ask me. Will it bubble? I'll have to try and find out. The focus transition area is slightly wilder than usual, too, so I'll have to show that as well.

Very cool. I never used a TLR, must be an interesting experience. There are some bubbles you may get them more defined with brighter light sources. The close ups are quite not bad for a “simpler, lesser quality viewing lens”.

--

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Tons o Glass · Jul 24, 2025

T-Rex Mark said:
Tons o Glass said:

I found one of these in a parts bin lot, and thought it would be worth putting in front of a camera.

Diagram as seen at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/mamiya-tlr-best-normal-lens.192581/

Aperture aside, this viewing lens looks to be optically the same as the taking lens in the diagram above. I suppose one could categorize its design as being a derivative of a Trioplan/triplet, a Tessar, a Heliar, or something in between. What would you call it?

Anyways, here are a few samples from it. Adapted to M42 with a 3D-printed adapter and some extension tubes.

Mild outlining in the background bokeh

Looking more up and further out

Cross-eye stereo crop

Not too shabby if you ask me. Will it bubble? I'll have to try and find out. The focus transition area is slightly wilder than usual, too, so I'll have to show that as well.

Click to expand...

Very cool. I never used a TLR, must be an interesting experience.

I've only managed to look through a few, which is a treat. Giant viewfinders / ground glass are kinda magical to me.

T-Rex Mark said:
There are some bubbles you may get them more defined with brighter light sources.

I'm gonna have to seek out or fabricate some golden-hour morning/evening dew...

T-Rex Mark said:
The close ups are quite not bad for a “simpler, lesser quality viewing lens”.

It's not uncommon for the viewing lens to be simpler. An f/2.8 Rolleiflex with a Xenotar or Planar taking lens will cost you an arm and a leg and you'll only get a triplet for the viewfinder. Kudos to Mamiya for not doing that, eh?

E Dinkla · Jul 26, 2025

Tons o Glass said:
I found one of these in a parts bin lot, and thought it would be worth putting in front of a camera.

Diagram as seen at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/mamiya-tlr-best-normal-lens.192581/

Aperture aside, this viewing lens looks to be optically the same as the taking lens in the diagram above. I suppose one could categorize its design as being a derivative of a Trioplan/triplet, a Tessar, a Heliar, or something in between. What would you call it?

A derivative of the Hektor/Elmaron/Thambar type. In short, one of Leica's Triplet enhancements.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

simple-joy · Jul 26, 2025

Tons o Glass said:
Mild outlining in the background bokeh

Looking more up and further out

Very nice look in both of these, Well done!

I've recently experimented with a viewing lens as well. It was just a Triplet from Som Berthiot but it worked surprisingly well.

--
Experimenting manual lens enthusiast.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/simple_joy/

Sjak · Jul 26, 2025

Due to a sequence of circumstances, I haven't had much time to play with my lenses.

Today, picked up my Pentax 31 Ltd, added an PK-LM-adapter, and used on Techart v2 + ZF. Such a sweet little lens.

Wide open. This is going to be a fun combo

404_image_not_found · Jul 26, 2025

simple-joy said:

The delicateness here is lovely. In both rendition and composition.

--
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If Caesar was alive today I would be chained to an oar.

Tons o Glass · Jul 27, 2025

simple-joy said:
Tons o Glass said:

Mild outlining in the background bokeh

Looking more up and further out

Click to expand...

Very nice look in both of these, Well done!

Thanks, SJ!

simple-joy said:
I've recently experimented with a viewing lens as well. It was just a Triplet from Som Berthiot but it worked surprisingly well.

Ah yes I do recall seeing and liking that adaptation; seen and liked again! My only experience with Berthiot is a 25mm f/1.5 Cinor; a little porthole on FF, but a nice one nonetheless.

Som Berthiot 25mm f/1.5 Cinor (C-Mount)

Jones Longshot · Jul 28, 2025

simple-joy said:
This lens was likely used on security cameras and isn't outstanding in terms of quality. I still think that it produces interesting results and it covers full frame, which is nice.

There's not much information online about this one but I think that it is a 6 elements in 6 groups (later) Curtagon design:

C-Curtagon 35 mm f/2.8 (just an assumption based on the spiral-m42 blog for now....

If you have any different information about that lens and its design, please let me know.

This one was among 3 lenses which I took with me on my holiday trip to Italy.

And a couple of (cross view) stereo shots:

All very nice images. My favorite is the one above. The simplicity coupled with the warm tone really draws me in.

--

Jones Hendershot

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Jane in Spain

Hola! Welcome to Jane in Spain, where Sarah "Jane" and Jones Longshot (and dogs Ruby and Hazel) explore how and why we left the US for Spain, and show you what our life here in Spain is like. We are in love with Galicia and its people, and we love to learn about this ancient culture and how its...

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Jones Longshot · Jul 29, 2025

Nikkor 105-P 2.5 non-Ai. About 1970 vintage.

This is my most recent acquisition so I'm spending a lot of time with it.

Nikkor 105-P 2.5 non-Ai @f/11

The subject is a piece of folk art that we found in our house. Its a lamp made out of carved horns. I needed an extention tube as the 105mm has a minimum focus distance of 1.3 meters.

Normally I would not shoot at f/11 but I could not really descern a difference in sharpness between f/8 and f/11 and I did get a touch more DOF.

--
https://www.joneshendershot.com
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Tomm111 · Jul 31, 2025

A cute little lens, just wish it as a little better. I have used the Retina f1.9 Xenon, a nice lens, just have a lot of 50s, and a 28 f4 Curtagon, OK lens but nothing to write home about. The 35 was very disappointing, only one photo was sharp, a close up. Being a small lens the adaptors are very lumpy. Overall I am disappointed, I am wondering about sending it back.

The one sharp photo was interesting a close up at f4, I wish my composition was better

The other photos were very soft,

I ran the last image though Topaz Sharpen AI and it cleaned up well.

Alan WF · Aug 1, 2025

Post no new photos, please. The August 2025 thread has just started. Thanks.

July 2025 — This Month Through Your Adapted Lens

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