Projection lenses

[Roland Vink]

It is an excellent lens and quite better than the normal Colorplan based on its MTF chart, also the color transmission is better.

Leitz stated in its brochure about it:

""Advanced optical computation methods led to the SUPER-COLORPLAN-P2, whose optical performance surpasses even that of the renowned COLORPLAN-P2, to the point that its imaging quality is comparable to that of the APO lenses for our LEICA M and LEICA R cameras. Its highly corrected optical system provides excellent resolving power, brilliant illumination, true color fidelity, uniformly high contrast rendition and unequalled sharpness across the entire image area.""

I have the original Colorplan-P2, before I bought it I compared it with the Hector 85/2.8 lens which came with my projector. The Colorplan was already far superior - brighter and sharper - the Super-Colorplan must be impressive if it is even better.

[paul hofseth]

further to some of the questions above. The Italian paleontologist and lens commenator, Marco Cavina  has written about the Colorplans that some of them had the same construction as the leica Elmarits but in the same article he ddescribes the early German ones as better made than the later Portuguese variety. Nothing about the super-C variety.

To adapt projection optics with this tube ,as well as tubes one size up, I use the "samtfocus" device maded by Heinchen at digicamera club.de.

p.

[MEPER]

The Super Colorplan I have (pictured couple of posts above) is clearly made in Portugal by Leica. It is engraved in the lens. So maybe I should not spend more time with this lens other than use it for viewing film on a light table which it is quite good at. Does a German made Super Colorplan exists?

Some time ago I had a couple of vintage Colorplans for the Prado 250 and 500. They were chromed versions and made by Leitz in Germany. Very nice lenses. All the Prado stuff took up too much space so it all went to a historical photo club so they could sell it and get some funding for the club. These Colorplans must have been version 1 and not the P2 I guess.

[dickb]

further to some of the questions above. The Italian paleontologist and lens commenator, Marco Cavina  has written about the Colorplans that some of them had the same construction as the leica Elmarits but in the same article he ddescribes the early German ones as better made than the later Portuguese variety. Nothing about the super-C variety.

To adapt projection optics with this tube ,as well as tubes one size up, I use the "samtfocus" device maded by Heinchen at digicamera club.de.

p.

The tubes with flocking material I described in a previous post are essentially the same as the Samtfokus device, a sliding focus tube with a friction material that doubles as flocking. If you get the dimensions/tightness of the tube right it is surprisingly precise and comfortable to use.

[dickb]

The Super Colorplan I have (pictured couple of posts above) is clearly made in Portugal by Leica. It is engraved in the lens. So maybe I should not spend more time with this lens other than use it for viewing film on a light table which it is quite good at.

That is not the conclusion you should draw from the Cavina comment. He shows that the 42.5mm diameter Colorplan that was made both in Germany and Portugal had a cheaper mechanical construction in the Portugal version. I don't see any difference in the optics between the two, apart from possibly a slightly higher susceptibility for flare for the Portugal version. Anyway, this doesn't concern your lens at all. Yours has slightly better optics and much better mechanical construction than either 42.5mm version. I used to have the 52.2mm made in Portugal Colorplan Pro that shares its mechanical construction with yours .

[paul hofseth]

I agree, If one reads cavinas article he states that there is more shiny plastic and less matte baffling but he explains the rear  plastic ring with possibly allowing for heat expansion of the rear element-. Given the traditions of leitz quality control, I would be surprised if they would allow markedly substandard products even if penny pinching by modifying designs for cheaper production processes abroad at times were needed. Production outside of Wetzlar or Solms need not be automatically suspect. At least one projection Elmarit was made in Austria, that one looks very solid.Cheapness through plastic parts in  existing lens designs  obviously was not the case for the Canadian Midland works where dr Mandlers designs and the Apo-Telyt was conceived.

[MEPER]

Yes, my seems to be a 52.2 mm version. Most is metal but if I look at the rear element there is a ring around it which looks like plastic. Lens has never been in a projector and been exposed for heat so lens is probably ok still. The ring which holds the rear element is metal but screwed into a plastic ring?   .....sounds not good but looking at the video below the whole shell is plastic but lens does ok. Probably such a conversion I could try. I could not find any images of the "friction tube" solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSNFoAe9dko

[paul hofseth]

The samtfocus is not a mere friction tube, but a specially made tube with internal helical grooves that will guide the velvet strips (samt in German) glued to the lens tube. There is presumably no need for a video since the tube sets were made to order by Heitchen and distributed in the same way as the special universal adaption - VNex set.

I had mine furnished with a special MFT mount in order to accomodate my very short-back focus Angenieux and Astro projection lenses.

p.

[MEPER]

Ok. I found info about the vnex here. Looks like good quality:
http://forum.mflenses.com/the-vnex-enlarger-lens-project-v2-0-t67487.html

All this and also the Samtfocus is via the German digiclub?
Or is there a link to "Heitchen" where he sell stuff?

[MEPER]

It seems it is "Heitchen" himself in the link and also a mail address is provided at the end. So I guess he could be contacted for further information.

[dickb]

The samtfocus is not a mere friction tube, but a specially made tube with internal helical grooves that will guide the velvet strips (samt in German) glued to the lens tube. There is presumably no need for a video since the tube sets were made to order by Heitchen and distributed in the same way as the special universal adaption - VNex set.

I had mine furnished with a special MFT mount in order to accomodate my very short-back focus Angenieux and Astro projection lenses.

p.

It has matching internal helical grooves? Fancy indeed, the original Leitz projection lens focus tubes only have a single protrusion point. I must have misremembered Henry's creations, I thought the VNex tubes were the helical ones and the Samtfokustubus aka SFT was just a draw tube with velvet lining.   

[dickb]

Yes, my seems to be a 52.2 mm version. Most is metal but if I look at the rear element there is a ring around it which looks like plastic. Lens has never been in a projector and been exposed for heat so lens is probably ok still. The ring which holds the rear element is metal but screwed into a plastic ring?   .....sounds not good but looking at the video below the whole shell is plastic but lens does ok. Probably such a conversion I could try. I could not find any images of the "friction tube" solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSNFoAe9dko

This is similar to what Klaus and I were suggesting earlier. In the video the lens is fixed to the helicoid extension tube, so all the focussing is done by the tube's helicoid. One reason why this exact setup will probably not work for your lens is the inner diameter of this helicoid extension tube. Your lens is 52.2mm in diameter the entire length of the rear barrel. The lens in the video is a 42.5mm diameter lens with apparently a 52mm diameter portion close to the front. Your lens will probably not mount into the M52-M42 helicoid like the lens in the video, likely just on the front M52 thread. This is not the most stable configuration and you may not end up reaching infinity focus because the entire length of the helicoid is between the lens and the camera. So for you a larger diameter helicoid is more useful, like the 65mm one Klaus recommended or the 58mm I mentioned. In these cases you do need a ring connecting the 52.2 barrel to M65 or M58, like the ones from RAFCamera. Maybe a M58-M52 step down ring could work as well, though not quite as stable probably 

[paul hofseth]

I must admit that I may confuse the two systems since I have both, but the tube with internal grooves and MFT coupling on the other end  is certainly the one I used for the photo above.

p.

[MEPER]

Think I have got the idea. Different solutions like helicoid and "friction" for focusing. May get a helicoid next time I order adapters from China. I have a Z50 on the way so have already ordered some adapters.
This adaption below is a bit more complicated but interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64GFIPwaDcE

[dickb]

The adaptation in this video is interesting indeed, but perhaps unnecessarily complicated. He removes the 42.5mm outer barrel so the lens will fit into the M42 helicoid. Another option would be to use a wider, say M52 helicoid instead of the M42 one. No hacksawing required.