Rodenstock GmbH

Rodenstock GmbH is an optics manufacturer based in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.

Rodenstock was founded in 1877 by Josef Rodenstock and specialized in producing high-quality optical lenses for cameras and enlargers (Rodagon, Sironar, Apo-Ronar, Grandagon, Apo-Sironar). It was sold to Linos AG in 2000, and continues to produce high quality camera lenses and eyeglass frames.

Small format camera lenses

Euron

A 3-element, 3-group design, used for 8 mm motion picture cameras.

37.5 mm f/2.8

Eurygon

A 7-element design.

Heligon

A 6-element design.

12.5 mm f/1.5

Heligaron

A 6-element design, used for 8 mm motion picture cameras.

6.5 mm f/1.6

Ronar

Used for 8 mm motion picture cameras.

12.5 mm f/1.9

Rotelar

A 5-element design.

Yronar

A 4-element, 4-group design.

135 mm f/3.5

Ysarex

Large format camera lenses

Rodenstock has a long history of manufacturing lenses for large format cameras, and has several lines of lenses.

Geronar

The least expensive of the Rodenstock lenses, these 3-element, 3-group designs have a 60° angle of view, and perform best when stopped down.

150 mm f/6.3 (for 4×5 in)
210 mm f/6.8 (for 5×7 in)

APO-Sironar-N

The APO-Sironar-N line is a 6-element, 4-group apochromatic design for general photography. Angle of view is 72°.

150 mm f/5.6 (for 4×5 in)
210 mm f/5.6 (for 5×7 in)
300 mm f/5.6 (for 8×10 in)

APO-Sironar-S

These 6-element, 4-group lenses are an update to the APO-Sironar-N line, incorporating a larger angle of view (75°) and extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements to further reduce chromatic aberrations. Light fall-off at the edges of the field has also been reduced from the Sironar-N lenses.

100 mm f/5.6 (for 6×9 cm)
135 mm f/5.6 (for 4×5 in)
150 mm f/5.6
180 mm f/5.6 (for 5×7 in)
210 mm f/5.6
240 mm f/5.6
300 mm f/5.6 (for 8×10 in)
360 mm f/5.6

APO-Macro-Sironar

This line of 6-element, 4-group macro lenses is optimized for reproduction ratios from 1:5 to 2:1.

120 mm f/5.6 (for 4×5 in)
180 mm f/5.6 (for 5×7 in)

APO-Grandagon

The Grandagon lines are Rodenstock's wide-angle lenses. The APO-Grandagon line is apochromatic, incorporating ED-glass elements. This series has a 120° angle of view, but the extremely short focal lengths only cover mostly medium format image sizes. Designs are 8 elements in 4 groups.

35 mm f/4.5 (for 6×9 cm)
45 mm f/4.5 (for 6×12 cm)
55 mm f/4.5 (for 4×5 in)

Grandagon-N

With an angle of view of 105°, these 8-element, 4-group lenses are the standard wide angles of the Rodenstock line. In their respective focal lengths, they are among the fastest wide angles available from any manufacturer. The 90 mm f/6.8, by contrast to the rest of the line, is a 6 element design.

65 mm f/4.5 (for 4×5 in)
75 mm f/4.5
90 mm f/4.5 (for 5×7 in)
90 mm f/6.8 (for 4×5 in)
155 mm f/6.8 (for 8×10 in)

APO-Ronar

These are apochromatic process lenses with 4 elements in 4 groups and an angle of view of approximately 48°. They are optimized for 1:1 reproduction ratios.

150 mm f/9 (for 6×9 cm)
240 mm f/9 (for 4×5 in)
300 mm f/9 (for 5×7 in)
360 mm f/9
480 mm f/9 (for 8×10 in)
600 mm f/9 (for 8×10 in) CL
890 mm f/? (for 8×10 in) CL

Imagon

Introduced in 1931, the Imagon uses an achromat doublet which is uncorrected for spherical aberration, and the well-known "sink strainer" aperture grilles. It is one of the classic soft-focus "portrait lenses". Though most Imagons are mounted in shutters which have normal (though unmarked) aperture iris controls, the aperture is controlled by one of three supplied aperture grilles. Each grille has an open central portion, noted with an "h-stop" designation which approximates the corresponding f-stop, surrounded by a series of smaller variable-opening holes. By rotating the outer rim of the grille, the opening of these smaller holes can be changed, and by this the amount of softness is also changed. Wider h-stops, or more-open holes, mean more softness.

One hazard of using such a lens is that when rotating the aperture grille, there is the possibility of focus shift. The photographer must verify that the plane of focus is correct after setting the desired amount of softness.

200 mm h/5.8 (for 6×9 cm)
250 mm h/5.8 (for 4×5 in)
300 mm h/7.7 (for 5×7 in)

Digital camera lenses

The Rodenstock digital lenses are optimized for the small pixel grids common to most digital cameras' sensors, from 12 μm to 5 μm, to reduce the effects that diffraction and color noise have on sharpness.

APO-Sironar digital

These are the standard lenses in Rodenstock's digital lineup. They are optimized for working apertures of f/8 to f/11, and for extremely flat field and uniform illumination.

35 mm f/4.5 (for 46×58 mm sensors)
45 mm f/4.5 (for 72×96 mm sensors)
55 mm f/4.5
90 mm f/5.6
105 mm f/5.6
135 mm f/5.6
150 mm f/5.6
180 mm f/5.6

APO-Macro-Sironar digital

The APO-Macro is optimized for reproduction ratios of 1:5 to 2:1.

120 mm f/5.6 (for 72×96 mm sensors)

APO-Sironar digital HR

The HR series of lenses is optimized for extreme resolving power, for use with extremely high-resolution (thus the name) CCD sensors, with pixel sizes smaller than 10 μm. Recommended working apertures are f/8 to f/11.

35 mm f/4 (for 37×49 mm sensors)
60 mm f/4
100 mm f/4

Enlarging lenses

The current line of Rodenstock enlarging lenses have removeable click-stops for setting aperture in the dark, an illuminated f-stop display, and an aperture pre-set feature, which allows setting of the working aperture, and quick changing from full aperture to the working aperture, for easy focusing and framing.

Rogonar

This is the budget line of enlarging lenses, which have 3-element, 3-group designs. They are optimized for 2x-8x reproduction ratios.

50 mm f/2.8
75 mm f/4.5

Rogonar-S

The 4-element, 3-group Rogonar-S line is optimized for between 2x-8x and 2x-10x reproduction, depending on the model.

25 mm f/4
35 mm f/2.8
50 mm f/2.8
60 mm f/4.5
75 mm f/4.5
90 mm f/4.5
105 mm f/4.5
135 mm f/4.5

Rodagon

Rodenstock's 6-element, 4-group range of enlarger lenses carry very even field illumination, and can be used as on-camera macro lenses in addition to normal enlarging lenses. Optimum working apertures are 2 stops below maximum aperture.

28 mm f/4
35 mm f/4
50 mm f/2.8
60 mm f/4
80 mm f/4
105 mm f/5.6
135 mm f/5.6
150 mm f/5.6
180 mm f/5.6
210 mm f/5.6
240 mm f/5.6
300 mm f/5.6
360 mm f/6.3

Rodagon-G

This line of 6-element, 4-group lenses is optimized for reproduction ratios of 20x and above.

50 mm f/2.8
105 mm f/5.6
150 mm f/5.6
210 mm f/5.6
240 mm f/5.6
300 mm f/5.6
360 mm f/6.8
480 mm f/8.4

APO-Rodagon-N

The apochromatically-corrected Rodagon-N line features 7-element, 5-group designs, and optimum reproduction ratios of 2x-15x.

45 mm f/2.8
50 mm f/2.8
80 mm f/4
90 mm f/4
105 mm f/4

Rodagon-WA

This is a wide-angle series of lenses, which allow greater enlargements and use of shorter focal-length lenses than would otherwise be possible. The WA lenses are 6 elements in 4 groups, and are optimized for 4x-15x reproduction.

40 mm f/4
60 mm f/4
80 mm f/4
120 mm f/5.6

APO-Rodagon-D

Not necessarily enlarging lenses, these models are optimized for near 1:1 reproduction ratios, for purposes such as duplication of transparencies, or preparation of internegatives. They are 6-element, 4-group designs, and optimum f-stop is 2 stops below maximum aperture.

APO-Rodagon-D 1x 75 mm f/4 (for 6×6 cm)
APO-Rodagon-D 2x 75 mm f/4.5 (for 6×7 cm, optimized for 1.2x-2.5x reproduction)
120 mm f/5.6 (for 4×5 in)

Hawk Anamorphic Lenses

In the late 1990s, Rodenstock was contracted by Vantage Films, Inc., with backing from Lucasfilm, to manufacture a new line of high-speed, high-resolution anamorphic lenses to be used for the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Only the first film ended up being shot with the lenses, the other two were shot on CineAlta HDTV. The lenses are still sold by Vantage Films.

External links

Large format lenses from Linos
Digital lenses from Linos
Enlarging lenses from Linos
History of the Imagon
Tables of Rodenstock enlarging lens data
Some lens design profiles