Does anyone know anything about the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar f4.5 150mm enlarging lens. Aperature goes to f32. S/N is 8850971. It appears to be uncoated but I'm not sure. There are two odd things about it. First, although it is for a 39mm lensboard opening, the threads appear to be different than standard because it won't thread more than about 1/2 turn into my new Saunders enlarger 39mm lensboard. Second, it has an outside knurled ring for changing aperature separated with about an 1/8th inch gap from the inside threaded ring for filters. By the way, it is completely metal and rather heavy for its size. Doesn't appear to have any plastic parts.

I am thinking of buying an El-Nikkor but would hate to do so and then find out the the Scheider was an absolutely wonderful piece of glass!

-- J.L. Kennedy (jlkennedy@qnet.com), May 30, 1999

Answers

I think that what you have is a camera lens, made in 1964, not an enlarger lens. Worse still, you may have only have half the lens. The lens is probably made for fitting a Copal 1 shutter between the front and rear elements, and the thread for this is indeed 39mm, but a finer pitch than Leica's.

See the Schneider site for info on their current lenses.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), June 01, 1999.

I am pretty sure it is not a camera lens but is an enlarging lens because 1) I have been using it as an enlarging lens and it works quite well, and 2) the aperature settings are engraved right into the lens barrel and the aperature blades are incorporated into the lens, unlike camera lenses which have the aperature in the shutter. Thanks for pointing me to the Schneider site.

-- J.L. Kennedy (jlkennedy@qnet.com), June 04, 1999.