How to select alternative lenses for Rittreck/Optika IIa?

[Keith]

Hello everyone-

I own an older Optika IIa. It's heavy and ugly, but I love the 6x9 negatives that it produces. For this camera I only own the standard Musashino Luminon 10.5cm f3.5 lens and its lens board. I haven't seen any inexpensive Rittreck/Optika lenses for sale for this specific camera so I would like to find other more easily available lenses that would be useful. Can someone tell me what size lenses fit or what to look for in a lens that will cover this format? For instance, is my lens board and flange a "standard" size or would I need to make or find adapters? Using a calipers I measure approx 38mm for the lens thread size, approx 44mm for the flange opening, and perhaps 55mm for the opening in the lens board if I were to remove the flange (it's really tight so I haven't tried removing it yet). I have read that the Rittreck/Optika lenses came in the range of 90mm to 600mm, but since the bellows doesn't have a lot of range I'm wondering if each lens was sold with its own custom lens board? For instance this lens board is slightly recessed. Or would it work to simply cut a flat lens board with an opening for whatever lens I have that covers the format?

Mainly I'd like to find a wide angle and a portrait lens for this camera. What is a good focal length for a portrait lens for this format?

Also, what is the proper filter size for my 10.5cm lens? I measure it to be approx 40mm.

Any ideas you have would be helpful.

Thanks much!
Keith Ostertag
Central PA, USA

[Abbazz]

Hi Keith,

Lenses for the Rittreck/Optika IIa camera do appear quite regularly on eBay.

Right now, there is a set for sale on eBay with the Optika IIa camera + 3 lenses at $899 Buy-it-Now or best offer. You could buy the whole set (maybe for a fair price, because this set has been for sale for quite a while) and try to sell back the camera on eBay to recoup part of the price.

The lenses for this camera were mounted on a specific 7 x 7.2 cm lensboard with rounded angles. The standard lens that I have has a 37mm screwmount. I have tried to mount a Pentax Takumar in 37mm screwmount (an old Asahiflex 58/2.4 lens), but the thread is different so I can only screw the retaining flange for 1 1/2 turn. That's enough to hold the lens though and the old Takumar makes a nice 6x9 macro lens.

Usually, I stick an universal iris lensholder in front of the Optika's front standard and I am able to use any lens up to a diameter of 56mm. This picture taken from my page about the Optika IIa shows this setup with a Leitz Elmar 135/4 lens:



I am aware that the universal iris lensholders are becoming as rare as hens' teeth, so I guess your best bet if you need to adapt third party lenses to your Optika would be to have custom lensboards made. An aluminium plate measuring 70x72mm with a hole of suitable diameter will do the job. Any large format lens from 120 to 150mm in barrel mount will be suitable, as long as the rear diameter of the lens doesn't exceed the dimensions of the lensboard.

You are right about the custom lens boards. Here's a picture of the 180mm Fujinar lens with its lensboard mounted on the Optika:


(picture linked from http://kochi-med.net/moto/camera/favorite/rittreck/)

A good portrait lens for 6x9 format would be around 180mm. The problem is that the bellows doesn't have enough extension to focus a 180mm lens for a full head portrait, so you would have to devise a lensboard like the model shown above.

It's even worse for wide angle lenses. The huge mirror clearance of this camera doesn't allow for any lens shorter than 92mm (the shortest lens that was available for the Optika), even with a recessed lensboard. Maybe you could use a wide angle of retrofocus formula, but I don't know any that would be able to cover the 6x9 format. Forget about wide angles on this camera.

Cheers!

Sébastien

[Keith]

Thank you Sebatien very much, this is very useful information.

The linked photo of the Optika with the 180mm lens shows me exactly what I suspected about the shape and size of the custom lens boards.

I had never before heard of a "universal iris lensholder", but now I understand its use.

It''s too bad the camera isn't designed to be able to use wide angle lenses, but with the info you have given me and some trial and error I think I will eventually find some longer lenses to use.

Or maybe I will save my money and buy one of the Fuji 6x9 cameras...

Keith

[Abbazz]

Thank you Sebatien very much, this is very useful information.

You're welcome.

I had never before heard of a "universal iris lensholder", but now I understand its use.

Glennview used to sell them but it seems the shop is now out of stock. Here is the link (scroll to the bottom of the page):
http://www.glennview.com/vcamacc.htm

It''s too bad the camera isn't designed to be able to use wide angle lenses, but with the info you have given me and some trial and error I think I will eventually find some longer lenses to use.

The easiest focal length to adapt is around 120-150mm. With shorter lenses, you might have to use a sunk mount, while for longer lenses, you will have to built a protruding lens mount in order to allow close focusing.

Or maybe I will save my money and buy one of the Fuji 6x9 cameras...

Slippery slope...

Cheers!

Sébastien