The Pentacon Six System
by TRA
Lens Data Summary
Astro Lenses
The Astro company was apparently located in Berlin and is usually known
as “Astro-Berlin”. The lenses are reported to have been designed
and originally sold in the 1930s. We must remember that the superb
Carl Zeiss Jena f/2.8 / 180mm Sonnar was designed in 1936, so we should
not dismiss such lenses. However, Astro lenses have been described
by an experienced user as “not meeting today’s quality” and “in the league
with Kilfitt or less, not Zeiss Jena”. (Sam Sherman in Old Bridge,
New Jersey)
| Lens name |
Max aperture
& focal length
mm |
No of
elements |
Closest
focus
m |
| Color-Astrar |
f/2 / 150 |
5 |
2.2 |
| Astro-Tachar |
f/2.3 / 150 |
4 |
2.2 |
| Astro-Tachar |
f/1.8 / 150 (1) |
4 |
2.2 |
| Astro-Telestan |
f/3.5 / 200 |
4 |
2.5 |
| Astro-Telestan |
f/3.5 / 300 |
4 |
3.5 |
| Astro-Telestan |
f/4.5 / 500 |
4 |
7 |
| Astro-Fernbild |
f/5 / 640 |
2 |
10 |
| Astro-Fernbild |
f/5 / 800 |
2 |
16 |
| Astro-Fernbild |
f/6.3 / 1000 |
2 |
25 |
| Astro-Telestan |
f/10 / 2000 |
4 |
45 |
Notes
(1) This is incredibly fast for a lens of this focal length.
It is a very large and heavy lens! It has appeared on eBay, where
it sold for a very high price.
All these lenses are reported to have had a “click-stopped diaphragm
(not pre-set)” – Gillespie, 1975.
This data is based on published sources. I do not have any Astro
lenses.
To go on to the next section, click below.
Next section (Dallmeyer lenses) |
|
The Astro “Noctron” Tachar f/1.8 / 150mm lens
on a Praktisix IIA
My thanks to the collector who let me photograph this item
|
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© TRA May 2002, January 2012