Bausch & Lomb Baltar 15mm Lens Information

[Owen A. Davies]

From pretty much all of the rehoused Bausch & Lomb Baltars I see floating around out there (both regular and super) the list of focal lengths always seem to range from 18mm upward. However, I do know from various eBay listing and other photos that a 15mm B&L Baltar lens does in fact exist out there. What information is there on this lens? Why is it that it’s never lumped in with all the other rehoused lenses? Is the glass of the same quality as cinema standard Baltars? How much would it be worth as just a lens cell itself? Any information would be highly appreciated. Thank you. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Owen A. Davies

[Simon Wyss]

The Bausch & Lomb Baltar formula is a Zeiss Biotar variant, Merté’s six-elements design of 1927. Zeiss made it as f/2.0 and f/1.4. Wollensak, dependent on Bausch & Lomb’s optical glass manufacture, built the f/1.5 Velostigmat from 1928 on. Meyer had the Kino-Plasmat f/1.5 since 1926. So there were a number of six-elements double Gauss lenses on the market after the first asymmetric Planar descendant that is named Opic, 1920 (f/2.0). The symmetric Zeiss Planar is from 1896.

A 15 mm Baltar is a wide-angle system for 16-mm. film. It was a surprise in its time because wide angles used to be three- or four-glass. The value today will be estimated by the image it delivers and that depends mostly on whether the lens is bloomed or not.

[Owen A. Davies]

19 hours ago, Simon Wyss said:

The Bausch & Lomb Baltar formula is a Zeiss Biotar variant, Merté’s six-elements design of 1927. Zeiss made it as f/2.0 and f/1.4. Wollensak, dependent on Bausch & Lomb’s optical glass manufacture, built the f/1.5 Velostigmat from 1928 on. Meyer had the Kino-Plasmat f/1.5 since 1926. So there were a number of six-elements double Gauss lenses on the market after the first asymmetric Planar descendant that is named Opic, 1920 (f/2.0). The symmetric Zeiss Planar is from 1896.

A 15 mm Baltar is a wide-angle system for 16-mm. film. It was a surprise in its time because wide angles used to be three- or four-glass. The value today will be estimated by the image it delivers and that depends mostly on whether the lens is bloomed or not.

You say the 15mm was designed for use in 16mm. Was the make of the same quality of the rest of the Baltar line of lenses? Or was there a design compromise for the smaller format? For instance, there’s a big difference between the Cooke Speed Panchros and the Cooke Kinetals. Is this 15mm Baltar a different make?

[Dom Jaeger]

47 minutes ago, Owen A. Davies said:

 For instance, there’s a big difference between the Cooke Speed Panchros and the Cooke Kinetals.

What do you base that claim on?

[Owen A. Davies]

42 minutes ago, Dom Jaeger said:

What do you base that claim on?

Literally visual comparison tests that I’ve done myself. There is a substantial lack of definition, sharpness, highlight detail, and focus fall off present in the Cooke Kinetal lenses opposed to the Sii Panchros. Additionally, there is a good deal of chromatic aberration present around the edges of the Kinetals which isn’t found in the Sii Panchros. 

[Simon Wyss]

The 15 mm Baltar is the same design as the longer focal lengths. If you refer to the one offered right now on ebay, it’s a fixed-focus lens, maybe not what you’re looking for. Which camera are you using?

[Simon Wyss]

You won’t like this. Series II and III were made in times when people cooperated, you know what that is? They worked together, hand in hand. The Kinetal line of 1959 is from a different time. Humanity was already on the ever accelerating social downchute, first of all, however, no longer respecting the other. Believe me, I am one of the damned generation (1958 to 1972), I know about BS and how it’s sold.

So, although older than the Kinetal the older series can perform better because they were made more carefully. Simple as that

[Owen A. Davies]

On 6/10/2022 at 10:30 AM, Simon Wyss said:

You won’t like this. Series II and III were made in times when people cooperated, you know what that is? They worked together, hand in hand. The Kinetal line of 1959 is from a different time. Humanity was already on the ever accelerating social downchute, first of all, however, no longer respecting the other. Believe me, I am one of the damned generation (1958 to 1972), I know about BS and how it’s sold.

So, although older than the Kinetal the older series can perform better because they were made more carefully. Simple as that

If I'm not mistaken, thew few ones I see floating around are eBay are Baltar lens cells, not fixed focus lenses. Meaning I could adapt them to a helicoid for cameras with a shallower FFD and focus them by that means. Is that correct? I'm aware the lens cells have no internal focusing capabilities on their own. 

[Simon Wyss]

Yes. What is it that attracts you with Bausch & Lomb?