Photo Cinema reproduct lens [Mu-Yichi-Kyo]
Founded in January 2012
Photo Cinema reproduct lens [Mu-Yichi-Kyo]
Founded in January 2012
The pinnacle of pictorial expression
Super-Six
The British optical industry has had a prestigious firm called Ross since the 19th century, and it was common for designers who studied there to go on to found other optical companies. While British optical companies share commonalities, such as using glass from Chance Brothers, there isn't much variety when it comes to individuality. This may be due in part to the fact that their heyday was at the end of the 19th century, when optics was still in its infancy (NHK's "Bi no Tsubo" (Pot of Beauty) reported on the popularity of drinking glasses made from Chance glass). John Henry Dallmeyer, a former Ross employee, was related to the Ross family by marriage. After Ross's death, he and his son took over the company. However, their relationship soon deteriorated, and they parted ways. This was the story of the founding of Dallmeyer, which played a central role in the British optical industry, introducing new designs, until the industry entered a period of decline.
Among these is the Super-Six (British Patent GB746201), an orthodox Gaussian lens announced by Bertram Langton of Dallmeyer. Dallmeyer seemed confident in this lens, and this is evident from the name of the lens: Super-Six, or "the ultimate six lenses." We can see their intention to use this lens to reveal the ultimate form of the Gaussian type.
This lens is considered to be the ultimate in superb quality, but it is a great pity that it was produced in such limited quantities. It was initially supplied as a high-grade lens for Witness cameras (perhaps for journalists, as the name means "witness" or "eyewitness"), but it suffered the sad fate of not being appreciated by photographers who aspired to be witnesses to the truth. As a result, the number of cameras produced dwindled, and the lens became a mere ideal and a flop.
Although the number of lenses produced was small, the production period was long, from the 1930s until the 1980s, when a single lens was made as a special order. Some lenses were made to be attached to the 0 flange specification of early Leicas, which did not yet have rangefinders, and were later made compatible with rangefinder coupling. This was a 50mm lens. The optics appear to have been improved, as evidenced by the existence of an improved version called the Rareac. While they were certain that this lens would one day become a hit, that time never came. It also seems that they were unable to produce a better Gauss lens. Although it was produced for a long time, Dallmeyer only has one Gauss-type lens patent, this one.
The patent by Dallmeyer was filed in April 1954. However, the Super-Six is known to have existed since the early 1930s, meaning this data is an improvement. So what was the early Super-Six? Considering the circumstances at the time, it is highly likely that it was the Cooke Opic. Cooke provided the f/1.4 version to Schneider, which produced it under the Xenon name.
Cooke's Warmisham applied for a patent for an improved Speed Panchro in 1935. This was further improved and eventually became the Speed Panchro Series II, but it can also be said that this was the first time the aberration arrangement of the Super-Six was shown.
The only lens that can truly be called a Super-Six is the 1938 design proposed by Wormesham after reviewing the Dagor design. The focal length limit of this second f/2 was 37mm. Up until the 1950s, there were many wide-angle lenses with a limit of 37mm, so it seems that the physical limit was somewhere around here. Most of them were labeled 35mm for ease of understanding. The drawings were issued at 37mm.
If I were to widen it to 35mm, I'd definitely see dark corners. That said, even at 37mm, I think there would be vignetting around the edges. I think it would be dark in low light.
Nothing is known about Dallmeyer's designer, Bertram Langton, including his race, but aside from the Super-Six, he is known to have produced such unusual products as the Septac (British Patent GB553844), which we will review below for reference, and the Topogon-type lens for the Camera Obscura. Since it was in production for a long time, it must have had a strong following among some people.
The Super-Six had under-spherical aberration, but the Septac had over-spherical aberration, so they were designed with different concepts in mind. The Super-Six is a general-purpose lens with a calm aperture of nearly f2.0, but the Septac is nearly twice as bright at f1.5, so it tends to be suitable for portraiture.
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