Here is the current Spec Sheet for Agfa Rodinal 

NOVOFLEX NOTE 4 Novoflex Literature

Friedrich-W. Voigt, Novoflex Pocket Book. Focal Press London, 1963 English edition of 1961 German Edition. Covers Model I, Model S, Model II Bellows, bellows 66, tripod rack [later CASTEL], Noflexar lens heads 3.5/105 and 4.5/135 in chrome; extension tube set, follow focus extension bellows, follow focus (FF) 240, 400 and MF 5.6/500, special bellows [later BAL-U], chest pod, telescopic [nesting] tele-lenses 400 & 640, slide copying device, microscope adapter, microscope bellows, panoramic head, with interchangeable graduated ring.








Friedrich-W. Voigt, Novoflex Pocket Book. 1970 German Edition. Heering Verlag, Munich. As above, but adds monorail bellows, Automatic bellows model A, Noflexar lens heads 3.5/105 and 4.5/135 in black, level insert for CASTEL, 5.6/280 lens head for FF grip, macro wide-angle Noflexar 3.5/35mm, Paffrath & Kemper ring flash. Nesting lenses and FF extension bellows have been removed.










Dieter Gabler. Vollendete Spiegelreflex Fotografie mit Novoflex [Perfect SLR Photography with N.]. 1973 1st Edition. Publisher: Novoflex Memmingen. Very thorough assessment of everything N. in 1972/73 with an attempt to shed light on he codes used at that point, but rather wordy and opinionated. Gabler always promoted his favorite SLR system, Minolta. Inclusion of the Rolleiflex SL66 ROLLAN adapter (without FF grip!) for the 240 and KS-500 lens head and the ROLLAN-200 adapter for the N-200 F4 Noflexar. KS-500 is identified as a 5.6/500 mm Tele-Noflexar. Discussion of Super 6 and 16mm filming wit N. lenses. X-Shoe flash holder. 6x6 bellows still mentioned in table but not illustrated. 35mm bellows more or less as above but thorough discussion of no less than 12 different macro lens heads:
4/105 mm manual black Noflexar (LEINO 105)
4/105 mm semi-automatic black Noflexar (LEINO-A 105)
4.5/135mm black N. -Xenar (LEINOX)
4.5/135 black Auto-Noflexar (LEINO-A-135)
4.5/135mm manual chrome Xenar (LEIXEAL)
4.5/135mm semi-automatic Xenar (LEIXEAL-A)
4.5/150 mm chrome Xenar (LEIXIAN) - "also for 6 x 6"
4.5/180 mm Xenar (LEIXUR) consisting of:
180mm lens XUR - "also for 6 x 6"
and reduction ring to M39 (LEIXURRING)
4/200 mm Noflexar & lens hood (LEINO-200) consisting of:
4/200 mm Noflexar head - "also for 6 x 6" (N-200)
and reduction tube N-200 to M39 (LEIAN)
5.5/240 mm Tele Arton (LEITELAR) [not for 6 x 6]
4.5/60mm BALFLEX (for slide copying)
4/105 mm Bellows Noflexar automatic lens heads (with different camera system mounts)

Dieter Gabler. Vollendete Spiegelreflex Fotografie mit Novoflex [Perfect SLR Photography with N.]. 1978 2nd revised Edition. Publisher: Novoflex Memmingen. B-System B-400/3 triplet (T) Noflexar 5.6/400 appears. 9/640 mm (N-640) is replaced by 8/600 (B-600) lens head. KS-500 Medium Format lens head is now identified correctly as a 6.3/500mm Tele-Noflexar. Bellows lens heads are reduced to 60mm BALFLEX, 4/105 mm LEINO-105, 4/200 mm LEINO-200 and the dedicated 4/60mm and 4/105 mm Auto Bellows Noflexars. MACRO -STAND copying device is discussed and Multiblitz Color Slide Duplicator.








Dieter Gabler. Vollendete Spiegelreflex Fotografie mit Novoflex [Perfect SLR Photography with N.]. 1980 3rd revised Edition. Publisher: Novoflex Memmingen.This edition introduces the C-System double FF grip with 5.6/400 Noflexar, 5.6/400 T-Noflexar and 8/600 mm lens heads and Extender [2 x converter] TEX. Newly designed PISTOCK-C shoulder pod. B-FF System is still discussed. Medium Format lens heads 5.6/240 mm and 5.6/500 have been eliminated. Macro lens heads reduced to 4/60 and 4/105 mm manual and auto versions. Discussion of KAISER repro unit (baseboard, column, lights) and Gossen cold light unit. 35mm Universal bellows hood PROSON.







Harald Zeyss. Makro Fotografie und die superschnellen Tele - Das neue Novoflex Buch [Macro photography and the superfast telephoto lenses - The new N.-Book] No date, but probably 1989. Publisher: vfv Verlag.Discussion of C-System FF lenses. Introduction of the short-lived Novoflex-Tamron 2.8/300 mm and 3.8-5.4/60-300 mm. New 6x6 C System Medium Format FF grip for Hasselblad 2000 FC (HAPIGRIFF-C), Rolleiflex SL66 (ROLPIGRIFF-C), Mamiya 645 (MAMPIGRIFF 645-C) and Pentax 645 (TAXPIGRIFF 645-C) to be used with the standard 400 mm lens heads only. Adapters to use these MF grips on 35 mm cameras (HARING, MAMRING) and BALROL 66 35mm bellows adapter for ROLPIGRIFF-C. Car window clamp and ball head. Discussion of Metz tele flash attachment and professional flash 60 CT-4. Introduction of Canon EOS AF and Minolta AF bellows. New heavy duty macro rail, new large repro (copy) stand (MACRO-S), double flash holder system (Macroblitz-Set).

Richard Hünecke. Das Novoflex System Makro and Tele [The N. System Macro and Tele]. Publisher: Laterna Magica 1994. Introduction of the improved PIGRIFF -D system with the aperture now fixed in the FF grip instead of being in a removable tubus. Pigriff-D versions for Hassy, Mamiya 645, Pentax 645 and Rolleiflex SL66. Universal bellows BALUNI for 35mm and 6x6. Three different size macro rails: CASTEL-Mini, CASTEL-K and CASTEL-PRO. Macroblitz Set III. N. Macrolight II. UNISET and STASET flash holders.








This for starters. Contact me, if you know of any other Novoflex-Books.

NOVOFLEX NOTE 3
This is the early Novoflex LEIXIAN (150mm 1:4.5 Xenar) bellows lens made by Schneider Kreuznach. I have used it on a SL66 with the custom made M39 (LTM) adapter shown in the first photo and also on the BAL-S.



































Below are some lens test images from this lens kindly provided by D. Kenney:

Xenar 4.5/150mm at F 4.5:















Xenar 4.5/150mm at F 8:

The entire set of chrome Schneider lenses was available for Novoflex bellows in March of 1963.

NOVOFLEX NOTE 2

Here is one of the most nicely finished and obscure bellows from Novoflex: The BALROL 66 for use of any Rolleiflex SL66 lens (including all Novoflex lenses manufactured for the Rolleiflex SL66) on 35mm SLRs using the standard Novoflex Adapters (ROLA, OMA, NIKA, CANA-AF etc.):



I wished it had an exchangeable rear standard and also allowed the adaptation to other medium format cameras like Mamiya 645, Contax 645, Pentax 645...

NOVOFLEX NOTE 1

1. Here is the most basic Novoflex accessory: The compact BAL-S bellows with Leica Thread Mount (M39) in the front and standard Novoflex bayonet in the rear for various N. camera adapters for almost every SLR from Ihagee Exakta to Canon EOS.



This can take any enlarger or Leica SM lens to get started in bellows photography from 1:1 to infinity. Especially elegant (aside from Novoflex lens heads) are older Leica SM lens heads from the Leica Elmarit 90 mm or Elmar/Hektor 135mm lens heads with the appropriate Novoflex adapter (e.g. LEIEL, LEIHEK), or the recessed Macro Tessar (I am looking for one!).

2. The second most useful Novoflex accessory: CASTEL - The original compact Novoflex focussing rail. Here shown with Novoflex Panorama Head mounted on a small N. ballhead. Missing is the small horizontal level NIVEL that is rarely included with CASTELs purchased used.

This is PAW 2007 Week 9. Horses west of Mount Mansfield, Jericho, Vermont. Leica M3, 2.0/50mm collapsible Summicron. This herd of Haflinger(?) horses can always be found on a pasture behind Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Jericho. Sunday morning light often creates a lovely athmosphere at any time of the year with Mt. Mansfield as a majestic background.

Sailboat at Burlington, Lake Champlain
This is my first entry for a Picture a Week (PAW) effort. This image was taken with a Leica M3 and collapsible Summicron 2.0/50mm. Kodak Plus X (125 ASA). Developed 7.5 minutes in Sprint 1:9 Developer. Scanned with Epson 3200 Photo.

Leica Note 1

Comparison Shots of restored 2.0/50 Summicron & 1.4/40 Nokton

This shot of a brick building on Church Street, Burlington,was taken with the 2.0/50mm Summicron, handheld

The following shot was taken from roughly the same position with the 1.4/40mm Nokton, handheld.

In both cases Fuji 100 ASA color negative film was used. Unfortunately, the f-stop was not recorded but it was most likely not wide open. Notice the somewhat more contrasty and brilliant colors in the modern Nokton design (very obvious in the proof prints I had made before scanning the negatives). The wider perspective of the Nokton is also an advantage for overviews in narrow streets, but perspective distortions (fleeing building lines) are clearly stronger. Both lenses appear equally sharp.

On this blog I am occasionally going to post notes and comments on experiences with camera gear I have been using and its optical performance.

1. Restored Front Element for Collapsible Leica M Summicron 2.0/50 mm lens


Here is my Summicron with the front element freshly restored by Arax (http://www.araxfoto.com/) in Ukraine still removed. My local camera repair service (LeZot Camera Repair) put it back together for me.


The picture below is a close-up of the front element showing the orange tinge of the (single) coating. Unfortunately I don't have a pictuure of the lens prior to coating but it had serious wipe marks on the front side.











In the next post I will show comparison pictures of this restored lens with pictures taken with a modern 1.4/40mm Nokton I briefly owned. I didn't keep it because I think it would be better matched with a black Bessa R3A or R3M (http://www.cameraquest.com./voigt4014.htm) which have the 40mm frame in the viewfinder. Too bad Cosina doesn't make this lens in chrome. The multi-coated Nokton (there's also a single-coated version) looks like this: