Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 Review

06/19/2015 - 11:15
Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3. Review




Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Rochester N.Y. U.S.A. Baltar 100mm f2.3 is a fast cine lens. Designed for medium format. Produced in the 40-60-ies of the last century. Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. — an american high-grade optics manufacturer. It produces the highest quality optical glass in the western hemisphere. Before World War II, it worked closely with Carl Zeiss lenses and produced lenses by its patents. I found it hard to believe, but according to the serial number of UF691, my lens was made in 1942. While in Europe, the war was in full swing, the US has already produced such fast lenses with coating. Baltar Lenses are premium cine optics. These lenses many famous movies filmed in the US in 40-60-ies of the last century.

ZeissBiotar58f2-1939

The optical design of Baltar lenses — 6 elements in 4 groups. Because Bausch & Lomb has worked closely with Carl Zeiss and used its patents to manufacture lenses, I admit that this design is Zeiss Biotar. Invented in 1939 for cine lenses. While the cinema industry is still unsettled standards of film, Bausch & Lomb issued a lens that would be the largest in the wings while the film 70mm film images. Therefore, it is no problem to install on medium format camera. On eBay, you can see many Baltar lenses adapted for a photo with different helicoids and tails. Bausch & Lomb lenses are highly valued because they have great optical characteristics. It is known that these lenses have several versions of the coating, which are marked with colored dots on the ring next to the name.

As I observed the following:

Yellow dot 1942-1944

Yellow and purple dot 1945-194?

Unfortunately, I could not find information about what this dot means. In 1956 (maybe earlier), they disappeared from the marking. In 1965, Bausch & Lomb introduced a new line of lenses - Super Baltar. The essential design has changed the barrel and mechanical quality. According to Bausch & Lomb's, Super Baltar lenses were optically better than their predecessors, thanks to new glass manufacturing technologies.

 

Baltar 100mm f2.3 Handling and Mechanics

My copy has the "zebra" barrel design. Filter thread - 58mm.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3

Weight 700 g, 78mm long. While focusing on MFD, length

increases by 18 mm.

Zeiss Biotar optical design

Adapted for old Hasselblad bayonet.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3

The aperture closes smoothly and has 12 blades, which brings it to the shape of a circle. Ring marked values 2.3-2.8-4-5.6-8-11-16. But it can be closed further, until the complete limit. The helicoid rotates more than 360 degrees. What enables smooth focus. The front lens is not rotating. My copy did not have colored dots, markings coating; maybe they eventually faded or was not at all.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3

My Baltar seriously and stylish looks at the camera.

 

Baltar 100mm f2.3 Sample Shootings

I captured all of the examples on Nikon D3100. RAW export without any post-processing.  

 

Baltar 100mm f2.3 Sharpness

A wide-open lens has a portrait sharpness—slightly visible spherical aberration. The character is soft and airy.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

Next, cover the aperture sharpness increased. With f / 2.8, you can shoot reportages, sharpness enough.

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

 

f/ 2.8

At f/ 4 has a razor-sharp. After f/ 8, sharpness decrease.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 4

In fact, the lens medium format and has a resolution typical medium format lenses is slightly less than the small format.

 

Baltar 100mm f2.3 Character and Bokeh

The lens has a Biotar type character. On the wide-open aperture, it is obtained airy. Very beautiful. The cover of the diaphragm becomes sharper, but the air is not lost, but the magic circles in bokeh become inconspicuous.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

The lens has the ability to swirly bokeh the background. Swirl turns on the edges of the frame. But most of the small format swirl cut off.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.8

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

 

f/ 2.3

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

 

Baltar 100mm f2.3 Contrast and Color Render

Compared to modern lenses, it has slightly lower contrast. Here affects his age.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.8

If you use the hood and do not let the shot backlight, it is normal contrast. The backlit distort skin color, becoming gray.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3 An example of distortion of the color backlit In all

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3

Summary Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 is a fascinating lens. Fans take portraits; it will have to taste.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Baltar 100mm f2.3 samples

f/ 2.3





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