This lens was launched at Photokina in 1956. It was a big improvement in terms of contrast and sharpness, it yields a relatively even ilumination throughout the negative and all of that with a very decent size. Being a 65 mm, when used with a 4x5 inches negative, is equivalent to a 21 mm in a normal 35mm film camera. It covers 100¡ !



Lens construction is 6 elements in 4 groups. The well separated big negative elements makes it visually interesting, like a big eye and pupil.



Using it with 6x9 cm negative it will normally require a recessed lens board. Otherwise, even with the bellows fully compressed it will not focus at infinity. People say that the ones market Linhof, normally sold with a Linhof gear, can be claimed a bit special because passed by a second and very tough quality control.



Using it in a Linhof Technika V 4x5, like this, it is not possible to engage the lens stand on the front rail. It stays inside the camera body, the front bed has to be dropped one step more othersise it will show up in the picture. A mini bellows, that replaces a normal lens board, must be used allowing focusing through the big knob on top of the lens. All of that because the lens must stay pretty close to the film considering such a short focal distance at infinity.br>


I am still getting used to it. The trap with wide angle lenses, is the tendency we may have to believe that if everything is framed we will, when looking at the picture later on, have the same impression we have in front of the scene. That is completely wrong. All the things become too small and the picture may lack areas of interest to drive our look. That means, normally, we have to shoot very close to something that will dominate the composition. No problem to do it with a 35mm camera. But with a tripod and heavy 4x5 camera it becomes really cumbersome.

Most of the above information I researched on "A history of the photographic lens" by Rudolf Kingslake, Academic Press Inc. ISBN 0-12-408640-3. It is an excellent source for understanding the genealogy of most of the lenses ever produced and the problems associated to lens construction.
If you want something online: download the "A Lens Collector Vade Mecum" it is only 15,99 USD and an invaluable source of information. Go to: Lens Vade Mecum It has more than 700 pages with thousands of lenses description, pictures and diagrams.