Rodenstock GmbH


Rodenstock GmbH is a German manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses and spectacle frames. The company, which was founded in 1877, is headquartered in Munich. It has a worldwide workforce of approximately 4,200 and is represented in more than 80 countries with sales subsidiaries and distribution partners. Rodenstock maintains production sites for ophthalmic lenses at a total of 14 locations in 12 countries.

History

The foundation for Rodenstock's development was laid in 1877 by Josef Rodenstock with his workshop and shop for lenses, frames, barometers, and measurement instruments in Würzburg. In 1880, he developed his first patented products – diaphragm lenses. Two years later, he started exporting internationally and founded his own production sites. Since 1883 the company’s headquarters is located in Munich.
In the new millennium, the ophthalmic optics company quickly developed from a small tradesman shop into a modern industrial enterprise. For example, the first bifocal lenses came from Rodenstock as did UV-absorbing lenses.
In addition to the production of lenses, the third generation put special focus on the manufacture of frames. In 1955, Rodenstock sold more than one million of them. Other innovations followed like, for example, self-tinting lenses and the first progressive lenses developed by the company, the Progressiv R, which was an immediate success in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, the unique selling point as a manufacturer of lenses and frames from a single source was consistently developed. Through continuous innovations, Rodenstock further expanded its market share during that time. In 2000, the company landed a real coup in the field of individual progressive lenses with the product ImpressionILT. Rodenstock invented the modern progressive lens.
In 2000, the precision-optics division, Rodenstock Precision Optics, was sold to LINOS AG, which itself was subsumed by Qioptiq group in 2010 making Rodenstock Precision Optics a brand of Qioptiq. The eyeglasses division is now owned by the European holding company Bridgepoint. These independent entities still operate with the same stylized "R" logo.

Rodenstock generations

Josef Rodenstock
On 1 January 1878, Josef Rodenstock, a peddler of self-designed measuring instruments and spectacle frames from Thuringia, began business operations together with his brother Michael of the company "G. Rodenstock" which had been founded in Würzburg in 1877.

Alexander Rodenstock joined the company at the age of 22 in 1905. He had given up his studies of physics and economics at the urging of his father and started to prepare to take over the management of the family company; he did so in 1919.
Rolf Rodenstock
Rolf Rodenstock had a diploma in general business, a doctorate and a professorship. He took over the helm of the family company from his father in 1953. He supervised the reconstruction of the company and Rodenstock’s own "economic miracle" and was considered one of the most respected corporate personalities of the still young Federal Republic.

Randolf Rodenstock joined the company in 1976 and initially managed the company together with his father following his study of physics at Munich University and a subsequent MBA at the INSEAD management school in Fontainebleau, France. He took over general responsibility for the company in 1990 and focused the company on the demands of increasing industrial globalization.

Ophthalmic products

More than 135 years of tradition, experience and the associated know-how have made Rodenstock into one of the most important manufacturers of lenses and frames. Rodenstock is the only brand that delivers “spectacles from a single source” with frames and lenses as a complete provider and is the inventor of the first individual progressive lens Impression®
as well as the technology EyeLT®. The frames collection of Rodenstock has been allocated with more than 50 awards.
The competence for both ophthalmic lenses as well as for frames makes Rodenstock into a unique brand in ophthalmic optics because it can offer spectacles wearers the complete ”spectacles” system from a single source. Besides frames and lenses Rodenstock develops and sells video-centration systems under the brand name ImpressionIST as well as consulting software.

Own brands

Rodenstock abandoned the branch of production of 'camera lenses'.

Small format camera lenses

Euron

A 3-element, 3-group design, used for 8 mm motion picture cameras.
A 7-element design.
For 35 mm format:
A 6-element design.
For 35 mm format:
A 6-element design, used for 16 mm motion picture cameras.
Used for 8 mm motion picture cameras.
A 5-element design.
For 35 mm format:
A 4-element, 4-group design.
Lenses for Graflex XL Camera system/Polaroid Land Camera. Single coated lanthanum glass
For 35 mm format:
For Dacora CC 35mm format:
Rodenstock has a long history of manufacturing lenses for large format cameras, and has several lines of lenses.

Geronar

The least expensive of the Rodenstock lenses, these 3-element, 3-group designs have a 60° angle of view, and perform best when stopped down.
As a major product pre-war anastigmat, 4-element, 4-group lens, it was replacing the Imagonal in ~1909.
Their formula was changed from double-gauss to dialyt somewhere between number 116.000 and 239.000, but there were still some double-gauss-Eurynar's, where a greater angle was necessary.
The Lens Collector's Vade Mecum is giving 1924 as the date for this change.
At 1930 there was also a double anastigmat Eustigmat 1:6.8/135mm, which looks like a double-gauss Eurynar.
Kadlubek's Lens Catalogue is showing up 13 sizes from 90mm to 600mm, with f4.5, f5.4, f5.6, or f6.8;
the Vade Mecum is listing sizes from 50mm to 600mm and additional openings f3.5, f3.8, f4.0, and f6.5.
Typically 135mm is used for 9x12cm, 21 cm for 13x18 / 7x5in, 42 cm for 10x8in, 48 cm for 12x10in and
60 cm for 15x12in.

Grandagon-N

The Grandagon lines are Rodenstock's wide-angle lenses. With an angle of view of 105°, these 8-element, 4-group lenses are the standard wide angles of the Rodenstock line. In their respective focal lengths, they are among the fastest wide angles available from any manufacturer. The 90;mm f/6.8, by contrast to the rest of the line, is a 6 element design.
The APO-Grandagon line is apochromatic, incorporating ED-glass elements. This series has a 120° angle of view, but the extremely short focal lengths only cover mostly medium format image sizes. Designs are 8 elements in 4 groups.
According to the Rodenstock factoy, the 150/5.6 Sironar N and the 150/5.6 Apo-Sironr N lenses are optically identical, the only difference being the change of designation. It is likely reasonable to surmise that this similarity applies across the two lines.

Sironar-S

APO-Sironar-N

The APO-Sironar-N line is a 6-element, 4-group apochromatic design for general photography. Angle of view is 72°.
These 6-element, 4-group lenses are an update to the APO-Sironar-N line, incorporating a larger angle of view and extra-low dispersion glass elements to further reduce chromatic aberrations. Light fall-off at the edges of the field has also been reduced from the Sironar-N lenses.
This line of 6-element, 4-group macro lenses is optimized for reproduction ratios from 1:5 to 2:1.
These are apochromatic dialyts with 4 elements in 4 groups and an angle of view of 48° in lengths shorter than 480mm, narrowing to 40° above 760mm. They are optimized for 1:1 reproduction ratios, but also give excellent results in general photography, with extremely low distortion and superior sharpness. These lenses can be found mounted in shutter and as barrel lenses.
Only some barrel Apo-Ronars can be remounted into a shutter, for details see http://www.skgrimes.com/lens-mounting/table-of-lenses-fitted-to-shutters.
Most barrel APO-Ronars have a slot that allows to insert gel filters and waterhouse stops of any shape between the two optical groups, but there are also APO-Ronars with a fixed f-stop, i.e. a circular plate instead of an iris, and no filter slot.
Lengths above 240mm also have a millimeters iris scale that indicates the real iris diameter, in order to calculate with high precision the effective f/stop when you work in close up and repro photography. This scale is typically starting at 2mm corresponding to a f-stop of 120 for a 240mm lens. Such and even higher values are useful for and only for prepress use.
The CL-Versions have a linear f-stop scale. This is useful for setting precise f-stops, specially when often different values are used.
Format coverage given for Focus at infinity at f/22
Introduced in 1931, the Tiefenbildner-Imagon is an achromat doublet uncorrected for spherical aberration used together with diffusion discs or sieve apertures. The lens is one of the classic soft-focus "portrait lenses".

Digital camera lenses

The Rodenstock digital lenses are optimized for the small pixel grids common to most digital cameras' sensors, from 12 μm to 5 μm, to reduce the effects that diffraction and color noise have on sharpness.

APO-Sironar digital

These are the standard lenses in Rodenstock's digital lineup. They are optimized for working apertures of f/8 to f/11, and for extremely flat field and uniform illumination.
The APO-Macro is optimized for reproduction ratios of 1:5 to 2:1.
The HR series of lenses is optimized for extreme resolving power, for use with extremely high-resolution CCD sensors, with pixel sizes smaller than 10 μm. Recommended working apertures are f/8 to f/11.
The current line of Rodenstock enlarging lenses have removable click-stops for setting aperture in the dark, an illuminated f-stop display, and an aperture pre-set feature, which allows setting of the working aperture, and quick changing from full aperture to the working aperture, for easy focusing and framing.

Omegaron

Optical system: 4-element, 3-group Tessar Type lenses.
Low-priced version enlargement lens. The description is a sharp.
An individual serial number is not marked to the lens.
As for this, OEM was supplied to the other companies or in the guess such as Aperture Type, the possibility of received the supply oppositely is high. It is a brand that the so many chances to see and is unusual now.
This is the budget line of enlarging lenses, which have 3-element, 3-group designs.
They are optimized for 2x-8x reproduction ratios. This lens is the triplet type lens.
The 4-element, 3-group Rogonar-S is Tessar Type lenses.
line is optimized for between 2x-8x and 2x-10x reproduction, depending on the model.
Rodenstock's 6-element, 4-group range of enlarger lenses carry very even field illumination, and can be used as on-camera macro lenses in addition to normal enlarging lenses. Optimum working apertures are 2 stops below maximum aperture. The image quality is very good.
This line of 6-element, 4-group lenses is optimized for reproduction ratios of 20x and above.
This is a wide-angle series of lenses, which allow greater enlargements and use of shorter focal-length lenses than would otherwise be possible. The WA lenses are 6 elements in 4 groups, and are optimized for 4x-15x reproduction.
The apochromatically-corrected Rodagon-N line generally features 6-element, 4-group designs, for the 50mm, and 7 elements 5 groups for 80mm, 105mm, 150mm, and eight elements in six groups for the 45mm,, and optimum reproduction ratios of 2x-15x depending on the focal length. The chromatic aberrations are corrected almost perfectly resulting in very high image contrast and resolution.
Not necessarily enlarging lenses, these models are optimized for near 1:1 reproduction ratios, for purposes such as duplication of transparencies, or preparation of internegatives. They are 6-element, 4-group designs, and optimum f-stop is 2 stops below maximum aperture.
Optimized for 1:1 reproduction ratio.
These are Barrel lens for Enlarging & for a photoengraving, and perfect apochromatic lenses. Razor-sharp depiction is also recommended for close-up photography.
for a photoengraving lens.
for Klimsch & co., Frankfurt am Main.
For a photoengraving and copy used. It uses for cartography etc.
for Klimsch & co., Frankfurt an Main.
For a photoengraving and copy used. It uses for cartography etc. These are perfect apochromatic lenses.
Optical system: They are 4-element, 2-group designs. It is an optics group complete symmetrical system after the former group. Especially, it was used to photoengrave a huge map. Use the room size very big camera.
In the late 1990s, Rodenstock was contracted by Vantage Film, Inc., with backing from Lucasfilm, to manufacture a new line of high-speed, high-resolution anamorphic lenses to be used for the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Only the first film ended up being shot with the lenses, the other two were shot on CineAlta HDTV. The lenses are still sold by Vantage Film.

Slide projector lenses

Rodenstock produced slide projector objectives, e.g. for Braun's D-series of projectors designed by German design icon Dieter Rams. Typically, the Splendar would have an aperture of 1:2.8 at a focal length of 100 mm.