Data sheet: Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenar 50 mm f/2.8

Pekka Buttler, 08/2023

Specifications

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications (Measurements based on pictured sample):

Brand:	Schneider-Kreuznach	Lens name	Retina-Xenar f:2.8/50 mm
Focal length(s) 1	50 mm	Angle-of-view 2	≈ 45 °
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	In Production	1959–1974
Lens mounts	DKL	Subfamily (if applicable)	DKL/Retina
Length 3	19,0 mm	Diameter 4	49,9 mm
Filter ring diameter	39 mm 5	Weight	113 grams
Lens element count	4	Lens group count	3
Aperture blades (S/R/C) 6	5 S	Focus throw	210 °
Minimum focusing distance	60 cms	Maximum magnification	1:9,9
Has manual aperture ring	NO	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Automatic	Aperture click stops	N/A

Further notes:
• This lens is a DKL-mount lens (see the article on the DKL mount), and therefore does not have an aperture ring (the aperture ring was on the camera-end of the mount).
• All DKL mount lenses – irrespective of manufacturer – follow a very similar design and aesthetic. Part of that design is defined by the structure of the leaf shutter integrated in the mount, but it seems that manufacturers followed a common playbook regarding colors (silver), typography, ergonomics and usability.
• While some of these aspects are admirable (such as the red ‘whiskers’ that change to indicate depth-of-field at the chosen aperture), others are a bit tedious (generally narrow, rather heavy focus rings).
• This lens is really very small – all the more so because more than half of the lens’ length is swallowed by the Camera body. Hence, it is a bit annoying that the adapter that you would use to mount the lens on a mirrorless camera entirely dwarfs the lens.

History of Schneider-Kreuznach

Schneider-Kreuznach – alike Meyer-Optik Görlitz, Carl Zeiss Jena, Leitz Wetzlar, and many others – is one of those German optics companies that feature the location of the company quite prominently in the company trademark. The company behind that trademark was founded as Optische Anstalt Jos. Schneider & Co in the town of Bad Kreuznach in 1913 (today the legal name of the company is Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH; The Jos. is short for Joseph).

Schneider-Kreuznach is the veritabel optics decathlete, in that they have manufactured high-quality optics and lenses for pretty much every imaginable platform ranging from mobile phone camera lenses to large format lenses, enlarger, repro and macro lenses, projector lenses, cine lenses, and various industrial applications.

The heyday of Schneider-Kreuznach was in the early postwar decades. With the German photo industry still dominant and with a wide range of formats (from cine to large format) still popular, Schneider’s was able to use its wide portfolio of technologies and designs to its advantage. But the swansong of the (West-)German photo industry also meant that Schneider started pruning its format portfolio.

While Schneider-Kreuznach today has largely withdrawn from manufacturing optics for still photography the company is still prominent in cine lenses as well as various industrial applications.

History of the Xenar

The Xenar is one of the earliest Schneider-Kreuznach designs. While it is clearly derived from the Carl Zeiss Tessar design (the development of which is covered here), it was sufficiently distinct not to infringe on Zeiss’ invention. While the Tessar was famed for its sharpness, it is safe to say that the Xenar held – to those in the know – at least similar fame. Interestingly, the Retina-Xenar, being the entry level lens for the Kodak Retina interchangeable lens system, is largely to thank for the relative success and high regard that system received.

Versions

Even though the Xenar in DKL mount had a relatively long production run, no major design changes were made. There are however lenses that offer focusing scales in both feet and meters as well as both.

Adapting

To use this lens in its native environment, you will need a Kodak Retina Reflex S, III or IV or a Kodak Instamatic Reflex body. While these still exist in comfortable numbers, those numbers are dwindling. Moreover, due to the inherent complexity of the leaf shutter SLR construction, repairs will not be easy to procure.

This lens can be adapted to all mirrorless cameras using a suitable adapter. Because this lens (alike most DKL lenses) does not have an aperture ring of its own, you will need an adapter that allows you to control the lens’ aperture. As the DKL mount was of only moderate popularity, availability of DKL adapters to all mirrorless mounts cannot be taken for granted. On the other hand, one can be strategic with adapters (e.g. DKL->Canon EF; Canon EF –> mirrorless) which also opens up a wide range of special adapters (speed boosters, helicoid adapters, tilt/shift adapters).

While the flange focal distance of the DKL mount would indicate otherwise, using this lens on an SLR/dSLR is also an option (see the DKL mount article to understand why), assuming a suitable adapter can be found/manufactured. As of this writing, DKL to SLR adapters exist for at least the following mounts: Canon EF, m42, Minolta/Sony A, Nikon F, Pentax K.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees (based on manufacturers’ specs) and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
4. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
5. Technically the Xenar lacks a filter thread, and instead offers a bayonet mount for attaching filters, but should one look for a suitable lens cap, a 39 mm lens cap does the trick. ↩︎
6. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎