The following still camera Ektars were documented in the original edition of the Kodak Reference Handbook - Lenses, Rangefinders and Shutters section, © 1940. While there were many Kodak Anastigmats at this time, there were only three Kodak lenses labeled Ektar and only two of these were described in detailed profiles. There were entries in a summary table for additional "Projection Ektars for Enlarging."

Though there were undoubtedly other differences as Kodak designed new Ektars and converted Anastigmats to Ektars, the difference most most oftened mentioned is improved color correction. Rudolf Kingslake, notes in a later book that Kodak was experimenting with soft coatings at this point, but these were not discussed in the original Reference Handbook, nor as far as I can tell, until promotional materials for the Kodak Ektra in 1941.

    
DESC
LENS

CAMERA/SHUTTER/
MOUNT
LENS TYPE
NOTES
f/2.0 45mm
Anastigmat Ektar
(later just Ektar)		 Bantam Special/
Compur or Supermatic		 Biotar six element

31.5mm slipon adapter ring, Ser VI.
This lens existed at the time of publication of the Reference Handbook, but was not documented there.
Earliest versions had no coating; starting ~1939 calcium fluoride may have been applied to on inner surfaces; later may have had magnesium fluoride.
f/3.7 107mm No 2 Supermatic,
 Modified Tessar †

38mm slipon adapter ring, Ser VI.
Earliest versions may had calcium fluoride coating (undocumented) ‚; later had magnesium fluoride.

Comparisons to the later 105mm f /3.7 Ektar.

f/6.3 14 inch
Eastman Ektar		 Ilex No. 5 shutter or barrel Tessar

75mm slipon adapter ring, 4 inch square.
Inner surfaces had calcium fluoride coating.
From the list of Anastigmats below, it is obvious why this was the first of the Eastman Ektars introduced.
  KODAK ANASTIGMATS AND ANASTIGMAT SPECIALS
The professional line of Kodak Anastigmats were never called Ektars and were retired as a series between 1945 and 1948, and included here for reference. General information about the lineage of Kodak lenses is recounted on a separate page.
Beginning with the Kodak Reference Handbook of 1940, no descriptive details were given for Kodak Anastigmat and Kodak Anastigmat Special lenses mounted on consumer cameras. This scan provides limited information about these lenses as listed in 1940 edition. More detailed information about most of these lenses is available in the table for Kodak Lenses and Shutters of 1939 .
f/4.5 5 1/2 in. through 12 in.
Anastigmat		 Various shutters or barrel Tessar No coating.
Available in the following models:
f /4.5, 4 1/8 in.; f /4.5, 5 in.;
f /4.5, 5 1/2 in.; f /4.5, 6 3/8 in.;
f /4.5, 7 1/2 in.; f /4.5, 8 1/2 in.;
f /4.5, 10 in.; f /4.5, 12 in.

   		f/7.7 8 inch Anastigmat
 No 2 Supermatic Dialyte

This was not an Ektar at this point, had no inner coating and later versions that were Ektars may have been slightly redesigned with different glass.

33mm slipon adapter ring, Ser VII.
Angle of view at Inf 35° x 47°
 

†
Occassionally Kodak lens designers reversed the elements in the rear group of the Tessar design so that the positive element was next to the stop. This arrangement was used in the 50mm f /3.5 Anastigmat Special on the Kodak 35 and again for the 78mm f /3.5 Ektar on the Chevron.


   
 
 
Ektar Home Page
Kodak Lens Index  
 
About Ektar lens data
Kodak Lens Lineage  
 
Kodak Ektar Summary
Kodak Lens Coating  
 
Kodak Lenses and Shutters © 1939‡
Kodak Reference Handbook: Lenses, Rangefinders and Shutters section © 1940†  
 
Kodak Reference Handbook: Lenses, Rangefinders and Shutters section © 1942, 1945†
Data Book on Lenses, Shutters and Portra Lenses, for Revising Kodak Reference Handbook, © 1942, 1945; Second 1946 Printing   
 
Kodak Data Book: Lenses, Shutters and Portra Lenses, Third Edition, (1948)
Kodak Data Book: Lenses, Shutters and Portra Lenses, Fourth Edition, (1952)  
 
Kodak Data Book: Lenses, Shutters and Portra Lenses, Fifth Edition, (1955)
Kodak Professional Handbook, Equipment Section, (1952)  
 
Kodak Data Book: Lenses, Shutters and Portra Lenses, Sixth Edition, (1958)
Kodak Lens Serial Numbers  
 
Enlarging Lenses      
 

‡


†
This booklet predates the first edition of the Kodak Reference Handbook and contains detailed information about many more lens models and considerable background information about Kodak lens design and production.

Kodak issued replacement pages to registered owners of the original Kodak Reference Handbook which was published in a loose-leaf binder; the replacement pages contained updated information about new products and processes. Newer versions of the Handbook would have contained these pages. © dates in this material appear for 1940, 1942, 1943 and 1945 and perhaps other dates. One of the first separately bound Data Books was published in 1946 "For Revising Reference Handbooks," and noted as Second Printing.

  
       
 

10/29/2010 20:44