Caltars and Rodenstocks

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As a new student of LF and the owner of a new Caltar 150mm lens, I would like to know more about the relationship between Caltars and Rodenstocks- If Caltars are made by Rodenstock for Calumet, what am I really shooting with? Is it possible to get such prime optics in such an inexpensive package? Should I stick with Caltars in the future if I'm on a budget? Thanks for the i

-- Brent Flint (bfphoto@gte.net), November 27, 2000

Answers

You are using a Rodenstock lens and it is equal to the lenses that are imported by Rodenstock's USA distributor, HP Marketing.

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), November 27, 2000.

If it is identical to the Rodenstocks isn't it unfair to those who paid the full price for them?

Also what about HP Marketing? They import and promote the Rodenstocks, yet you can buy the same thing for alot cheaper from Calumet? How can they allow this?

-- Sol Campbell (solcam31@hotmail.com), November 27, 2000.


Actually any dealer in the US can match Calumet's selling price on Rodenstock branded lenses. And from them you get the Rodenstock Lifetime Warranty on the glass and 3 year warranty on the shutter.

Calumet only offers their store warranty.

-- Bob Salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), November 27, 2000.


If you buy Calumet's lens you pay less, get less warranty (although Calumet is a good shop) and on the other end, when you want to sell or trade it, you'll get about the same amount less value.

If you're specifically referring to the "Compact Caltars," they're Rodenstock Geronars, good quality but somewhat simpler lenses with less coverage than the equivalent Sironars.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), November 27, 2000.


Folks: even the US Rodenstock product manager acknowledges the difference is not in optics. This settles the question. No need for insulting comments.

-- Q.-Tuan Luong (qtl@ai.sri.com), December 01, 2000.


> Folks: even the US Rodenstock product manager acknowledges the difference is not in optics.

And this has long been acknowledged by HP and Rodenstock. Calumet has never made a secret of who the current supplier is, and neither have the suppliers.

Past Caltars have been then-current-model Schneiders or, in another generation, Topcors.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), December 01, 2000.


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