nobl_his.htm Number of hits on this page:

The history about Kamera Werke Noble GmbH

KW was Kamera Werkstatten, a Dresden maker of cameras purchased in 1937 or so by the Noble family from Chicago -- they made the "other" first 35mm SLR, the Praktica, with its anamolous 40mm thread-mount. KW was nationalized by the Germans when they declared war on the US; before the company could be 'denationalized' in 1945, the East Germans had merged it with Zeiss Ikon to form the VEB which, eventually, picked up Meyer and Exakta, as well, to form the Pentacon works. This eventually ended up headquartered out of the old Ernemann Tower -- former corporate office of Zeiss Ikon -- but using the KW plant as its principal factory. Eventually, another plant was built in Dresden as well, and maybe others (my references aren't at hand).

In 1989, the Noble family demanded return of their legacy, and it was given back to them. However, they DIDN'T get the Praktica name nor the KW logo, both of which passed to the other new company, 'Schneider-Dresden', which has continued to produce Pentacon Six bodies for the Exakta 66 and the Praktica B line.

Fascinating story. I'd like to know who makes their lenses -- Tessars, I know, but of whose make?

Marc James Small (*)

msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!

[Barringer & Small, The Zeiss Compendium, Hove, 1995.] 

From:             NOBLUX@aol.com
Date sent:        Tue, 7 Dec 1999 22:47:07 EST
Subject:          Kamera Werke Noble
To:               w.j.markerink@a1.nl

I found your article interesting.  I may have a few answers for some of your
questions:  1.   We are still fighting to get the Priktica trade mark back. 2.  
The Tessars used in the Early Prakticas were Zeiss, Jena. 3.   The Tessars in
the Noblex line of cameras are Doctor Optic.

Sincerely,
John H. Noble II









Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 14:02:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Andy Buck 
Subject: [pan360] Noblex 150 lens(es?) and sharpness and models
To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Reply-To: pan360@smartgroups.com

Someone in the last few days commented on how blazingly sharp the images 
are from this camera. I agree! I've only used an early ES and been 
amazed. According to the Noblex website, the circle of confusion (0.05mm) 
is 2/3 the "normal" size based on the negative diagonal (0.075mm, 130mm 
respect ively), calculated using the formula that Zeiss, amoung many 
others, use.

I've read that the original ES had a different lens that more recent 
models.

1. Is that true?
2. If so, does anybody know how it's changed?
3. Does anybody know the difference between the new FS and the previous U=
X? Or was it just renamed?

Andy










From: "Willem-Jan Markerink" 
To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:11:08 +0200
Subject: Re: [pan360] Noblex 150 lens(es?) and sharpness and models
Reply-To: pan360@smartgroups.com

On 21 Oct 2005 at 14:02, Andy Buck wrote:

> Someone in the last few days commented on how blazingly sharp the
> images are from this camera. I agree! I've only used an early ES and
> been amazed. According to the Noblex website, the circle of confusion
> (0.05mm)is 2/3 the "normal" size based on the negative diagonal
> (0.075mm, 130mm respectively), calculated using the formula that
> Zeiss, amoung many others, use.
>
> I've read that the original ES had a different lens that more recent
> models.
>
> 1. Is that true?
> 2. If so, does anybody know how it's changed?
> 3. Does anybody know the difference between the new FS and the
> previous UX? Or was it just renamed?

Mr. Noble himself commented on that topic, several years ago:

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/nobl_his.htm


--
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink

      The desire to understand
is sometimes far less intelligent than
     the inability to understand


[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]













Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:33:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Andy Buck 
Subject: Re: [pan360] Noblex 150 lens(es?) and sharpness and models REVISED RESPONSE
To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Reply-To: pan360@smartgroups.com

Willem-Jan Markerink  wrote:
On 21 Oct 2005 at 14:02, Andy Buck wrote:

>> Someone in the last few days commented on how blazingly sharp the
>>  images are from this camera. I agree! I've only used an early ES and
>> been amazed. According to the Noblex website, the circle of confusion
>> (0.05mm)is 2/3 the "normal" size based on the negative diagonal
>> (0.075mm, 130mm respectively), calculated using the formula that
>> Zeiss, amoung many others, use.
>>
>> I've read that the original ES had a different lens that more recent
>> models.
>
>> 1. Is that true?
>> 2. If so, does anybody know how it's changed?
>> 3. Does anybody know the difference between the new FS and the
>> previous UX? Or was it just renamed?
>
> Mr. Noble himself commented on that topic, several years ago:
>
> http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/nobl_his.htm

OK, but what is Doctor Optic??? Please excuse my ignorance...

Also, has the lens changed since the camera was first introduced, or sinc=
e the first ES?

Andy







Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 21:35:23 -0400
From: Bill Barton 
Subject: [pan360] Doctor Optic
To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Reply-To: pan360@smartgroups.com

Andy,

Doctor Optic, is what used to be Zeiss Jena when there was a East
Germany. After the fall of the iron curtain the East German Zeiss was
sold off and broken up. John Noble was able to get control of part of it
that became Noblex and now KWD.  The glass works of Zeiss Jena became
Doctor Optics and continued to make lenses and binoculars and other
optical items.  If I remember the name of the first noblex lenses were
Jena Tessars but had to change after the complete break up of East
Germany. So for a time the lenses were called Doctor Optic-Germany
Rotar-T.  As far as I know it is just a name change.

See this link for more information on Doctor/Docter optic.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/docter-optik.html











Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 04:02:08 +0200 (CEST)
From: michael przewrocki 
To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Subject: Aw: Re: [pan360] Noblex 150 lens(es?) and sharpness and models
Reply-To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Precedence: bulk

> Mr. Noble himself commented on that topic, several years ago:
> 
> http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/nobl_his.htm


btw: sir john noble has written a very touchable book(who knows its name?)
about his terrible life. he is working on the idea for a film- to let the 
world awake.
michael przewrocki



Michael Przewrocki
Europanorama Photos
Wasgenring 74
CH-4055 Basel
Schweiz-Suisse-Switzerland
mobilephone 0079 511 7533
http://www.3dpanimages.tk
3D-STEREO-Marspanoramas-
Aeropanoramas-
3D-STEREO-Photoconcepts
















Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 01:21:22 +0100 (BST)
From: webmaster@john-noble.de
To: pan360@smartgroups.com
Subject: RE: Aw: Re: [pan360] Noblex 150 lens(es?) and sharpness and models
Reply-To: pan360@smartgroups.com

Author wrote:
>  btw: sir john noble has written a very touchable book(who knows its name?) 
> about his terrible life. he is working on the idea for a film- to let the 
> world awake.
> michael przewrocki


Hello Mr. Michael Przewrocki and all the other group-members,
findig this group via an Google Alert for: "Sir John Noble" and reading Your 
Question about the book from Sir John, I only join to give You the answer:
"banished and vanished" would be the name of the english version,
"Verbannt und Verleugnet" the german book.
More informations about Sir John at:

http://www.john-noble.de/enindex.html

Sincerrely Yours,
J.Fuchs
















From:	Andy Buck 
To:	pan360@smartgroups.com 
Subject:	[pan360] Noblex 150 lenses
Date sent:	Mon, 14 Nov 2005 08:53:17 -0800 (PST)
Send reply to:	pan360@smartgroups.com 

I sent a query about these a while ago and got several answers. I was just in
communication with the Canadian distributor. He had this to say:


‘Docter Optics’, the makers of the Noblex lenses, has a long history in making
fine optics. Its close association with Carl Zeiss Jena and after the Berlin
Wall came down, with ‘Jena Optics’ (now ‘ANALYTIC JENA GmbH’), almost guaranteed
the high quality of the produced lenses.  The first lenses for the Noblex
Cameras were called Tessar or ’T’. Later ‘Noblar/T ’and ‘Doctar/T’.



After Bernhard Docter died in 1995 the company was bought by ‘Rodenstock’. 
After a bit of turmoil the company was bought in 1997 by ‘Analytic Jena’ and is
doing well now.



The lens name now is” Rotar –T”. The later lenses, if anything, would be better
since ‘Analytic Jena’ is very innovative and advanced with the coating
technology of optical lenses.




If you have any question, remark, comment, want to share some philosophy or just want to express your opinion about these pages, feel free to send email to: w.j.markerink @ a1.nl

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