Joseph Schneider Optische Werke GmbH (commonly referred to as Schneider) is a manufacturer of industrial and photographic optics. The company was founded on 28 December 1912 by Josef Schneider and Hermann Bauer as Optische Anstalt Jos. Schneider & Co. at Bad Kreuznach in Germany.cf. Deutscher Reichsanzeiger, 23 January 1913. The company changed its name to Jos. Schneider & Co., Optische Werke, Kreuznach in 1922, and to the current Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH in 1998.
In 2001, Schneider received an Oscar for Technical Achievement for their Super-Cinelux motion picture lenses. It is best known as manufacturers of large format lenses for view cameras, enlarger lenses, and photographic loupes. It also makes a limited amount of small- and medium-format lenses, and has at various times manufactured eyeglasses and camera rangefinders, as well as being an OEM lens maker for Kodak and Samsung digital cameras. It has supplied the lenses for various LG devices and the BlackBerry Priv. It also supplied the lenses for the Kodak Regent camera in the 1930s and other classic cameras such as certain models of the Rolleiflex starting in the 1940s, the Kodak Retina and Kodak Retinette camera series in the 1950s and 1960s, and certain specialty lenses for Hasselblad. In 1961, it created Feinwerktechnik GmbH, a manufacturer of electrical-hydraulic servo valves.
In recent years, it has acquired several other companies: In 1985, it acquired the B+W Filter Manufacturing Company (founded in 1947 by partners Biermann and Weber), maker of the line of B+W filters. In July 1987, it purchased Rollei Fototechnic GmbH. In 1989, it purchased Käsemann/Oberaudorf, a manufacturer of glass and plastic polarizing materials. After 1991 it acquired the former East-German (GDR) camera and lens manufacturer Pentacon/Practica (Dresden) In 2000, it acquired Century Optics, an American lensmaking firm.
Small format lenses
Angulon A Schneider Kreuznach lens made for the German 35mm Rolleiflex SL35 and SL350 SLR cameras equipped with Quick Bayonet Mount (QBM)
Rollei SL-Angulon 35 mm f2.8
C-Curtagon A very small lens, available in M42 screw mount. 28 mm f/4 35 mm f/2.8 35 mm f/4
Curtagon 28 mm f/4 (M42 mount and possibly others) 28 mm f/4 Exakta mount with large silver shutter release knob and clear plastic f stop scale Captain Jacks Schneider Lens Page 28 mm f/4 (Retina-Curtagon: different exterior design than the M42 mount lens, DKL-mount for Kodak Retina Reflex S and later cameras) 28 mm f/4 Edixa-Curtagon M42 mount, no knurled zebra focus ring 28 mm f/4 Curtagon M42 mount, no knurled zebra focus ring, has dark red f stop scale with different exterior lens barrel design than the Edixa-Curtagon; similar to the 35mm f2.8 Curtagon photo shown to the right of this column 35 mm f/2.8 35 mm f/2.8 Exakta mount with large silver shutter release knob, aperture tab and clear plastic cover over the f stop scale Captain Jacks Schneider Lens Page 35 mm f2.8 Exakta mount, smaller silver shutter release knob with Auto / Manual switch, different style aperture tab, clear plastic cover over f stop scale and connection for selenium light meter Captain Jacks Schneider Lens Page 35 mm f2.8 Exakta mount, smaller overall lens than above zebra Exakta Curtagons, small silver button within a larger shutter release knob no aperture tab, no clear plastic cover over f stop scale and no connection for selenium light meter Captain Jacks Schneider Lens Page 35 mm f/4 Exakta standard mount zebra style focus ring, no shutter release knob, no clear plastic cover over f stop scale and no selenium light meter connection 35 mm f/4 M42 mount zebra style focus ring, no shutter release knob, no clear plastic cover over f stop scale and no selenium light meter connection 35 mm f4 Exakta REAL mount no shutter release knob or clear plastic cover for f stop scale. Electric 35 mm f/2.8 Edixa 35 mm f2.8 (M42 mount, similar in appearance and design to the standard Curtagon 35mm f2.8 for Exakta with knurled Zebra focus ring) Edixa 35 mm f2.8 (Edixa bayonet mount, Zebra non-knurled focus ring with 'Schneider Kreuznach - Edixa Curtagon' lettering on front of the lens but placed outside the filter ring) Edixa 35 mm f2.8 (Edixa bayonet mount, a completely different external design in all silver compared to the previous 2 Edixa-Curtagon designs) Edixa 35 mm f2.8 (COMPUR printed on outside lens barrel. Design similar in appearance to Schneider Kreuznach Lenses for the German Kodak camera) Retina 35 mm f/2.8 (a complete lens with focusing ring and aperture control with the DKL Deckel mount) Alpa 35 mm f2.8 35 mm f2.8, for Rollei SL 35 and SL 350 QBM mount (rare) 35 mm f2.8 Balda-Curtagon - exterior looks like a Retina-Curtagon but has the inscription Balda-Curtagon 35 mm f/4.0
Isogon 40 mm f/4.5 with Exakta mount
PA-Curtagon A perspective-control lens of 7 elements in 6 groups for 35mm cameras, which allows shifting of up to 7 mm, in an axis defined by a separate rotating ring on the lens. The PA-Curtagon is available in Praktica (M42), Exakta, Alpa-Reflex, Contarex, Leica R, Minolta, Miranda, Canon, Nikon, Contarex, and Olympus OM mounts. It was also available for Rollei QBM mount under the name PC-Curtagon. 35 mm f/4
Curtar-Xenon Retina-Curtar-Xenon C 35 mm f/4 (made for the German Kodak Retina IIc/IIC, IIIc/IIIC, and Kodak Retina Reflex cameras, the lens only incorporates the front optical block and has no aperture ring, these are part of the camera) Retina-Curtar-Xenon C 35 mm f5.6 (made for the German Kodak Retina convertible lens cameras, the lens only incorporates the front optical block and has no aperture ring, these are part of the camera)
Retina-Xenon Longar-Xenon C 80 mm f/4 (made for the German Kodak Retina IIIc/IIIC. The 50mm f2.8 was usually fitted to the earlier German Kodak cameras.)
Retina-Xenon Retina-Xenon C 50 mm f/2 (made for the German Kodak Retina IIIc/IIIC. The 50mm f2.8 was usually fitted to the earlier German Kodak cameras.)
Radiogon 35 mm f/4.0 35 mm f/4.0 Braun-Radiogon for Braun rangefinder camera mount
Radionar A Cooke triplet (3-element, 3-group) design with a minimum aperture of f/22. 35 mm f/4.0 with a minimum aperture of f/22. Lens is the same as Curtagon version, only serial numbers are earlier. 38 mm f3.5 for Robot Camera 40 mm f/2.8 45 mm f/2.8 Radionar L (fitted to the German Adox Polo 1S rangefinder camera - early 1960s vintage) 50 mm f/2.9 (fitted to an Edinex I camera 1930s) 50 mm f/3.5 with Pronto SV shutter fitted to a Balda Baldinette camera 5.0 cm f/4.5 7.5 cm f/2.9 7.5 cm f/4.5 with a Pronto shutter 80 mm f/2.9 fitted to the Frank Solida III camera - stamped US Zone 105 mm f/4.5 (fitted to the German folding camera Bower X) 105 mm f/4.5 with Prontor SV shutter fitted to Balda Baldalux camera
Reomar A 3-element, 3-group design with a minimum aperture of f/22. 45 mm f/3.5 lens fitted to a Kodak Retinette camera 45 mm f/2.8 silver with black beauty and focus rings 50 mm f3.5 50 mm f/4.5 lens fitted to a Kodak Retinette camera
Super-Angulon 21 mm f/4.0 A 9/4 wide-angle lens with a minimum aperture of f/22 21 mm f/3.4 An update of the f/4.0 model, with an 8/4 design and slightly increased sharpness.
Super-Angulon R A 10/8 wide-angle lens with a minimum aperture of f/22. 21 mm f/4
PC-Super-Angulon
A 28 mm f/2.8 shift lens with 67EW filter thread and a lens shade with filter holder for 74R rimless filters and M92x1.00 filter ring. Many user-changeable mechanically-only mount modules available from Schneider Kreuznach. Also available as Leica PC-Super-Angulon R 28 mm f/2.8 with Leica R mount. Can be modified from a shift-only lens to a tilt-only lens by the German company. SUPER-ANGULON 28 f/2.8 for Canon EF and Nikon F mount (2014) SUPER-ANGULON 50 f/2.8 for Canon EF and Nikon F mount (2014)
Tele-Arton 85 mm f/4 Retina-Tele-Arton for German Kodak camera 85 mm f/4 Braun-Tele-Arton in DKL mount for Braun camera 90 mm f/4
Tele-Variogon 80–240 mm f/4 80-240 mm f/4 Alpa 35mm with pistol grip
Tele-Xenar 5 cm f/5.5 (early 1930s) 75 mm f/3.8 75 mm f/3.8 for C-mount silver and black finished barrel, inscriptions and front portion of lens barrel look very similar to the 150mm f/4.5 C-mount lens described later in this list 75 mm f/3.8 for Robot camera used in bombing assessment with Luftwaffe Eigentum (Luftwaffe Property) stamped on flange; lens barrel is all silver 75 mm f/3.8 for Robot camera - all black exterior and much more modern in appearance than the Robot lens listed above. 90 mm f/3.5 90 mm f/3.5 Schneider - ALPA Tele-Xenar with ALPA mount 90 mm f/3.5 Exakta mount, all silver lens barrel 90 mm f/3.5 with Diax written in script on the lens barrel. For Diax camera 100 mm f/3.8 135 mm f/3.5 135 mm f/3.5 Edixa 135 mm f/3.5 SL Tele-Xenar for Rollei 35mm cameras 135 mm f/3.5 Alpa-Tele-Xenar for 35mm cameras has shutter release knob 135 mm f/3.5 Exakta mount with large shutter release knob in early zebra finish (alternating black and silver focus ring) 135 mm f/3.5 M42 mount no shutter release knob, with early zebra finish (alternating black and silver focus ring) 135 mm f/4 Edixa-Tele-Xenar - all silver lens barrel different design than the 2 different zebra finish Edixa Curtagons 135 mm f/4 DKL mount for German Kodak camera 135 mm f/4 135 mm f/4 Balda Tele-Xenar for Balda German Rangefinder 150 mm f/4 150 mm f/4 for C-mount, barrel is satin finished, completely different design than the 150mm f/4.5 listed below 150 mm f/4.5 150 mm (15 cm) f/4.5 C-mount - completely different design than the following 150mm f4.5 C-mount lens - this lens has a black and silver barrel - older in design appearance 150 mm f/4.5 Tele-Xenar for C-mount - very well crafted lens barrel, different in appearance than other lenses in the Tele-Xenar series except the 75mm f/3.8 C-mount lens described above 180 mm f/4.5 for Exakta mount 180 mm (18cm) f/5.5 for Exakta mount - completely different barrel design than the 180mm f/4.5 with partial satin finish 200 mm f/4.8 Retina-Tele-Xenar with DKL mount for German Kodak camera, has tripod mount on lens underside 200 mm f/5.5 200 mm f/5.5 for Robot Camera 200 mm f/5.5 for Exakta mount with later version zebra stripes on barrel 240 mm f/4.5 240 mm f/5.5 240 mm f/5.5 for the early 40mm Practiflex mount, in late 1948 Practiflex lenses were manufactured in M42 mount 360 mm f/5.5 360 mm f/5.5 Alpa Tele-Xenar for Alpa cameras 360 mm f/5.5 Exakta mount with tripod mount on lens barrel
Variogon
The first variable-focal-length lens with fixed back focal distance for 35 mm cameras, introduced in 1964. 45–100 mm f/2.8 80–240 mm f/4
These lenses were available with 19 interchangeable mounts (loosen two screws and replace with a different mount). The mounts each have a small number on them and equate as follows: Type of mount 2 = M42 (Pentax Screw, Universal Screw, etc.) 3 = Exacta Bayonet 4 = Alpa Bayonet 10 = Canon FD 11 = C Mount 13 = Nikon F 14 = Leica R 15 = Contare ? = Arriflex ? = Arri MT?
Production of the 80–240 mm f/4 is said to be approximately 250 units, the 45–100 mm f/2.8 about 57 units. The 80–240 is split amongst two different variants.
Xenagon 4 elements in 3 groups of genre "Wide Angle Tessar" 30 mm f/3.5 (Robot 24, and Robot Royal mounts) 35 mm f/2.8 35 mm f/3.5 (Voss Diax mount, Akarette mount) 35 mm f/4.0
Xenar
The Xenar uses a Tessar-type optical formula, originally designed by Paul Rudolph for Zeiss, with 4 elements in 3 groups, and the rear group is a cemented doublet. The formula could only be used by Schneider Kreuznach after the original 1902 Tessar patent had expired in 1919. Many contemporary lenses with long production runs were based on a similar 4 element / 3 group formula (e.g. Leitz Elmar, Voigtländer Skopar, and Kodak Ektar).
38mm (for 24×24mm) 40mm (for Rollei 35) 45mm 50mm (for 24×36mm) 50mm Braun-Xenar R with DKL mount 5 aperture blades 50mm Retina-Xenar for Kodak Type 1 1949 with integral compur shutter