Subsequently all German lens manufacturers followed this practice of giving their lenses pseudo-scientific sounding names to lend them credibility and protect their inventions. In 1900 Zeiss chose to name their Anastigmatic lens Protar to separate it from competitors and trademarked the name to hamper their rivals.
Xenon is Schneider-Kreuznach’s appellation for their asymmetric double-Gauss lens design, which resembles Zeiss’ Biotar/Planar/Sonnar lenses. The majority of the post-war 50mm F/1.9 lenses are optically identical, only the lens barrels and mount differ.
The sample images in this article were made with my Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 50mm F/1.9 (for Instamatic Reflex) which was manufactured between 1968-74 in Deckel or DKL mount, but the Xenon has been produced in a variety of lens mounts over the years including Leica thread or screw mount, Alpa, and most commonly M42. And while it is less heralded compared with more popular designs, the Xenon’s history and performance are worth a look (and a shoot). Schneider Optical Works in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, known as Schneider-Kreuznach. Albrecht Wilhelm Tronnier (1902-1982) while he was working for Jos. But there’s also a lesser-known lens that is their equal the Xenon. In the pantheon of fast Double-Gauss lenses from the 20th century, the Sonnar, Biotar, and Planar, are well known.
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