The Ilex Paragon 215mm/355mm f4.8 Convertible

Background:

Ilex manufactured a series of Paragon lenses as f/4.8 lenses in the 1960's using a proprietary plasmat design similar to the

Symmar series with greater coverage. This range, does not include the Ilex Paragon 8 1/2 inch f4.5 series which were

Tessar designed and not convertible.   The Lens Vade Mecum lists the Ilex Paragon as a Calumet Series 3 215mm f4.8

S-Caltar, described as an excellent albeit scare lens of the air-spaced type.  Advertised in Modern Photo in 1971, the

Calumet S-Caltar version supplied in an Acme shutter was listed at US$169. The Ilex Paragon was also offered by Burke &

James labelled as Acutar, Acugon and Acuton and subsequently renamed yet again.

Ilex 215mm Acutar [or Calumet f/4.8]:     Six element convertible plasmat to 355mm
                                                                    Image circle listed as 304mm coverage.
                                                                    This is a different lens from the Ilex 215mm f4.5 Tessar type lens
                                                                    whose coverage of approximately 66 degrees at f22 is insufficient
                                                                    for image circle of the whole plate format.
Ilex 180mm:                                                Reported to cover whole plate format.  Labelled by Ilex as Acuton and resold by Calumet as
                                                                     Caltar-S.


Information on this lens series also available from www.graflex.org and www.skgrimes.com



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