BRIEF FIELD REPORT:   Boyer Apo-Saphir 300mm f10.0 [Paris, France]

Background:

The Etablissement Boyer of Paris' 13th arrondissement was owned by André Levy in 1929 with offices in

London and Paris.  Without an agent overseas, little wonder that their reputation as a lens manufacturer was

confined to western Europe.  Lenses from the Boyer stable were named after earth minerals and jewels. 

The Saphir series has a long history with refinements since the inception of the company.  Apo-Saphir lenses, 

the culmination and zenith of the factory's evolution, succeeded the Saphir series.  Of note, although Apo-

saphir lenses were uncoated, an aquamarine hue can be detected when viewed against neutral 5,000 kelvin

light; this hue is attributed to the use of rare earth metals in the construction of the lens series.  Apo-saphirs

were marketed and available in focal lengths from 300mm - 1200 as a f9 variant, or at focal lengths of 240mm, 

300mm and 450mm at f10.  The Lens Vade Mecum notes their importance for application in predominantly

process work.

Available as a barrel lens with waterhouse slots or mounted in Compur No.1 shutters, the barrel lens has the

advantage of a perfectly circular Waterhouse stop at any given aperture.  Its advantage includes the swift focussing

at full aperture, and the dropping in the waterhouse stop prior to exposure - a more fluid and fast method of setting

aperture.  However the absence of a shutter entailed that shutter times were imprecise. The Compur 1 shutter

resolves these issues and dates from the 1960's.  As the Apo-Saphir lens was designed for lithographic reproduction

work in the 1960's withan impressively sharp and high definition resolution at f16 with an optimum at f22 at infinity, its

use for process work and beyond has extended to other branches of pictorial photography.

The history of the Maison Boyer Etablissement has recently been reviewed by Dan Fromm and Eric Beltrando.  Also

available in English translation here.

Summary:  This diminutive jewel lens rates as one of the smallest ever produced lenses reputed to cover 8x10" format:

even its Compur shutter is twice the size of the Apo-Saphir lens.   Originally designed as a repro' lens, it possesses

features ideal as a macro process lens; still life and portraiture lens.   

 
Construction:   With respect to its optical construction, the Boyer Apo-Saphir lens is strikingly different from the modern

compact Tessar types (Nikon, Fuji, Rodenstock, Zeiss) or the heavier Plasmat designs in being a true Heliar type derived

from a triplet with 5 elements in 3 groups following the 1939 prescription of Maison Boyer.   Consequently there are

differences in how the Apo-Saphir draws light, particularly in highlight and out of focus rendition.

.  

Theoretical covering power:  unspecified (inverse of focal length).   Aperture stops down to f90.0, enabling tight

                                                  coverage up to 8x10" or at distances less than infinity.

Front filter:                              Unthreaded front lens mount.  Requires 42mm push on filter system or 43mm reverse

                                                 mounted (female thread) adapter on external of lens or 37.5mm internal adapter.

Test Camera:                           Chamonix Whole Plate. Wista/Linhof/Ebony style  mount lens board. 
 

Groundglass:                          Groundglass viewing is bright for a f10.0 300mm focal length. Corner to corner illuminance

                                                 is acceptable with the Chamonix designed clip corners of the ground glass design facilitating

                                                 checking for light-fall off.

 
Illumination:                            This lens offers even field illumination throughout the image area of the whole plate negative

                                                  at full aperture. 

Focussing:                              Chamonix Whole Plate users:  Furthest standard detent (300mm) to be used.  

                                           
Shutter:                                    Synchro Compur shutter [Barrel variants with waterhouse stops also available]

Flare control:                          Excellent for a Heliar design, the Boyer Apo-Saphir lens is extremely flare resistant despite

                                                 being uncoated.  Surprisingly it compares favourably against the Nikon Nikkors 300mm M

                                                 and W series multi-coated lenses.
Features:                              

The options for lenses in the 300mm focal length are broad with many compact Tessar types and larger Plasmat types 

being offered in both vintage and modern incarnations.  The Heliar types tend towards the vintage Voigtlander era and

thus it is somewhat refreshing to see a recent 1960's vintage Heliar type available in this focal length.  Although slightly

telephoto for a whole plate format, the 300mm focal length is perhaps ideal in view of the extra covering power available

for most lenses in this category, compared to the more limited options in the 270mm focal length.  

Modern alternatives include the Fujinon 300mm C type, the Nikkor 300mm M f9.0 Tessar type or the Nikkor 300mm W f5.6

Plasmat type, in addition to the Schneider G-Claron Dialyte types or Zeiss' Docter Wetzlar Optic Dialyte types. Classic

Tessar types such as the Wollensak Velostigmat 12 inch f4.5 offer a distinctive soft-focus gimmick which may be of appeal. 

Similarly, 12 inch Commercial Ektars follow the Tessar formula from the high era of Kodak optics in the 1960's.  Double

anastigmat Goerz lenses (Dagor) offer a dialyte type construction with impressive coverage for the diminutive sizes and

Voigtlander Heliar 12' or 300mm f4.5 optics form the template on which the Boyer Apo-Saphir lens has been derived.

With respect to dimensions, the Boyer Apo-Saphir outstrips the Fujinon 300mm C type compact lens for compactness,

with only the flatter Compur shutter taking up lateral space.  Its size is comparable to a tiny Dagor lens.    Colour rendition

of a Heliar is likely to be different from that of a Tessar design, however the soft subtlety in the out-of-focus areas of this

lens make it a fascinating dual purpose lens for both still and portraiture work at the maximum aperture, and a proper

process or field lens at f22 where its resolution is at least as high in definition as the best of the modern lenses.  This is

not unusual and many lenses originally intended for process or repro' work have much utility beyond 1:10 reproduction

scales.

Summary: 

A relatively obscure and classic 300mm cult lens with an imprressive field performance.  It's  appreciation has not been

wide-spread in the United States and as an underrated lens, offers a first class choice for a whole plate photographer

looking for a bijoux sized travel lens of this focal length which permits a few minor movements.   Its design predicates

imaging qualities which are very distinct and different from the field Tessar types and upholds the same if not better

high image definition as its modern competitors.

With thanks to Dan Fromm  for lens data. Source of table: http://www.dioptrique.info/objectifs5/00202/00202.html

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Comments, revisions and suggestions welcome.


RJ