Leitz VAROB enlarging lens from the 1930s
Toronto. When Leitz made special enlarging lenses, the first such lens was the VAROB made from about 1933 through 1939. Some people considered the VAROB lens an Elmar lens in a special barrel for use on an enlarger.
Others, like Dr Alex Wright in his Checklist manuscript suggest it is a different lens design. Dr Wright, had an ‘optical expert’ inspect the VAROB and noted at least the rear element differed from the Elmar in ‘curvature and glass’ while the front element seemed identical to an Elmar.
For those who wished to use the camera’s Elmar lens (once it was made removable), special rings like the VALAU and later the VALOO were made to assist the darkroom techie in adjusting the aperture – hard to do in daylight let alone in the dark on an Elmar sans any special ring.
