Walter Mandler - A Valuation of Mandler's Significance

A Valuation of Mandler's Significance

After his death, Mr. Ichiro Yoshiyama, former Chief Operating Officer of Minolta Corporation, declared (Viewfinder Magazine, Vol 38, No 2) "Dr. Walter Mandler was always the subject of adoration among engineers of Minolta's optical engineering sections". Mr. Hiroshi Kimata, former editor of Popular Photography magazine, declared "Above all advanced cameras, the most respected and admired cameras and lenses in Japan are still the Leica cameras and Leica lenses. Without Leicas, no Japanese camera industry might be inspired to develop single-lens-reflex cameras and automatic machines. Leicas are still the unconquered highest summit of the world of photography".

Interviewed by Tom Abrahamsson in the early 80s about his favourite designs Mandler answered "Right now it is the 75/1.4 Summilux because it's balance between performance and size" (also in Viewfinder Magazine, Vol 38, No 2). However, the current head of the optical department at Leica, Peter Karbe, interviewed during the Photokina 2008 Show, doesn't like this lens, which was discontinued in 2007. Mandler designed the Summilux-M 75mm f/1.4 lens (1980) based on his previous design for the Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.0 lens (1969). In the same way, Karbe designed the APO-Summicron-M 75mm f/2.0 ASPH lens (2005) based on his Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH lens (2004).

Peter Karbe wrote some lines about Mandler after his death (Viewfinder Magazine, Vol 38, No 2): "I can readily say that Dr. Mandler was one of the great optical designers at Leitz and that his work constituted a major contribution to the success of the Leica M rangefinder camera. Dr. Mandler was clearly ahead of his times with his developments. That is proven by the numerous optical computations that still have lost nothing in terms of current relevance. Among them is the 50 mm f/1 Noctilux-M lens that he designed. Today, many publications still refer to his work, notably the landmark 50 mm f/2 Summicron-M lens. And there are numerous other examples that prove how important his work was for the evolution of photographic optics in general and for the evolution of photography at Leitz. This includes his apochromatically corrected telephoto lenses. (...) While I was writing these lines, it occurred to me that that I am not qualified to render a judgment of Dr. Mandler."

Erwin Puts wrote in an essay about Zeiss lenses that "The great revolution in optical designs occurred during the sixties and seventies, when Dr. Glatzel of Zeiss introduced new methods of lens design. In the Leica-centric view of the world, one often assumes that well-known Leica designers, like Dr Mandler, are in the front rank of the world's best optical designers. In fact this is not the case. Persons like Dr Glatzel or Dr. Kingslake have had a more lasting impact on the evolution of lens design. It is only quite recently that Leica lens designs have broken out of the traditional constraints that have restrained the free flow of creativity of the design department."

Also in Puts' essay on Leica optical designers we can find some clues about Mandler's significance: "The key word for the Mandler designs is “state-of-the -art”. The designs are first rate, even today, but the Japanese competition came quite close to producing the same level of imagery. The Leitz designs had their own typical set of compromises that distinguished their lenses from the rest, but the best of Zeiss, Canon and Nikon and Topcon were measurably on the same level (...). The Mandler era delivered first rate lenses, but they were mainstream lenses that fitted into the Zeitgeist of the 35mm style of photography. The innovations (zoomlenses) however were snatched away from Leitz by the Japanese companies."

Erwin Puts concludes: "He was also a daring man: he created the Summilux 1.4/35mm when everybody assumed that such a lens was not possible. Mandler was a pragmatist more than a visionary. His designs are very competent, but he had to work within the restrictions of the Leitz philosophy of lens manufacture. It seems that lenses for 35mm photography were a bit boring for him, as they did not pose the challenge he wanted. This he found in the designs for the military and in the Elcan lenses he could explore more exciting optical limits. (...) There are only a few letters by Mandler in the Leica archives and the contents give the impression of a passionate man, who feels slightly frustrated by the slow progress made by Leitz and the fast improvements made by the Japanese. He clearly saw that without fundamental changes Leica could not compete in the long run. But Leitz was in those days already living on borrowed money. His Elcan designs were by nature less cost oriented and the knowledge gained here could be transferred to the photographic department. (...) Mandler's study about the Double-Gauss designs is still the definitive analysis of the limits and potential of this class of lenses. The book was published in 1979 and represented the state of the art in optical design at that time. His achievement was the transfer of that theoretical framework to practical design. He did not develop really innovative designs, but his strong point was the exploration of existing limits and to find ways to implement the almost impossible."

Reginald P. Jonas and Michael D. Thorpe, in the article quoted, also present a valuation of Mandler's significance. Mandler was Head of Optical and Mechanical design at Leitz Canada (ELCAN) for 20 years "during which time he was involved in the design of over 400 lenses, including many photographic objectives, as well as lenses for movie taking, movie projection, laser scanning, and other speciality optics. In those days optical design was very much a group effort. Walter Mandler's contribution as physicist and designer was to set out the general direction in which design solutions would proceed and to bring his experience and knowledge of optical design theory to select the shortest path to a solution. The solution chosen was not always the most excellent in the imaging sense but it would be the best solution, balancing performance, cost, and manufacturability. As a result many of these designs remained in production for decades". To sum up, "His name will always be synonymous with the best in photographic double Gauss lenses".