Angenieux's fast Exakta portrait prime — the 90mm f/1.8 Type P1, a prized French lens.
The Angenieux 90mm f/1.8 Type P1 is a fast short-telephoto portrait prime from the French maker Angenieux, offered in the Exakta bayonet. Angenieux was a respected optical firm known for cinema and photographic lenses, and its fast primes are prized by collectors. The 90mm f/1.8 P1 was among the bright portrait lenses the firm supplied for reflex cameras of the period.
This is a manual-focus Exakta-mount lens with a 90mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/1.8, carrying Angenieux's Type P1 designation. It uses a fast telephoto optical layout of the maker's own design. The aperture is set on the barrel. Element count, filter thread and weight are omitted here where they cannot be confirmed for the specific Exakta build.
The Angenieux 90mm f/1.8 pairs a bright aperture with a classic portrait focal length, giving strong subject separation and a smooth rendering that Angenieux glass is valued for. Wide open it throws backgrounds well out of focus while keeping the subject defined, and it sharpens on stopping down. It is above all a portrait lens, and doubles for low-light and general short-telephoto work.
This is a collectible French lens and clean Exakta examples command high prices among Angenieux enthusiasts. Inspect the glass carefully for haze, fungus, separation and coating wear, all of which are common at this age and affect value. Confirm the aperture and focus operate smoothly and beware rehoused copies. On mirrorless via an Exakta adapter it delivers the Angenieux rendering on digital sensors.