Company Website:
Duclos Page: N/A
The story of Kern began in 1819, when Jakob Kern opened a workshop in Aarau, Switzerland, for the production of mathematical, levelling and field measuring instruments. In 1885, the firm was named Kern & Company. Under the direction of Heinrich Kern, the grandson of Jakob Kern, the company continued to manufacture an increasing range of surveying instruments.

The optical and lens departments of Kern & Co. AG opened in 1914. The heavy demand for fine optics brought on by the first World War led to the construction of new factory buildings. From these shops came the Kern anastigmat lens with a speed of f/6.3 and f/4.5.

The Kern plant was enlarged again in 1943 to fill orders from all over the world. In collaboration with the Paillard-Bolex plant, Kern-Paillard began the manufacture of motion picture lenses. In 1944, Kern lenses were the first motion picture lenses manufactured with an anti-reflective coating, as well as the first to include an automatic depth of field scale. The iris diaphragm featured accurate click stops, while the diaphragm blades provided a wider spacing at small apertures.

Research and improvements in optical engineering required from the demands of World War II resulted in the line of Kern Switar and Yvar lenses. The association with Paillard allowed a line of quality lenses to be supplied for Bolex cameras following the war.

Kern Paillard Switar 12.5mm f/1.5
Kern Paillard Yvar 12.5mm f/2.8
Kern Paillard Yvar 25mm f/2.5
Kern Paillard Yvar 36mm f/2.8

Kern Paillard Yvar 15mm f/2.8
Kern Paillard Yvar 25mm f/1.4
Kern Paillard Yvar 25mm f/1.5
Kern Paillard Yvar 75mm f/2.5