ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
I had BX20 and BC1 bodies. Both broke in short order.
I will look for a working B200. Thanks for the advice.
Chris
I will look for a working B200. Thanks for the advice.
Chris
East German lens appreciation thread
- Thread starter p.giannakis
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 61
- Views 2K
PRJ
Another Day in Paradise
These are from an uncoated pre war CZJ Sonnar so I guess that would probably put it in the East. I have a rare Biometar for the Bronica EC-TL and I used to have an old Chicken Kiev with CZJ lenses so I'll see what else I can dig up.
bigeye
Well-known
CZJ 58mm f/2 Biotarvaldas
Veteran
I finally bought Flektogon 35/2.4. I found it relatively cheap, it was quite abused cosmetically, but the seller assured the glass was clean and it worked as it should. Well, it came today and the glass was indeed clean, but the A mode did not work - the aperture pin was loose and not doing the job. So, basically, it worked only in manual aperture mode. I removed the back plate- the arm which is pushed by the aperture control lever (in order to open the aperture) was deformed and the level was simply not catching the arm. I spent the evening figuring out how to fix it without any spare parts (and without breaking it more). I think I managed, so I will finally be able to test this lens during the weekend. Maybe I simply should have bought the one in good shape, spending 100-150€ more.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I'm a lightweight. I throw out the high price and the low price and get the best in the middle. So far this has gotten me nice working lenses. It is cheaper to pay upfront than have a nosebleed I may have to send off for repair. That's my take FWIW.
das
Well-known
I like the f/2.4 MC Flektogon, great sharpness and color rendition, but man does it have barrel distortion.
Valkir1987
Well-known
There should be no noticeable (or almost zero) barrel distortion in this design. If is doet it is likely the lens has been disassembled in the past for cleaning, and one of the elements has been inverted or put back in the wrong order. The aligning, testing and refitting of individual elements of wide angle lenses can only be done by an optical workshop.
das
Well-known
You don't have to take my word for it.
phillipreeve.net
His experience is similar to mine. I've had both the m42 and PB versions of this lens. Both performed the same. Maybe many rolled out of the factory misaligned or mis assembled. But the Pentacon 28mm f/2.8 in PB mount also has significant barrel distortion.
Review: Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm 2.4 Flektogon - phillipreeve.net
The Flektogon 35mm 2.4 is a highly regarded lens from Carl Zeiss Jena in the former German Democratic Rebpulic. It is the predecessor to the Distagon design still used for many modern lenses. But does this oldie still have a place on...
phillipreeve.net
His experience is similar to mine. I've had both the m42 and PB versions of this lens. Both performed the same. Maybe many rolled out of the factory misaligned or mis assembled. But the Pentacon 28mm f/2.8 in PB mount also has significant barrel distortion.
Valkir1987
Well-known
I take your word, the pictures speak for itself. However there is also a significant difference between using a wide angle lens on film and digital. The piece of glass covering the sensor introduces barrel distortion and sferic abberation, unless corrected in the design or in post processing. Lenses made for film can perform differently. It effects wide angle lenses more than large focal lenghts. Camera salesmen made us believe we had to buy new lenses for our digital cameras, but there was some truth in it.
Jena lenses were made much better (better finish and assembly) than the Görlitz lenses. The production moved to Romania at some point.
Zero barrel distortion on the Pentacon 28mm f2.8 (a good example) on film:
Prakticar 2,8/28 | zeissikonveb.de
This is why putting a filter on front of the lens is preferred.
Jena lenses were made much better (better finish and assembly) than the Görlitz lenses. The production moved to Romania at some point.
Zero barrel distortion on the Pentacon 28mm f2.8 (a good example) on film:
Prakticar 2,8/28 | zeissikonveb.de
This is why putting a filter on front of the lens is preferred.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
*Personal view below*
This lens goes for an absurd amount of money online. I think it is a very nice lens, performs great but anything above £150 is too much (let alone £150 on top of asking price).
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Call me a pedant, but I don't consider a 1942 lens "East German."Just an M9 shot with my sweet old '42 5cm 1.5 CZJ of the 27nnnn series. It works well on the M9 sensor.
L1003418 M9 + '42 5cm CZJ 1.5 of the 272nnnn series of magic lenses by West Phalia, on Flickr
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
You may be right.
PRJ
Another Day in Paradise
I snagged a CZJ postwar 85/2 Sonnar for Contax RF a few days ago. I had one that I purchased way back in the 90s but sold it and regretted it. Finally found one for a decent price. Now I just have to find my C/L adapter so I can use it. I gave my last Contax IIa to a friend. The CZJ was considered by Sherer to be a better lens than the Opton wide open IIRC. I don't know if that is true, but the copy I had was pretty sweet. Hope the new to me one is just as good.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
Were any of these 28/2.8 made in Japan by Cosina? I seem to remember reading it somewhere.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Perhaps some clarity is needed here. Does "East German" designate from Eastern Germany or from the DDR? The classic query of "define your terms."
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
I think it should mean DDR (i.e. East Germany) -- otherwise any Carl Zeiss Jena lens would qualify.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Yes, it is kind of vague. The thread initiator used a DDR lens camera-lens combo and I suppose that implies DDR.
phofseth
Established
The optics currently available from Thüringen and environs are not that numerous, so DDR will do as "east". Askania , Jenoptik and Docter, even the Meyer works at the border with Poland are long gone.
So what remains to be discussed are the various antiques made in an age with little low dispersive glas, lots of traditional precision mechanics and fewer accountants and marketers (-which contributed to their demise whn the Treuhand regime struck).
However, some of the products remain fully usable. I am particularly fond of the "bauhaus" design of the Werras before their stripy period and the results from some of the last VEB-Zeiss optics. Examples that come to mind are the 20mm2,8 and version III of the Zeiss "pentacon" 300mm f4.
p.
So what remains to be discussed are the various antiques made in an age with little low dispersive glas, lots of traditional precision mechanics and fewer accountants and marketers (-which contributed to their demise whn the Treuhand regime struck).
However, some of the products remain fully usable. I am particularly fond of the "bauhaus" design of the Werras before their stripy period and the results from some of the last VEB-Zeiss optics. Examples that come to mind are the 20mm2,8 and version III of the Zeiss "pentacon" 300mm f4.
p.
Valkir1987
Well-known
Very likely, perhaps with a more simple different optical formula. Retailers and distributors used the name Pentacon, Carl Zeiss Jena and Prakticar on a lot of Japanese and Korean import lenses to fill in the demand.
Just spotted one for sale:
Pentacon Prakticar 28mm f/2.8 MC Lens voor Praktica B Mount | Reway
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
The outside screams sigma to me. I had the mini wide and still have the super wide. Maybe the lens design inside is Pentacon.
