Do not buy this lens!

Sonnar Brian

Sonnar Brian

Product of the Fifties
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/144339984818

There was a discussion on this lens on Instagram. I stated the Optics were probably genuine Zeiss, but the focus mount was from a Summitar- that the F-Stops and Infrared Index matched the Leica optics. Someone probably used parts of the Leica mount, did some machining- and fitted a Zeiss Sonnar to a Leica mount. I had it easy- I used Jupiter-3 mounts. If there were none available, I'd probably bore out a Summitar mount. I have a spare Summitar focus mount. Maybe even someone at Zeiss did this. I've used Leica mounts for some interesting conversions. Like a Karat-Xenar 5cm F2.8 5-element, wartime with coated optics. One of a kind. I have $60 into that lens.

$4500!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I used to sell my conversions for $500 or so. Less, depending on the cost of the parts. So if you see a "Converted by Brian Sweeney" lens going for thousands of dollars do not tell my wife. And if you have one, and sell it for $4500- do not tell me.
 
Sonnar Conversion by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Sonnar Conversion by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Sonnar Conversion by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

sonnar_1607_3 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

This one is earlier. And better. Beautiful Bloom.

I have $90 into it. I miss being able to buy these lenses for $100 and under. The $90 includes the J-3 focus mount.

Warm November day by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Would I sell it for $4500? No. It's my Favorite.

Plus-

sonnar_1607_2 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Much prettier than that other one.
 
I hope anyone looking at this auction links back to the Instagram Discussion. I just added this
"This lens is up on Ebay for $4500 now, links back to this discussion and mentions me by Name. Again- I have seen one-offs similar to this before. It might be Zeiss doing some rapid prototyping using parts from a Leica- I certainly have done things like this before. I have not handled this lens personally and can only wild-ass guess as to it's true origins."

And now, with my Pinky to my Lip- I shall put my 1934 CZJ Sonnar up for "One Meeelllyun Dollars". Only takes One Billionaire that wants it bad enough.
 
Mr_Flibble said:
I never considered selling my Brian Sweeney Conversion Sonnar.....but for $4500 I might be persuaded.
Click to expand...

I understand! Prices of some lenses have gone insane lately. The Uncoated Sonnar is now an "in lens", some in use with the film industry. The uncoated lenses render color uniquely, different from the coated optics. Zeiss made Fifty LTM mount Uncoated 5cm F1.5 lenses in 1933. Far fewer than the 5cm F1.5 Sonnar "T" of the 1940s. I converted about Fifty uncoated 5cm F1.5 Sonnar lenses... and mine look better than this one for $4500.
 
I resold my 50mm Noctilux for the same price I bought it for, about $2000. I thought I had done well to get to try it and use it for free. That was just before they discontinued it and it started trading for closer to $10,000. I made a similar mistake with the 28-35-50 Tri-Elmar.
 
I have Nine CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnars in LTM now. Six of those are converted from Contax mount. Some of those are extremely rare- like the 190xxxx 5cm F1.5 with fully coated optics, and it's uncoated Twin from the same batch. One with coating on the front element only, 175xxxx batch. I've got Sonnar evolution covered from 1932 through to the Summer of '22, with the upcoming Bertele Sonnar.

The 5cm F1.5 Sonnar in Contax mount, typically went for $100 some 15 years ago.

I think RFF is responsible for the prices shooting up.
 
Rob-F said:
I resold my 50mm Noctilux for the same price I bought it for, about $2000. I thought I had done well to get to try it and use it for free. That was just before they discontinued it and it started trading for closer to $10,000. I made a similar mistake with the 28-35-50 Tri-Elmar.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that (with the Noctilux). I still have the Tri-Elmar though.
 
My Wife's Advice on selling camera equipment:

1) If you like it, keep it.
2) If you use it, keep it.
3) If you do not like it, and you do not use it- sell it.

I guess it's worked for me. The prices of many lenses have gone up, and ones that I wanted- such as the Canon 50/2.2 and Canon 50/2.8: came down. Sonnar formula lenses are way up. Uncommon/unique lenses such as the Canon 85/1.5- way up.
 
SO. The Ebay seller asking for $4500 for the custom-converted Sonnar 5cm F1.5, the one that looks like is uses parts from a Summitar...

Is the Seller that I bought the Wartime 5cm F1.5 Sonnar "Basket Case" for $75. That lens- transplanted front element and rear triplet, put into an LTM mount.
Just think, in 50 years someone will try to sell it for $10K.
 
xayraa33 said:
This one is from Russia.
Might be a re-labelled J-3 https://www.ebay.com/itm/18516749023...rkt%3D5%26sd%3
Click to expand...

Not a relabeled J-3: The focus ring has the stop screw. This was changed to a better design on the J-3, the stop screw moved internal to the mount.

The 285xxxx SN checks out. It might have been completed after the war, this batch "jest kept popping up". One of my best 1950 KMZ Jupiter-3's is from the same batch of lenses. The SN on the rear fixture placed it in the same batch, but front namering is J-3.

The Namering of the wartime Sonnars is held in place with a hidden set screw under the aperture ring. When I see marks on the ring as shown in the auction, usually means someone did not know about them. Prewar and postwar Sonnars do not have this beauty ring killer.

Around 15 years ago I picked up a well-worn wartime 5cm F1.5 Sonnar "T" in LTM for under $200. Needed a lot of work. It looks very much like this one.
 
My lens from the same batch as referenced above.

czj2-after-side-3.jpg


czj2-before-4.jpg


One set screw holding helical into mount, the threads were worn. I use Lacquer to help secure this.

czj2-before-3.jpg
 
czj2-helical-3.jpg


The 3 parts of the Helical are all Numbered. You can also see the guide for the focus stop-screw. The J-3 is a much better design.
 
Contax and Leica mount lenses were made in the same batch, serial numbers of the namerings were mixed.

See how nice the namering looks- no scrapes/scratches near the spanner slots? This lens had not been opened before, and I know about the hidden set screws. THE HARD WAY.

czj2-helical-after-1.jpg


Personal Opinion- the Serial Number of the Helical is a more accurate count of how many LTM Sonnars were actually made. I've seen low 4-digit Helicals in the ZK Sonnars. The highest number I can verify is 1052.
 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/373640461334

I'm seeing a lot of Fake ZK lenses on Ebay, Later KMZ or early ZOMZ with a phony ZK namering. No ears on the aperture ring, which was continued up to early 1951.

I have mounted Contax ZK mount barrels to much later ZOMZ focus mounts and kept the "ears" aperture ring, it fits. So even if a remount to an LTM focus mount, the aperture ring should still have ears.
 
Sonnar Brian said:
Not a relabeled J-3: The focus ring has the stop screw. This was changed to a better design on the J-3, the stop screw moved internal to the mount.

The 285xxxx SN checks out. It might have been completed after the war, this batch "jest kept popping up". One of my best 1950 KMZ Jupiter-3's is from the same batch of lenses. The SN on the rear fixture placed it in the same batch, but front namering is J-3.

The Namering of the wartime Sonnars is held in place with a hidden set screw under the aperture ring. When I see marks on the ring as shown in the auction, usually means someone did not know about them. Prewar and postwar Sonnars do not have this beauty ring killer.

Around 15 years ago I picked up a well-worn wartime 5cm F1.5 Sonnar "T" in LTM for under $200. Needed a lot of work. It looks very much like this one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your expertise and input , Brian...might be not a bad price if the glass is good considering inflation in these last 15 years.
 
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