Early postwar CZJ lens history question?

[landsknechte]

I've got a rather early postwar rigid Sonnar 50/2 (S/N 3,007,xxx), and I've got a couple of questions for the historians:

• Does anyone know when CZJ resumed production? 1945? 1946?
• Were these early postwar lenses directed towards any particular market? Domestic? International? Requisitioned by the Soviets? Something else random?

 

[JakobN]

Allready in the summer of 1945 CZJ is producing war reparations for the Soviet Union, right up to october 46 when the russians begin their dismanteling of Zeiss' production machinery. This ends in mid-march 47 and the company is left with on average 6% of its production capacity, but the lens production was as least partly spared and it is resumed immediatly with the serial number 3 000 001. I don't know who the customers where. Your lens is from a production dated march 28.

 

[landsknechte]

Allready in the summer of 1945 CZJ is producing war reparations for the Soviet Union, right up to october 46 when the russians begin their dismanteling of Zeiss' production machinery. This ends in mid-march 47 and the company is left with on average 6% of its production capacity, but the lens production was as least partly spared and it is resumed immediatly with the serial number 3 000 001. I don't know who the customers where. Your lens is from a production dated march 28.

Thank you so much for the information!

Just to make sure, was that March 28th of 1946 or 1947?

 

[raid]

I know that a batch of 200 50/2 lenses were sent by Germany to Sweden in return for some iron ore. I have a lens from this batch. Its glass was implanted into an Elmar barrel and it is LTM. Genuine 50/2 ltm are quite rare. Most factory produced 50 ltm were for the 50/1.5 and not the 50/2. There exist many "fake" lenses that are FSU made.
Lens historian Marc James Small told ne this.

 

[JakobN]

1947, just at the start at what we could call the regular post war production at CZJ.

 

[stuart_115]

Any ideas about a sonnar 50 mm f/2 with a serial number of 3106246?
I guess it’s from about 1949, but i’m not sure at all.

 

[xayraa33]

CZJ even supplied Stuttgart with 50mm f2 Sonnars and even some f1.5s in the early 1950s for the Contax IIa and IIIa when West German Zeiss had a hiccup in production.

 

[JakobN]

Any ideas about a sonnar 50 mm f/2 with a serial number of 3106246?
I guess it’s from about 1949, but i’m not sure at all.

Your guess is good. The lens is from a production of 3000 copies dated october 48, but it is one of the higher serial numbers and I guess it took some time to manufacture that many lenses in those days.

 

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

after Thiele's "Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik Carl Zeiss Jena", it appears that in the early summer of 1945, lenses were in production already.

My earliest "T" postwar Sonnar 50/2 is Nr. 3050361, from a batch of 1.500 pieces, made on 26/08/1947.

 

[giurom]

My Sonnar CZJ

My Sonnar CZJ

I love my sonnar CZJ....And my color dial too...

 

[maartenmoerman]

Interesting, made me lookup serial numbers, but i'm a bit confused.

I have a zeiss opton 50/2 (contax), serial is 686634. Am I correct this puts it between 1951-1953? Or is it 1926?

 

[steveyork]

All Zeiss Opton lenses are post war, made in West Germany. Zeiss Jena lenses over 3 million are post war, made in East Germany. Zeiss Jena lenses under about 2.8 million are pre-war or during the war.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Where can one find the exact dates of production for a CZJ Rigid Sonnar 5cm f2 T s/n 3095346. Would love to know exactly when this batch was made.

Thanks.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Highway 61]

I have the postwar CZJ rigid Sonnar 5cm f/2 T s/n 3007029.

Looks to be quite an early production one, I guess. Contax mount, aluminum barrel (weighs close to nothing), with a thick lens mount tab. Textured aperture blades.

Pristine condition, outstanding photo results.

 

[Elmar Lang]

I have the postwar CZJ rigid Sonnar 5cm f/2 T s/n 3007029.

Looks to be quite an early production one, I guess. Contax mount, aluminum barrel (weighs close to nothing), with a thick lens mount tab. Textured aperture blades.

Pristine condition, outstanding photo results.

Tonight, once back home, I will check on Thiele's "Fabrikationsbuch"...

 

[View Range]

The post war history of Carl Zeiss is very convoluted as the separation of East and West Germany progressed. Jena was in East Germany; some senior Carl Zeiss personnel from the East moved to Zeiss facilities in Stuttgart and Oberkochen in West Germany. Trademark battles ensued as the two branches split apart. Carl Zeiss Jena, Zeiss-Opton, CZ Jena, CZJ, and Aus Jena were some of the branding used as trademarks in various parts of the countries in the East and West spheres of influence. Often the name ring on the lens was simply covered over with a new name ring for export across the Iron Curtain.

 

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

I've searched through Thiele's "Fabrikationsbuch", finding that:

CZJ rigid Sonnar 5cm f/2 T s/n 3007029 was made on March 28th, 1947 from a batch of 500 pieces;

CZJ Rigid Sonnar 5cm f2 T s/n 3095346 was made on February 9th, 1948 from a batch of 3.000 pieces.

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.)

 

[Timmyjoe]

Enzo,

Thanks so much for that information, really appreciate it.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Elmar Lang]

You're welcome, Tim!

Enzo

 

[Highway 61]

Grazie mille a lei, Enzo ! 🙂