Carl Zeiss LTM Finally! ~ I bought a "wartime" 1943 CZJ Sonnar T f1.5/50 in LTM

[raid]

Raid, others have tried, and failed!😀

I will wait until you tell me that I will not fail! 😀
Until then, I will be a "Biogonless" lost soul at RFF.😱

 

[raid]

Is that the same Biogon that you once gave me to use for a while?

 

[dexdog]

Is that the same Biogon that you once gave me to use for a while?

No, that one was Contax mount. I was referring to one in LTM.

 

[johannielscom]

I had my eye on a Carl Zeiss Jena Biogon with 271xxxx number for a while but thought it to be expensive. But as the info offered above from PAN-F and Tom checked out with it and the auction was coming to a close, I pulled the trigger.

Yes it was expensive and yes I'm selling off boxes of small stuff to get it covered, but being stuck between Leicashop and eBay, a man's gotta pay when he wants to shoot an original 1942 CZJ 35/2.8 Biogon.

Sure hope I will have the time soon to shoot my new-to-me IIIc Stepper with the Sonnar T lenses and the Biogon! Working on getting those shots but my job and studying has me running around, too busy! 😱

 

[johannielscom]

@ Tom: Orion, jupiter, it's all up there anyway 😀 thanks for mailing me and putting me straight!
@ Mark: I just mailed the seller and checked out the pictures more thoroughly. Seems it is indeed made up from Zeiss parts, but non-matching numbers.

Might try to bargain the seller down quite a bit, or decline altogether.

 

[dexdog]

Nice provenance on this camera. Not something that is typical of eBay.

 

[dexdog]

The lens in the auction has varnish or something over the aluminum, like the early Jupiters. Is this normal for the zeiss lenses?

 

[johannielscom]

The lens in the auction has varnish or something over the aluminum, like the early Jupiters. Is this normal for the zeiss lenses?

Mine does not have that. I had a 1952 Jupiter-3 before of which the optical cell bit was 'clean', while the focusing mount was varnished as well. Led me to believe that the optical cell was Zeiss, and images proved I was probably right since it did not focus-shift.

Don't know what to think of this. Maybe it was serviced in Russia at a later moment? All other aspects seem legit, that lens looks like mine like a twin, except for the varnish.

 

[johannielscom]

Here's a HU for someone looking for a Sonnar to shoot with, current auction on evilbay....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Carl-Zeiss-Sonn...47474654?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item4aa8142dde

This is one of those Postwar 1945/6 "Restposten" lenses, built with original WW2 era parts, seller even included some sample shots, this looks like it would be a nice shooting lens for someone?
(I have no connection to the seller, I post this as a helping hand to aid anyone who wants to try to satisfy that urge to shoot the "Sonnar Glow") 🙂

Tom

Only goes to show that in the Leica Screw Mount Forum this thread is the most visited after the 'Show off your LTM camera' thread: someone put in a bid already! 🙂

 

[raid]

Wouldn't a ZK be a better deal since it is also LTM and made from German glass?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The lens shown has a 270x SN, which is earlier than the 272 series I;m used to seeing. The Focus Mount has the row of set screws, like the wartime lenses and NOT like a J-3 mount. I've seen some odd transition lenses. This might be one.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I don't know what it is, some sort of protective coating. I have a near mint KMZ lens with it on, looks nice. This one, it is worn and will come off with alchohol.

 

[ferider]

Looks like the "shellack" (spell?) that I've seen on some Russian lenses. This one might be just as good, and much cheaper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370476235507

🙂 (no connection to the seller).

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The above lens lacks the column of two set screws in the focus ring, and looks like a regular J-3 focus mount. Remount or early J-3? Hard to tell.

I use 99% Isopropyl alchohol.

 

[johannielscom]

Thought: if it was produced for the Kriegsmarine, it might have been coated to keep the aluminium from oxidizing in the salt water environment.

Will probably be speculation for evermore, no way to tell if this was the case.

Then again, PAN-F wrote that the Kriegsmarine opted for Contax gear, due to Doenitz' personal preference. So it might be bolony altogether anyway.

That 50xxxx ZK lens almost certainly has a Zeiss optical cell in it. Looks nice to with the early Russian engravings.

*still waiting for the seller of 'my' mix&match Biogon to respond*

 

[johannielscom]

Dang.

lens sold.

Whuhahahaha

 

[ferider]

That was quick. Who got it ? 🙂

(and thanks, I almost bought it myself)

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Not me- came close, but was not sure as it was missing the column of set screws on the focus ring. That mechanism, using a set screw in the focus ring for near/far stops, continued into the early J-3's. Only way to know is to take it apart.

 

[dexdog]

Dang.

lens sold.

Whuhahahaha

No shellac on the ZK lens. Maybe someone scrubbed it off. Agree that the "made in CCCP" is kinda cool, though.

 

[johannielscom]

Not me.

I was still stretching my trigger finger, but somebody already squeezed it 😀