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

[Sonnar Brian]

I use a vented Heavystar hood on mine. 40.5mm is correct.

 

[johannielscom]

What is actually the ideal aftermarket hood for this lens? A vented 40.5mm?

I will be using my 1943 CZJ with a B&W UV filter and the classic barn door Summicron hood, which clamps onto the filter-extended barrel very nicely. Have done that with my Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-3 in the past. Can't wait to get the lens handed over from the mailman.

The same lens hood also fits my Horseman 970 lenses, which also are 40.5mm😎

 

[john neal]

latest conversion

latest conversion

Just to Follow up on converting Sonnars from CZ to ltm:-

Using the instructions provided elsewhere by Brian Sweeney, I have converted two Jena 50mm lenses to LTM - a f1.5 and a f2. Both have serial nos. suggesting production in 1937, and are uncoated.

Here are some wide open shots from the f1.5 (Fuji 400) on my MP, all at, or around, minimum focus distance I tried to shim it for 1m out).

I'm pleased with the relative lack of flare on the third, which is backlit by a big window.

This lens was filthy inside and out, but cleaned up quite nicely.

Thanks to Brian's help and encouragement, I have a very useable lens 🙂

 

[john neal]

And here are a couple from the f2 (Leica III this time)

I think I posted pics of both lenses earlier in this thread.

 

[john neal]

Tom,

My 1943 CZJ is on my flreshly CLA'd black M3 almost permanently these days.

Johan,

You finally got one? What is the glass like?

Mine has "speckles" right across the front coating, but it doesn't seem to affect the results. My front cap is pretty chewed up too 🙁

 

[furcafe]

Most pre-WWII lens caps for the CZJ lenses I've seen have been metal (alloy) painted black in a flat or crackly finish (not sure if it's original or developed over time) w/the CZJ logo embossed. I've also seen some that are black bakelite(?) w/the CZJ logo embossed & others that are black leather w/the CZJ logo painted on in gold, but aren't sure whether those are pre-WWII or not.

Tom,

I love the clean lens cap you got there, mine is painted black, over the chrome it seems.

 

[johannielscom]

Johan,

You finally got one? What is the glass like?

Mine has "speckles" right across the front coating, but it doesn't seem to affect the results. My front cap is pretty chewed up too 🙁

John,

mine is fine. It has minute cleaning marks on front coating, and a very faint haze building up inside.

I was in Bulgaria last week and took it along as my only 50 lens, have yet to see results from the 10 rolls of 36 exp. I shot in five days 🙂

I shot it with a Japanese Walz UV filter, marked 'for Sonnar'. Probably made for the Walz Envoy 35 at some time, cannot think of another Walz-era camera with a Sonnar lens on it.

The Summicron hood I clamp onto it is a bit too big for an all-time walk-about lens, my students kept shaking their heads 😱😕whenever I took out the camera... Think I'll look for a more suitable hood, probably the Heavystar 40.5mm vented hood. Thinking of taking sand paper to the outsides of the hood, so the naked metal will match the lens...😎

I'm a SLOBB 😀

 

[Sonnar Brian]

> Probably made for the Walz Envoy 35 at some time, cannot think of
> another Walz-era camera with a Sonnar lens on it.

The Walz Envoy 35 uses 46mm filters. Walz made many filters and accessories for other vendors lenses and cameras.

 

[johannielscom]

Thanks for all that info, Tom! Think I might go for the vented hood as well, a Walz one would be nice, else the Heavystar one will do

 

[john neal]

John,

mine is fine. It has minute cleaning marks on front coating, and a very faint haze building up inside.

I was in Bulgaria last week and took it along as my only 50 lens, have yet to see results from the 10 rolls of 36 exp. I shot in five days 🙂

I shot it with a Japanese Walz UV filter, marked 'for Sonnar'. Probably made for the Walz Envoy 35 at some time, cannot think of another Walz-era camera with a Sonnar lens on it.

The Summicron hood I clamp onto it is a bit too big for an all-time walk-about lens, my students kept shaking their heads 😱😕whenever I took out the camera... Think I'll look for a more suitable hood, probably the Heavystar 40.5mm vented hood. Thinking of taking sand paper to the outsides of the hood, so the naked metal will match the lens...😎

I'm a SLOBB 😀

Great news, Johan - looking forward to your results.

I use a Minolta or Kenro(?) clamp-on hood with mine - not so big as the summicron one, and a good fit. Nice flat black finish, and it doesn't intrude on the VF too much. I'll have to charge the digithing and post a pic of it, I believe it might be 1950's?

 

[johannielscom]

WHo painted your M3, Johan? It looks better than many repaints I've seen. I presume that's griptac, it suits it, too.

I do miss my old Shintaro-painted M4, but it was too beautiful to use.

Paul,

the top plate on my camera is no repaint but an original Leitz spare spart, no serial number engraved. Transport lever and retaining ring came from Leicaparts. Rewind lever, accessory shoe and rear flash socket rings and rewind knob I painted myself. Bottom plate is an MP spare part. Will vsn Manen did his magic with a CLA on it this month and fitted black screws all around on it.

The camera came as a non-working parts camera from Italy two years ago and only cost me EUR 99, so I figured I could throw some cash in to get it cracking again. Although the top plate set me back a kidney to get 😀

 

[johannielscom]

Tom,

it took me some time to make up my mind between the Sonnar and the Xenon, and every now and then I still long for a Xenon 😉

I'm looking forward to the pin-up shoot out!! (for various reasons, obviously 🙂)

 

[ampguy]

Wow, no need for a Summilux 50 when these 1.5 lenses perform like this! 😉

 

[wlewisiii]

It's always fun to look in on this thread. I've got my J8 right now and that will do for the Sonnar signature. I do keep looking for a prewar uncoated 50/2 that I can afford and then get Brian to put into the Jupiter barrel but it's not an urgent thing. I've got 3 good 50's & a IIIf - lots of fun 🙂 .

William

 

[johannielscom]

Happy to oblige Tom, I'll write you shortly.

Question: is there a list that shows CZJ 50/1.5 LTM serial numbers with their order numbers and deliveries, like on Leica bodies?
It would be really cool to know when my lens was ordered and delivered, and to whom!?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I keep a heavystar vented on my Sonnar, and a Walz Vented filter on the Canon 50/1.5.

 

[john neal]

Not much from me either, have been looking at a f2 to black J8 conversion. Two reasons, the 1955 J8 I used is probably better as a working lens, and the black version has added stealth 😉

 

[johannielscom]

Tom,

how about those Sonnar pin-ups of yours, any news there?🙄

 

[johannielscom]

Well where did you turn that one up!

Looks in very nice shape, some faint spots on the coating that should not affect IQ the least. Nice and clean barrel! Mine is a good 200 later and looks exactly the same.

Did you shoot that beauty already? Is it clean? I shot my Sonnar along with an L-Hexanon 35/2.0 on the streets of Groningen two weeks ago, and could not distinguish between the two of them in my Kodacolor shots. At f8.0 they were virtually equally sharp.

Question for Tom or Brian: are these Sonnars more resistant to focus shift than later Sonnars or optimized Jupiter-3s? I have yet to see a shot that is front focused with my lens, is this the case with more of these wartime Sonnars?

I bought a clean Summarit 50/1.5 to chaperone my Sonnar, they will be a lovely pair!

 

[M like Leica M6]

Johan, I had it CLA'd about one year ago. Except the blotchy coating and some dust this is probably in best possible shape. I like the mechanics, the aperture and focussing rings turn smoother than on any other lens I had. It's a bit softer than my 2/50 Summicron, of course, but results are not bad.

It's just lying about in the locker, like my Canon VT deluxe, Canon 2/35, 2/100 and 3.5/135 and other stuff. I just don't have enough time for my hobby any more. These pictures are actually my farewell, the lens is in the Classifieds.