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

Carl Zeiss M39 lenses
thanks.
I was a bit unsure since it is making these kind of bokeh...
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Bar8barian said:
It would be very interesting to see what the serial number (S.N. 1444970) and for what camera it was originally listed for in Thiele's book as I think it would certainly not be for Leica, and my guess is Contax.
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Thiele's book actually lists this particular lens and the preceding serial number of 1444969 as a batch of 2 lenses made in Leica mount, delivery date of September 7, 1933. The book shows that CZJ made a couple dozen lenses in LTM, in batches of two, between July and September 1933.

Somebody got a rare lens.
 
Looks like a J-3 renamed into CZJ Sonnar. It much differs from what I have in my hands.
1. "M "not "m" 2. No ears on aperture scale. 3. The distance scale similar to J-3 and misses a very important component (unfortunately fakers may read this thread as well so those who know will notice it easily). Also quality of alloy doesn't look like it is from late war years, but rather afterwar from the 50's. Although to be 100% sure the optic module needs to be disassembled. However, J-3 is a great lens if you care about it!
 
xoDox said:
Looks like a J-3 renamed into CZJ Sonnar. It much differs from what I have in my hands.
1. "M "not "m" 2. No ears on aperture scale. 3. The distance scale similar to J-3 and misses a very important component (unfortunately fakers may read this thread as well so those who know will notice it easily). Also quality of alloy doesn't look like it is from late war years, but rather afterwar from the 50's. Although to be 100% sure the optic module needs to be disassembled. However, J-3 is a great lens if you care about it!
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Its real, its a conversion, a zeiss sonnar in a russian mount.
There are more real, conversions, hacks ect.. then there are fakes i bet.
Probably shoots better than the one your holding in your hand :)
I feel a sonnar shoot off coming on!
 
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...34503&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_2054wt_1029

RF_newbie said:
No, its not fake.
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Have you inspected this lens first-hand?

It could be a conversion, but it has the J-3 aperture ring on it. The SN of 284 is an odd one, but I have seen post-war "one-offs" with strange numbers. I ave a "276" post-war "bizarre" 5cm F1.5 Sonnar that is somewhere in between the production post-war CZJ and wartime CZJ. The diameter of the rear element is unique in this lens, smaller than the production post-war lenses. Nor is it an Arriflex mount truncated rear module.

On this one: "if" it is a conversion, the person also changed out the aperture ring with the J-3. The winged aperture ring of the pre-war and wartime Sonnars can be used with the J-3 mount. The focus mount is a J-3 from the 1950s. The only way to know for sure is to buy the lens and take it apart.

My advice: bid on it as if it were a really good J-3.
 
I just want to add: My Opinion, The seller is honest and is selling a lens that is over 50 years old. Whether it is real, a conversion, or a J-3 with a re-engraved beauty ring- no way of knowing for sure. I've taken a lot of these apart, and have done 30 conversions of Zeiss optics into LTM mount using J-3 and J-8 mounts.
 
RF_newbie said:
Its real, its a conversion, a zeiss sonnar in a russian mount.
There are more real, conversions, hacks ect.. then there are fakes i bet.
Probably shoots better than the one your holding in your hand :)
I feel a sonnar shoot off coming on!
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Are you challenging me? :D:D:D

Any more takers? I say it's time we put those wartime grandpa's to business! :p
 
This J-3-Sonnar-CZJ talk creates lots of GAS all over the place.
As Brian said, these are old lenses that not necessarily are "genuine Zeiss".
Enjoy the lens.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
I just want to add: My Opinion, The seller is honest and is selling a lens that is over 50 years old. Whether it is real, a conversion, or a J-3 with a re-engraved beauty ring- no way of knowing for sure. I've taken a lot of these apart, and have done 30 conversions of Zeiss optics into LTM mount using J-3 and J-8 mounts.
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Well, the hack looks nicely done.... anyhow they put a lot of fresh white paint in the lettering :rolleyes:
 
I bought a new Sonnar this week.

Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar-C. I will be comparing it with my two pre-war conversions and wartime 5cm F1.5 in LTM. I have two of the latter, and have disassembled both. There are differences between the wartime Zeiss lens and the ZK Sonnar was well. The Zeiss lenses made during the war use a set screw under the aperture ring to hold in the front element, and a second "hidden" set screw to hold in the rear module. The ZK did not have either of these, and no holes for them either.
 
Brian,
Is the Sonnar-C a "new" lens or is the Sonnar-C designation somehow special for older lenses?

edit:this is a ZM?
 
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The Sonnar-C is the new Zeiss lens. Popflash got a few in this week, and I was on the notification list. Bought it with the funds from selling a few items here. One of the J-3's that I worked on went for $325 on another forum. I think that is a record. Good reason to check the classifieds here...
 
I will check out the cost of the Sonnar-C. Let me know how you feel about it, compared to the older Sonnar lenses.
 
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