first 5cm/1.5 Sonnar made

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dexdog

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Interesting Contax RF mount lens recently closed on eBay. According to Thiele's book of CZJ lenses, this 5cm/1.5 Sonnar with serial number 1374171 is the very first such lens ever produced (or at least the lowest known serial number), part of a batch of 100 lenses completed October 18, 1932. Serial numbers of the first batch are 1374171 to 1374270. Also jibes with Table 2 in Thiele, which is arranged by lens name, max aperture and focal length.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140808377566?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
 
i'm glad it actually went for a reasonable price. I mean, what does that mean"historically significant"? Why does it mean it should get silly expensive?
There were many lenses made, and all had a number one, a first series, a number 666, a number one million etc. Why are these so special?
 
Mark, that's amazing. There's got to be more of a story here though -- you keep an eye on the sonnars, and discovered this was the first one? (I always check the SN.s of the sonnars when I'm on the lookout, too, but I only have a simple list that gives the year...) So once you knew, you bid, then watched, wondering if anyone else knew? You must have been jumping out of your skin.... Cause if someone else with a collecting mania knew they could come in on a snipe bid of like $1200 in the last four seconds. It would be fun to hear how all that went... You involved at all with Zeiss Historica or the ZICG on Yahoo? Serious Zeiss wonks. They remind me of the old Rosary Society types from my Catholic boyhood.... Anyway they'd love to hear about it. I hope for your sake the seller isn't on RFF.
 
sparrow6224 said:
Mark, that's amazing. There's got to be more of a story here though -- you keep an eye on the sonnars, and discovered this was the first one? (I always check the SN.s of the sonnars when I'm on the lookout, too, but I only have a simple list that gives the year...) So once you knew, you bid, then watched, wondering if anyone else knew? You must have been jumping out of your skin.... Cause if someone else with a collecting mania knew they could come in on a snipe bid of like $1200 in the last four seconds. It would be fun to hear how all that went... You involved at all with Zeiss Historica or the ZICG on Yahoo? Serious Zeiss wonks. They remind me of the old Rosary Society types from my Catholic boyhood.... Anyway they'd love to hear about it. I hope for your sake the seller isn't on RFF.
Click to expand...


Sparrow, your story pretty much relates my experience watching this lens. I was very surprised that no one else picked up in the serial number. I knew it was an early one before I looked it up in Thiele's book, and was shocked to see that it was the lowest serial number according to CZJ records. Checked the number at least 3 times before I bid on the lens. Also, I plan to post on ZICG after I receive the lens and check it out to make sure it is legitimate. There are several people at ZICG who are carrying on the late Charles Barringer's work of recording serial numbers, and this lens will be of interest if it is legit, and not just any old lens with a fake beauty ring.
 
dexdog said:
Sparrow, your story pretty much relates my experience watching this lens. I was very surprised that no one else picked up in the serial number. I knew it was an early one before I looked it up in Thiele's book, and was shocked to see that it was the lowest serial number according to CZJ records. Checked the number at least 3 times before I bid on the lens. Also, I plan to post on ZICG after I receive the lens and check it out to make sure it is legitimate. There are several people at ZICG who are carrying on the late Charles Barringer's work of recording serial numbers, and this lens will be of interest if it is legit, and not just any old lens with a fake beauty ring.
Click to expand...

yeah... this is an interesting little situation. i hope it turns out to be legit
 
Can't tell very well from the photos, but I don't think that the lens barrel is chrome. The last photo in the auction shows the bottom of the lens, and it appears to exhibit some black paint on the underside of the front part of the barrel. Also, the flare of the beauty ring/front bezel looks to be very much one of my black and nickel lenses of the early 1930s. I am pretty sure that the lens is black and nickel, but I guess I will know for sure when it gets delivered.
 
Oh, it has oil on the blades. Do not bother with it, I will kindly unburden you. ;-)
Super nice find. I hope it is all you are looking for.

Joerg
(green with envy, in a positive way...)
 
The anomaly is, if that is a "fake" beauty ring, why wasn't the lens sold as a rare item? I suppose perhaps once upon a time this ruse might have been used, the victim passed on, the whole issue long forgotten, and now sold as is. But it seems an unlikely scenario to me. A likelier scenario is that -- if it is chrome -- the lens was rebuilt at one point.
 
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