Fujinon 90m fixed vs zeiss tessar 3.5?

[geraldfinnegan]

Anyone either have knowledge of any lens tests - or experience of their own - comparing Fuji fixed 90mm with Zeiss Ikonta tessars, (including the Jena's)? I have the gw690 and a Zeiss Ercona (Ikonta C in West Germany) with Tessar 3.5. Hard for me to tell as I've not shot a lot with both and the Erocona needs a repair, so I want to decide if the latter's worth it now that I have the Fuji. which I really like. The TESSAR can be gorgeous though, but more hit and miss due to age, "pilot error" and the like I think.
Thanks

 

[gchpaco]

The lens in the Fuji is not a Tessar--way too many elements. Tessars can have an attractive look, it is true, but they also tend to be less sharp in the corners. The Fuji 90mm is also coated, which none of the Ikontas were. And additionally the Ikontas used front cell focusing instead of a helical--which contributes to unsharpness--and have serious film flatness issues. I would be quite surprised if a GW690 in good condition did not utterly slay any Ikonta or Ikonta clone ever made.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

The Fuji 90mm is also coated, which none of the Ikontas were.

WRONG. Many, many postwar Ikontas have coated lenses.

The (coated) Tessar on the Ercona is more my style, but I am going to suppose without using one that the Fuji is sharper at wide open apertures and close focus. Not really two cameras one would chose between I think. The advantage of the folder is its compactness in terms of most film area per unit size camera.

 

[geraldfinnegan]

thanks for feedback

thanks for feedback

Thanks for feedback on the lenses I think they are probably different enough that each has a very postive use, the older probably serving as a good adjunct to the Fuji and for particular situations. So, if the repairs are reasonable on the Zeiss, I'll keep it.
Thanks again

 

[sfox]

Erconas with a Tessar is E Germany version of Ikonta C and is front cell focusing. Fuji GW690 is double gauss design similar to Schneider Xenotar or can be considered as a simplified version of Planar design. I think performace is better in terms of lens and film flatness.