Help ID this EARLY BIOTAR

[Ccoppola82]

Hello, I don't post here very often, but I am stuck in the mud and hope maybe somebody can help me out with this. I was killing some time today at a thrift store while my daughter was in a class, and I saw a lens labeled "brass lens" for $40. I asked to see it and I saw it I was a little shocked and confused because I've never seen this particular lens. It is a Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5cm f1.4. So I bought it and cannot figure out EXACTLY what it is, or what its worth (I also grabbed a working and almost mint Pentax Digital Spotmeter for an extra $20). Nothing concrete on google other than it came off the line in 1928 and its a double gauss and could possibly be an early Cinema lens. I'd like to sell it, but I need to find a value for it. If anyone can help me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!!
Chris

 

[tunalegs]

The serial number indicates a 1929 or 1930 year of manufacture. Can you post a photo of the back of the lens so we can see its mount?

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I'll give you $41 + postage for it. 😀

I wish we had thrift stores with great finds here in Philly. One has to get at least 50 miles out of the city to find anything decent, let alone hidden gems like a Pentax spotmeter and a CZJ lens.

Phil Forrest

 

[Ccoppola82]

Here is a pic of the mount. It was just a hair too small for my M42 adapter.

 

[Jack Conrad]

Probably M39. Cool lens. It's gotta be worth a $1,000,000.00
to somebody. I like it, but I already spent $5.00 on a Helios and I'm strapped for money.

 

[tunalegs]

It would predate any 35mm SLR cameras, and besides that point, the backfocus distance would be too short for them. It was almost certainly made for use on a movie camera. Although, the bare brass mount might indicate possible modification for a still camera, I don't know if they would've left the factory like that.

I couldn't guess for a value. It's certainly rare and interesting, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is worth much. Right now lenses which may still be used with modern cameras (for example a 1.5/75 Biotar in Exakta mount) are often worth a lot more than those with less common mounts, or for cameras with short register distances which prohibit their use on modern still cameras. You might ask about it over on the mflenses forum, there are some users that are very knowledgeable about Zeiss over there.

 

[Bar8barian]

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[CameraQuest]

yep, Thiele says the Kinamo movie camera

but the mount does not appear to be Kinamo

 

[xayraa33]

I'll bet that lens is a swirly bokeh monster.

 

[f16sunshine]

If you want to get the top dollar for this lens get some test images from it on a sony a7 camera.

Fashion some sort of an adapter from an m42 adapter with an o ring to take up slack.
You'll need to obviously handhold it together carefully.
You may not have a full focus range but some distance will be in focus.
Take some bokey images and post them along with the lens for auction.
It will sell for whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
If it was me, I would wait until after September 6th and before halloween.
Best time online to sell.

There are zeiss historians online.
Try searching FB groups or fir other forums.
We have a member here Kds13 (klaus) he knows a lot as does sevo.

Good luck and please update this thread with those images 🙂

 

[Ccoppola82]

Just to update, I ordered a rear lens cap in m39 and it is in fact an m39 mount. Pretty stoked! I may get an adapter and use it on my M2 to see if it works.

 

[goamules]

The Vade Mecum says:

Biotar 1.4 "...It was of 6-glass with 8 air glass surfaces, and 35mm was needed for the 24x18mm of movie format, and 16.7mm for 16mm...and 50mm for movie. This is an angle of 42°. It was said to give excellent definition at f1.4, and maintains it on close down to f2, f3.5 and smaller....Experience is that they were very good over about 24x24mm and the outer parts are well up to the standard of other high speed lenses of the period, and improve quickly on close down....Note Some 50mm lenses have been found in a very heavy black enamel mount with M39 thread..."

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Just to update, I ordered a rear lens cap in m39 and it is in fact an m39 mount. Pretty stoked! I may get an adapter and use it on my M2 to see if it works.

Just remember you'll be scale focusing as this lens has no RF cam. As it is a 5cm lens, you can find the nominal focal length and fully adapt it to Leica mount with RF coupling using some other lens bits, like FSU barrels.

Phil Forrest

 

[Scrambler]

M39 is also the standard thread for photographic enlargers (though this is not a native enlarger lens) and used for some other cameras including early FSU SLRs. I would think you would have better luck with the SLR due to short extension from the mount (seems too short for a Leica in the pics, but it's just a guess).

A focusing M39 adapter for mirrorless camera would probably be the safest modern bet. Extra extension if required and direct confirmation of focus on the sensor.