Help me learn what I have here...

nikon_sam said:
You're right the mirror doesn't return automatically...only when you wind on the shutter.
I thought it wasn't working right at first...
It also appears to have shutter speeds in between marked shutter speed.
Click to expand...

Same as my Praktina. Click... Black. Till you wind. And, then on mine you manually re-open the iris.
 
nikon_sam said:
You're right the mirror doesn't return automatically...only when you wind on the shutter.
I thought it wasn't working right at first...
It also appears to have shutter speeds in between marked shutter speed.
Click to expand...

It’s important to select only correct dial positions. You have to move between high and low speed ranges using the switch on the back according to whether or not the speeds are shown in black or red. There are no correct speeds for the mechanism that aren’t marked. So you have to select the speed you want and ensure the appropriate coloured arrow appears next to it depending on whether or not it’s marked in black or red.

Given its condition if it was a conventional “Contax” marked example I personally would want to repair and use that. As a Hexacon labelled specimen, perhaps not. It’s main value is as a collectible and, well, I’d rather use a Contax. But they’re wonderful cameras and if you are inclined to do so they can be enjoyable to use.
Cheers
Brett
 
nikon_sam said:
WOW...you guys are pretty good...I gave it a go as to removing the front name ring and sure enough there's another plate...
This one reads:
Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 2/58 4231180

So with this new number it this older than the first number or just older stock...???
The difference is over 530,000

I have it mounted with a Pentax K adapter on my MX...I'm waiting for a M42 to Nikon adapter...
The aperture is stuck wide open for now and I'm looking forward to seeing what this will produce.
Click to expand...

Export regulations, I believe. Some Pentax Takumars had the brand name scratched off their beauty/name ring.
 
f16sunshine said:
That lens will be super on a Canon eos dslr or Mirrorless camera (or any M42 mount body with film).
Unfortunately it will not focus in the normal range on a Nikon DSLR.
Click to expand...

I am not sure I would say "any" M42 body--I have this lens and have used it on a Pentax K2 DMD and my dad's K10D with a M42-PK adapter. No problems. But when I tried to use it on my Pentax ES , the lens interfered with the mirror. And it wouldn't mount correctly on my Fujica ST-605n.

I do like the Biotar quite a bit.

I started a thread about it:
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76276&highlight=Biotar

Rob
 
Thanks for all the replies...
Looking for someone to service this lens....
Any suggestion...I'm in California and would like to find someone in the US first...unless it makes absolute sense to send it elsewhere...
 
The extra name ring was probably added by the importer (so the serial number relfects their business, not Zeiss Jena's). There were a lot complications regarding trademarks after WWII. Zeiss Jena was forbidden from using prewar trademarks (like Biotar, Tessar, etc.) when selling products in the west. Additionally, in the U.S. only the official importer was allowed to sell lenses with the Zeiss name on them. So grey-market imports or small import/export businesses would have to rebrand the lenses - some times all they did was paint over the Zeiss name and the lens name (or grind them off!), and that was that. Better importers would put on a new name ring to cover the original.

This was also true of cameras, sometimes when you remove the importer's name plate, you'll find the Contax name engraved underneath - or ground off underneath.
 
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