Info needed on unusual Zeiss 50mm f/2.8

[raid]

Hi Peter,
Such taxes don't make much sense to me. Too bad for you.
The lens may have some shimming needs when used on a film RF camera, but it does fine on a digital camera where I get quickly feedback on the focus. It is a Tessar and you get what you expect from such a lens. Mine was originally in M42, I was told. The SN can expose its history.

The ebay link shows $120 for the Tessar in M42 mount.

 

[VictorM.]

It may have been intended for a Contax S or D slr in the late 40's/early 50's.

 

[Gott23]

Thanks for all this. I'm going to have to research this further.

Regardless, I'm highly impressed by what use I've been able to get out of it; fitting it to a 5DSr with an M42 adapter.

This is unprocesssed expect the exposure upped a stop. Shot wide open at 800, 1/60, using light from a shop front.

 

[markjwyatt]

M42 is not completely universal. This is a little different situation, but I have a DKL (lens) to M42 (camera) adapter. It works on Practika MTL5 and LTL3 plus Fuji 605N, but it will not screw completely on Pentax Spotmatics nor my Zeiss Icarex 35S TM, and thus I cannot focus to infinity in the latter cases. In the former cases all is well (other than it has some issues on the lens side with the Schneider-Kreuznach 50mm f1.9 Xenon, but that is a separate issue).

 

[Gott23]

Ok so here's a picture of the mount type I've found on another ebay listing, which says it's M42....

Now i've mounted M42 lens on my 5DSR with an adapter before and I know they can obstruct the mirror if focused at infinity, so I tend to use live view when shooting like that.

However, this lens doesn't fit into that mount, it fails to thread fully and is a few mm out..

 

[Gott23]

So a bit of an update!

I got the lens working via live view on an EOS 5DSr by using an adapter with a constant thread rather than a shoulder at the back, thus allowing for full threading.

In short, it's beautiful. The contrast and tones are superb. Focus is a bit niggly because the focus ring is stiff at extremes, but I can live with that...

Here's some samples shot handheld - and generally wide open given how dull it is (and cold - couldn't keep my hands still this morning!)

I've got an album on flickr of shots using the lens, the majority of which are unprocesssed apart from exposure as needed..

https://www.flickr.com/gp/darryl_scot-walker/X66Wwq

So in short, an amazing ebay bargain but a tad tricky to use.

Would I be right in understanding that this might be easier to use with a mirrorless system?

I use a Fuji x100t as my daily camera and I am thinking of upgrading to one of their mirrorless systems, so being able to use the likes of this lens with it would definitely make that far more appealling.

 

[raid]

Yes. I would use it with a mirrorless camera for ease of use and focus.

 

[johannielscom]

In case anyone's wondering what their lens mount is and what it can fit to, read here...

https://www.johanniels.com/camera-gear-blog-posts/mirrorless-cameras/97-lens-mount-register-distance