interesting LTM lens, eBay

[dexdog]

eBay 110788424335. Not quite sure what to make of this lens, except that it is unique. Serial number is one character too long to be a CZJ product. Seller believes it to be a WW2 era lens, and is asking $450 for a starting price. I doubt that he will get any bids on it, but should be fun to watch anyway. The inventiveness of lens hackers never fails to surprise me.

 

[Red Robin]

czj lens

czj lens

I only own 1 -just-afta-the-war CZJ lens, but aren't they suppose to have "ears"? That is a nice looking lens but WAY out of my budget🙄.

 

[bowieknife]

that lens was made in 1937, Zeiss built at least a few hundred LTM Sonnars from about 1930 to 1950, most were sold to the Wehrmacht and had T-coating, btw the 50mm f1.5 Sonnar was Cartier-Bresson's preferred lens on a Leica III, while wartime alloy bodied Sonnars are less valuable, they still can reach $500-$1000 depending on condition, early nickel & black paint Sonnars can reach $3000, even more

 

[Sonnar Brian]

An original SN201 block lens would stop down to only F11, and is marked F11. The SN255 block lenses are marked to F11, but physically close down to F16. By SN268 or so, stop down to F22.

It looks like a post-war custom conversion. The focus mount looks like some SN280 lenses that I have worked on. The brass fixture of the original lens would probably fit, and "guessing"- the winged aperture ring might have been too wide and had to be replaced.

But- to be sure, i would have to take it apart. A matching Sn stamped on the rear optical fixture would show it was an original pre-war lens mounted to a new focus mount.

 

[bowieknife]

Brian is right, an uncoated original Sonnar would stop only to f/11 ( I own the Contax mount version of that )

 

[bowieknife]

look at Ebay Nr 230656040369 for an original early LTM Sonnar

 

[bowieknife]

and a late WW2 coated Sonnar: 260902123196

 

[dexdog]

An original SN201 block lens would stop down to only F11, and is marked F11. The SN255 block lenses are marked to F11, but physically close down to F16. By SN268 or so, stop down to F22.

It looks like a post-war custom conversion. The focus mount looks like some SN280 lenses that I have worked on. The brass fixture of the original lens would probably fit, and "guessing"- the winged aperture ring might have been too wide and had to be replaced.

But- to be sure, i would have to take it apart. A matching Sn stamped on the rear optical fixture would show it was an original pre-war lens mounted to a new focus mount.

I question whether it is even a zeiss lens, much less a conversion; the serial number on the beauty ring is 20 million+, not 2 million+ number that one would find on a pre-WW2 CZJ lens. The erroneous serial number is not a good sign.

 

[dexdog]

and a late WW2 coated Sonnar: 260902123196

That is a nice-looking LTM Sonnar. Appears to have the two screws (one on top of the other) on the focus ring, and the 285 Serial number puts it in late 1945 to 1946 time frame. Lot of money for the lens, but looks to be in great shape

 

[dexdog]

look at Ebay Nr 230656040369 for an original early LTM Sonnar

I have the lens one serial number earlier than this one. Brian tested it out recently, and posted lots of pics on RFF and other sites.

 

[bowieknife]

I have compared the pics of the mystery lens with my 1957 Jupiter-3, while engravings and knurlings aren't identical, they look more Jupiter than Zeiss IMHO