Pre-War Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f1.5 remount to LTM.

Sonnar Brian

Sonnar Brian

Product of the Fifties
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Another conversion from Contax Mount to Leica Thread Mount. This is #9. it came out quite well.

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This is not a hard job, and gives a unique lens.

At F1.5 on the Canon P;
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Tight Crop:
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Another close-up at F1.5
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Distance at F1.5:
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F1.5:
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How to do it:
http://ziforums.com/showthread.php?t=93
(must sign up to "the free" ziforums.com to see the attachments)


More pictures of and with:
http://ziforums.com/album.php?albumid=147
 
Someone asked me if I made ear rings out of the Contax mounts after doing the conversions.

I don't wear ear rings, and the J-3 is overkill for a film loupe.

So they get "back hacked" into Contax and S-Mount lenses. Entropy is preserved.

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You have to file the first few millimeters off of the Contax shell. The J-3 goes in deeper, almost to the rim of the F-Stop ring. You need to file off enough to uncover the lettering. I use an Amedeo LTM Contax to adapter to use with my TTL viewer to set the focus.

A 1955 KMZ J-3, "Back Hacked" onto a Contax II.

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Brian - is that KMZ 5502293? The one I sent you as the donor LTM shell for the CZJ you built for me? Great pics! That lens could make good images after all.
 
yes- one and the same. This one got a complete teardown to get rid of some internal fungus, came out really sharp. The 1950s J-3's tend to be the best of the bunch, especially those from the KMZ plant.
 
again.. nice work brian! do you have digital RF to test these lenses? might be easier if you do have one 🙂

the first pic was a j3 right (with carl zeiss jena in the ring)?
 
I test with my film cameras, and use a through-the-lens viewer to set the collimation.

A D-RF will make testing lenses easier. One is in the Plans!

The first picture is the J-3 LTM mount with the CZJ Sonnar in it. The pictures of Nikki are with the 1955 KMZ J-3 optics back in the Contax mount.
 
I love the pics and the entire idea around rescuing lenses ... inspiring me to try mine out - I should be able to find one good J 8 among my 10 or so [ been using the Helios 'cos it's sensational ! ]
 
I have a Menopta 53/1.8, and have sold off many Helios-103's and Menopta's. They are sharper than the J-8's and J-3's. I still prefer the Sonnar look. When that J-3 hits your Kontax, I hope you'll see what I mean.
 
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