scammer or naive, you decide

[dexdog]

http://cgi.ebay.com/CZJ-BIOGON-2-8-...561978700QQcategoryZ30063QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Alleged pre-war Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm Biogon in LTM. Seller claims that this is a real Zeiss product, not a Russian knock-off. If seller is trying to scam someone, he/she should at least hide the black bakelite case with the discernable KMZ logo on top. I am contemplating sending seller a note asking for a photo of the lid on the case.

Seller also has a 50/1.5 Sonnar for sale on another auction. While there is no bakelite case visible, the lens cap shown with the Sonnar is a plain aluminum version typical of Russian products, instead of the embossed CZJ style.

 

[pvdhaar]

This item (like so many others on the *bay) has something else against it as well...

The pictures are so bad that you'd draw the conclusion that the seller wouldn't know what a sharp picture is... And that for selling a lens! Makes you wonder about the quality of the gear that's being advertised..

 

[Nikon Bob]

I had the same thoghts as Peter, very poor photo quality for basing any kind of conclusion on.

Bob

 

[Mike Kovacs]

I cannot tell from those photos. I'm not an expert on the rare LTM Sonnars but I thought they were only made in the 50/2 configuration. It would be a piece of cake to screw a prewar 50/1.5 nameplate and aperture ring with tabs into a Jupiter 3 LTM.

If the Biogon is uncoated, its probably the real thing. However, the focus ring looks thicker, like on the Jupiter-12. I cannot see the release latch but that is quite different on the J-12 too. The genuine prewar Biogon is actually a tiny lens, much smaller photographed side-by-side with a J-12.

See here for clear photos of a real prewar Biogon - http://nicolas.douez.free.fr/1936_contax_II.htm I believe this lens is coming my way for a CLA, so I hope to at least burn a few frames of film with it on my Contax II, and compare against the coated postwar Biogon.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

The pictures are so bad that you'd draw the conclusion that the seller wouldn't know what a sharp picture is... And that for selling a lens! Makes you wonder about the quality of the gear that's being advertised..

Precisely ! Poor photos of photo gear is a sure tip-off that somewhat foul is afoot or the seller is totally clueless. Neither of which is a good thing for buyers.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Clueless has gotten me many a good deal, but these are not a good deal!

 

[dexdog]

Mike, thanks for the link to the Nicolas Douez site. I had not seen it before, but it looks real interesting.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

I know him well from many, many, many, MANY email exchanges. I sure hope to meet him some day in the French Riviera, or perhaps on this side "en Terre de Nouveau France." (apologies for that likely wrong french)

He is a gifted repairman with acute attention to detail and has made many a "Princess of Monaco" from broken old junk. I get to see soon first hand as we are swapping the Biogon CLA for a Rollei 35 restoration. You should see his Rollei 35 work - he recently turned a rustbucket into a fully functioning camera.

 

[darkkavenger]

It's a silver J-12... I love the russian bakelite box in the background... the Biogon rear lens element is different from the J-12 one, and the ring is thick, like on the J-12 lenses. I don't believe it's a Biogon... the photo is very blurred as well, and if you're selling a Biogon why precise about the scale on the lens ? Just take nice photos and anyone with a few knowledge and googling skills can guess 😉

 

[captainslack]

Once again, I'm seconding darkavenger's opinion.

If you compare the lens in the auction with the lens on the site that Mike posted, you'll clearly see the difference.

Definitely a J-12.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

See this LTM Sonnar - #7561978757

I think Nicolas came through on finding this one. The photos of the one from Germany are not really clear enough to tell 100%. There are major differences in where the focus scale is located too.