The Zenzanon Lens Saga, Part I:
Bronica’s quest for optical excellence after Nikon lowered the boom
By Jason Schneider
When Zenzaburō Yoshino unveiled the original Zenza Bronica Z, a brilliant new modular 6 x 6 cm SLR of his own design, at the Philadelphia Camera Show in 1958, it created an instant sensation. But Bronica wasn’t a lens maker and developing such an exquisitely complex camera body had depleted the company’s resources, so Yoshino wisely decided to source the Bronica's interchangeable lenses from Nippon Kōgaku (Nikon), the world-renowned Japanese optics and camera manufacturer. With its superb, precision-ground Nikkor lenses, the Bronica could compete on an equal footing with its archrival Hasselblad who by that time was using Zeiss lenses, each mounted in its own Compur leaf shutter.
Original Bronica Z of 1959 was swiftly replaced by the (slightly) more reliable Bronica D (DeLuxe) which was nearly identical in specs and appearance.
Nippon Kōgaku (Japan Optical Co. in English) made a huge variety of lenses and optical instruments for, among others, the Japanese Navy before and during WWII, and was adept at producing high quality optics for everything from microscopes to large format cameras. During the early ‘50s they even ventured into producing 75mm f/3.5 Nikkor lenses for top-of-the-line models of the Airesflex and Tower Reflex, both Japanese medium format, 2-1/4 square twin lens reflexes. Nikon continued to produce lenses for focal plane shutter Bronicas from 1958-1972 turning out over 2 dozen different types ranging from an ultra-wide 30mm f/4 to a gargantuan 1200mm f/11 super telephoto. Then they stopped, and Bronica was compelled to find other sources for lenses of comparable quality and prestige—not an easy task considering that the exceptional performance and acclaim of Nikon lenses was one of the chief attractions of the Bronica line.
Zenzaburō Yoshino was a camera super fan without a camera factory and apparently with little or no photo industry experience. How he managed to convince Nikon to produce his lenses and take part in his risky business venture is pretty much an unanswered question in U.S. photo literature. Yoshino takes on the look of a successful Walter Mitty dreamer that somehow succeeded against the greatest odds. The Bronica S series was an honest attempt to produce the best 6x6 film SLR. Kudos to dreamers everywhere!
But why did Nikon stop making Bronica lenses and what exactly happened afterwards? It’s a fascinating story with many still unresolved questions but we’ll do our best to provide as accurate an account as possible and to dispel at least some of the enduring myths.
Specific references to Nikon’s exit from its longstanding arrangement with Bronica are rather thin on the ground and those that do exist are often misleading and tantalizingly incomplete. To quote from Camera-Wiki’s excerpt on the Bronica EC of 1972, “The most common lens often bundled (with the EC) is the 75mm Nikkor f/2.8, but problems with Nikon forced Bronica to consider other options so they decided to start manufacturing their own lenses. Bronica still needed a (normal) lens quick (so) the lens changed over to one marked ‘80mm f/2.8 Zenzanon by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR’ that was based on a Biometar type design.” A second published article on focal plane shutter Bronicas states that “Nikon decided not to manufacture lenses for Bronica, so the company decided to produce their own optics under the brand name Zenzanon. The situation led Bronica to have a very limited supply of the standard 75mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens when they were to announce their newer Bronica EC series of cameras. Alternatives were needed and an 80mm f/2.8 MC Zenzanon by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR was produced. A variety of different Zenzanon branded focal length lenses were made as the supply of Nikkors decreased.”
80mm f/2.8 Zenzanon MC by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR was one of the first Zenzanon lenses. it's, rare, exceptional and priced accordingly.
Well, there certainly was an 80mm f/2.8 MC Zenzanon by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR in Bronica mount, it was multicoated (hence the MC), and it was an outstanding lens based on the iconic 80mm f/2.8 Biometar originally designed for the Pentacon 6. However, its barrel, mount, helical, control rings etc. look the same as those on previous Bronica Nikkor lenses, suggesting that either Carl Zeiss Jena supplied the optical components that were then assembled by Bronica in Japan, or that Bronica sent the mechanical components to East Germany for final assembly. Indeed, it’s doubtful that any Zenzanon branded lenses made prior to those for the SQ- and ETR-series Bronicas were actually “produced” or “made” entirely by Bronica—at very least the optical components were furnished by such leading companies as Tokyo Optical Co. (Topcon), Carl Zeiss Jena, and (in the case of the 150mm f/3.5 Zenzanon and possibly others) by Norita, which was founded by an ex-Tokyo Optical Co. employee. In short, in the focal plane shutter Bronica era, Zenzanon was largely a marketing name, though it’s entirely possible that Bronica had some input in setting the specs.
80mm f/2.4 Zenzanon optical diagram shows its 6-element, 5-group design. Said to be the fastest Bronica lens, it's outstanding, uncommon. and pricey.
The other longstanding myth enshrined in the comments quoted above is that Nikon suddenly cut off the supply of Nikon/Nikkor lenses to poor little Bronica just as it was introducing the revolutionary EC with electronically controlled focal plane shutter in 1972 and that they had to scramble for an instant solution. In fact, Bronica had been acutely aware of the need for robust, high-quality alternatives to Nikkor lenses for quite some time, and there’s reason to believe that the “sudden split” was a long time coming. Proof of this can be found in the impressive lens list at the end of the Bronica S2A manual of 1969, which includes, along with 10 Nikkors ranging from a 40mm f/4 to a 1200mm f/11, no less than 4 Zenzanon lenses, the 80mm f/2.4, 100mm f/2.8, 150mm f/3.5, and the ponderous 300mm f/4.5. This establishes that Bronica was well on its way to optical independence at least 3 years before Nikon supposedly picked up its marbles and abruptly departed.
Late black Bronica S2A with the superb 100mm f/2.8 Zenzanon that was included in the lens list in the S2A instruction manual of 1969.
Some knowledgeable photo historians have conjectured that Nikon really parted with Bronica so they could concentrate all their energies into designing and producing lenses for their wildly successful Nikon F series and its many 35mm SLR progeny. This idea seems plausible but it’s refuted by the fact that Nikon kept on designing and making lenses for other niche markets such as large format view camera lenses, and in the mid ‘70s even designed and produced the superb 80mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens used in the cool new modern version of the folding Plaubel Makina that was marketed in Japan by DOI.
So, what was the real reason behind Nikon’s final and complete breakup with Bronica? According to those in the know, who are now mostly deceased and spoke off the record, it probably came down to money. While both parties knew the relationship was winding down, what caused the sudden rift was that Bronica simply wasn’t paying its bills, and Nikon pulled the plug. Why did Bronica renege on its obligations to Nikon? Although the then current Bronica S2A was, by far the most successful model the company had ever produced, development and tooling costs for the radically new Bronica EC must have been enormous, putting a financial strain on the company. At this point the details, such as the time frame or how much money was involved, must remain a mystery, but the happy result is that out of this debacle sprang an extensive line of exquisite Zenzanon lenses, among the finest medium format SLR lenses ever made. We’ll cover them all in detail in the next installments.
Bronica’s quest for optical excellence after Nikon lowered the boom
By Jason Schneider
When Zenzaburō Yoshino unveiled the original Zenza Bronica Z, a brilliant new modular 6 x 6 cm SLR of his own design, at the Philadelphia Camera Show in 1958, it created an instant sensation. But Bronica wasn’t a lens maker and developing such an exquisitely complex camera body had depleted the company’s resources, so Yoshino wisely decided to source the Bronica's interchangeable lenses from Nippon Kōgaku (Nikon), the world-renowned Japanese optics and camera manufacturer. With its superb, precision-ground Nikkor lenses, the Bronica could compete on an equal footing with its archrival Hasselblad who by that time was using Zeiss lenses, each mounted in its own Compur leaf shutter.
Original Bronica Z of 1959 was swiftly replaced by the (slightly) more reliable Bronica D (DeLuxe) which was nearly identical in specs and appearance.
Nippon Kōgaku (Japan Optical Co. in English) made a huge variety of lenses and optical instruments for, among others, the Japanese Navy before and during WWII, and was adept at producing high quality optics for everything from microscopes to large format cameras. During the early ‘50s they even ventured into producing 75mm f/3.5 Nikkor lenses for top-of-the-line models of the Airesflex and Tower Reflex, both Japanese medium format, 2-1/4 square twin lens reflexes. Nikon continued to produce lenses for focal plane shutter Bronicas from 1958-1972 turning out over 2 dozen different types ranging from an ultra-wide 30mm f/4 to a gargantuan 1200mm f/11 super telephoto. Then they stopped, and Bronica was compelled to find other sources for lenses of comparable quality and prestige—not an easy task considering that the exceptional performance and acclaim of Nikon lenses was one of the chief attractions of the Bronica line.
Zenzaburō Yoshino was a camera super fan without a camera factory and apparently with little or no photo industry experience. How he managed to convince Nikon to produce his lenses and take part in his risky business venture is pretty much an unanswered question in U.S. photo literature. Yoshino takes on the look of a successful Walter Mitty dreamer that somehow succeeded against the greatest odds. The Bronica S series was an honest attempt to produce the best 6x6 film SLR. Kudos to dreamers everywhere!
But why did Nikon stop making Bronica lenses and what exactly happened afterwards? It’s a fascinating story with many still unresolved questions but we’ll do our best to provide as accurate an account as possible and to dispel at least some of the enduring myths.
Specific references to Nikon’s exit from its longstanding arrangement with Bronica are rather thin on the ground and those that do exist are often misleading and tantalizingly incomplete. To quote from Camera-Wiki’s excerpt on the Bronica EC of 1972, “The most common lens often bundled (with the EC) is the 75mm Nikkor f/2.8, but problems with Nikon forced Bronica to consider other options so they decided to start manufacturing their own lenses. Bronica still needed a (normal) lens quick (so) the lens changed over to one marked ‘80mm f/2.8 Zenzanon by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR’ that was based on a Biometar type design.” A second published article on focal plane shutter Bronicas states that “Nikon decided not to manufacture lenses for Bronica, so the company decided to produce their own optics under the brand name Zenzanon. The situation led Bronica to have a very limited supply of the standard 75mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens when they were to announce their newer Bronica EC series of cameras. Alternatives were needed and an 80mm f/2.8 MC Zenzanon by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR was produced. A variety of different Zenzanon branded focal length lenses were made as the supply of Nikkors decreased.”
80mm f/2.8 Zenzanon MC by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR was one of the first Zenzanon lenses. it's, rare, exceptional and priced accordingly.
Well, there certainly was an 80mm f/2.8 MC Zenzanon by Carl Zeiss Jena DDR in Bronica mount, it was multicoated (hence the MC), and it was an outstanding lens based on the iconic 80mm f/2.8 Biometar originally designed for the Pentacon 6. However, its barrel, mount, helical, control rings etc. look the same as those on previous Bronica Nikkor lenses, suggesting that either Carl Zeiss Jena supplied the optical components that were then assembled by Bronica in Japan, or that Bronica sent the mechanical components to East Germany for final assembly. Indeed, it’s doubtful that any Zenzanon branded lenses made prior to those for the SQ- and ETR-series Bronicas were actually “produced” or “made” entirely by Bronica—at very least the optical components were furnished by such leading companies as Tokyo Optical Co. (Topcon), Carl Zeiss Jena, and (in the case of the 150mm f/3.5 Zenzanon and possibly others) by Norita, which was founded by an ex-Tokyo Optical Co. employee. In short, in the focal plane shutter Bronica era, Zenzanon was largely a marketing name, though it’s entirely possible that Bronica had some input in setting the specs.
80mm f/2.4 Zenzanon optical diagram shows its 6-element, 5-group design. Said to be the fastest Bronica lens, it's outstanding, uncommon. and pricey.
The other longstanding myth enshrined in the comments quoted above is that Nikon suddenly cut off the supply of Nikon/Nikkor lenses to poor little Bronica just as it was introducing the revolutionary EC with electronically controlled focal plane shutter in 1972 and that they had to scramble for an instant solution. In fact, Bronica had been acutely aware of the need for robust, high-quality alternatives to Nikkor lenses for quite some time, and there’s reason to believe that the “sudden split” was a long time coming. Proof of this can be found in the impressive lens list at the end of the Bronica S2A manual of 1969, which includes, along with 10 Nikkors ranging from a 40mm f/4 to a 1200mm f/11, no less than 4 Zenzanon lenses, the 80mm f/2.4, 100mm f/2.8, 150mm f/3.5, and the ponderous 300mm f/4.5. This establishes that Bronica was well on its way to optical independence at least 3 years before Nikon supposedly picked up its marbles and abruptly departed.
Late black Bronica S2A with the superb 100mm f/2.8 Zenzanon that was included in the lens list in the S2A instruction manual of 1969.
Some knowledgeable photo historians have conjectured that Nikon really parted with Bronica so they could concentrate all their energies into designing and producing lenses for their wildly successful Nikon F series and its many 35mm SLR progeny. This idea seems plausible but it’s refuted by the fact that Nikon kept on designing and making lenses for other niche markets such as large format view camera lenses, and in the mid ‘70s even designed and produced the superb 80mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens used in the cool new modern version of the folding Plaubel Makina that was marketed in Japan by DOI.
So, what was the real reason behind Nikon’s final and complete breakup with Bronica? According to those in the know, who are now mostly deceased and spoke off the record, it probably came down to money. While both parties knew the relationship was winding down, what caused the sudden rift was that Bronica simply wasn’t paying its bills, and Nikon pulled the plug. Why did Bronica renege on its obligations to Nikon? Although the then current Bronica S2A was, by far the most successful model the company had ever produced, development and tooling costs for the radically new Bronica EC must have been enormous, putting a financial strain on the company. At this point the details, such as the time frame or how much money was involved, must remain a mystery, but the happy result is that out of this debacle sprang an extensive line of exquisite Zenzanon lenses, among the finest medium format SLR lenses ever made. We’ll cover them all in detail in the next installments.
