TenEleven
Well-known
I will see what I can do for pictures "from", will have to go through my scans first. For now some specs for @Räuber and @Sonnar Brian.
The lens weighs 406grams. With the majority of the weight being made up by the glass and aperture. It's a little bit taller than the a war-time LTM Sonnar 50/1.5 next to it.
Exactly 42.00mm according to my digital calipers. From the mount base (excluding the part that goes into the camera) to the tip.
The rear lens diameter is 29.40mm and there is no empty space between the retaining ring, the RF cam and the focus mount. The front glass clocks in at a girthy 53.64mm.
Due to the girth of the lens the infinity lock arrangement is unusual in that you push towards the center of the lens instead of downwards, the focus throw is the usual 170 degrees from infinity to 3 feet. The lens stops down from f/1.2 to f/16 with click stops for 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.8, 4.0, 5.6, 8.0, 11 and 16 positions. There is a marked but clickless stop at approximately f/1.8 or 1.9. The spacing of the stops gets narrower as it progresses but not as extreme as on pre-war Sonnars for example.
Last pictures show it mounted with an L/M ring on a early button-rewind Leica M2. Due to the smartphone wide angle the front of the lens looks larger than it is. One can however put the camera down on a table without the lens touching the table. So there is still 5-7mm clearance to the bottom of the camera, it just does not look like it in these smartphone pictures. There is some and quite a bit more finder obstruction at infinity and 3 feet respectively.
The lens weighs 406grams. With the majority of the weight being made up by the glass and aperture. It's a little bit taller than the a war-time LTM Sonnar 50/1.5 next to it.
Exactly 42.00mm according to my digital calipers. From the mount base (excluding the part that goes into the camera) to the tip.
The rear lens diameter is 29.40mm and there is no empty space between the retaining ring, the RF cam and the focus mount. The front glass clocks in at a girthy 53.64mm.
Due to the girth of the lens the infinity lock arrangement is unusual in that you push towards the center of the lens instead of downwards, the focus throw is the usual 170 degrees from infinity to 3 feet. The lens stops down from f/1.2 to f/16 with click stops for 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.8, 4.0, 5.6, 8.0, 11 and 16 positions. There is a marked but clickless stop at approximately f/1.8 or 1.9. The spacing of the stops gets narrower as it progresses but not as extreme as on pre-war Sonnars for example.
Last pictures show it mounted with an L/M ring on a early button-rewind Leica M2. Due to the smartphone wide angle the front of the lens looks larger than it is. One can however put the camera down on a table without the lens touching the table. So there is still 5-7mm clearance to the bottom of the camera, it just does not look like it in these smartphone pictures. There is some and quite a bit more finder obstruction at infinity and 3 feet respectively.
The white whale! ❤️
I had a 50/2 Fuji Photo Film Cristar collapsible a while back, not sure which of the two is more rare.
I had a 50/2 Fuji Photo Film Cristar collapsible a while back, not sure which of the two is more rare.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Zeiss ZX1. Has anyone used one? Does anyone know about them? They showed up in the marketplace and just did not takeoff. Lousy camera or just unlucky?
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
Didn't really follow it, but I suspect it was too much tech even for tech gearheads. My $0.02.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
That's a challenge, weird, funky and techy. Woohoo! LOL
Ray Vonn 2023
Well-known
Perhaps too much tech inside leading to potential problems and a product which was never going to be completely ready for the public?
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I sure do not know. It showed up with teething problems. Much of what is released with software in it is really just a pretty good beta so no surprise there. But I wonder if the glitches were fixed, if Zeiss cares, if updates appeared and are available and on and on and on.
7 Different "Form Factors" of the Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm F2.
First version uses 37mm push-on, then 40.5mm push-on, then 40.5mm screw-in.
First version uses 37mm push-on, then 40.5mm push-on, then 40.5mm screw-in.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
A rather uncommon version of the Zeiss Pancolar. Eight aperture blades and 4 elements of Schwerstkron SSK11 thoriated glass.
I have de-yellowed it now and is on my waiting list to be sent for service (Luton Cameras if they accept it).
I have de-yellowed it now and is on my waiting list to be sent for service (Luton Cameras if they accept it).
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Four versions of the CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnar.
Miles.
Beamsplitter
Somewhere here should buy this lens so I can live vicariously through you!
Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f1.4 Biotar | eBay
The Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/1.4 Biotar is a vintage lens that's been thoroughly tested and proven to perform exceptionally well. This classic lens offers a bright f/1.4 aperture, which means it delivers excellent low-light performance and beautifully soft, natural bokeh—perfect for portrait...
www.ebay.com
Zero Feedback and looks like boilerplate description. If I were advertising this lens for that price- I would fill in some of the history.
I gave a 4cm F1.4 Biotar (~1928 or so) to Chris at Skyllaney. I got it for doing lens repairs and conversions. Chris told me he was making the Bertele for me, as a gift. I sent him the Biotar and a Wollensak Raptar in Fastax mount 35/2 during Covid to help him raise funds. Tough times. The two lenses were "free to me", so no cost. He made a custom RF coupled mount for both lenses, sold them. The Wollensak 35/2 is nice, I kept one and converted to Contax Mount using a J-12 focus mount. It mounts on the Contax IIIa and IIa. and it's an F2 lens.
I gave a 4cm F1.4 Biotar (~1928 or so) to Chris at Skyllaney. I got it for doing lens repairs and conversions. Chris told me he was making the Bertele for me, as a gift. I sent him the Biotar and a Wollensak Raptar in Fastax mount 35/2 during Covid to help him raise funds. Tough times. The two lenses were "free to me", so no cost. He made a custom RF coupled mount for both lenses, sold them. The Wollensak 35/2 is nice, I kept one and converted to Contax Mount using a J-12 focus mount. It mounts on the Contax IIIa and IIa. and it's an F2 lens.
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boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Look out for that damned Miles. He is playing Mephisto to our Faust. He is teasing lens junkies. It looks like a good deal on an interesting lens. However it is a Contax mount and I am avoiding that rabbit hole. At least as much as I can.
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
...I hate to break it to you, but if you're talking about the lens Miles linked to in post #651, that looks like an LTM lens to me.
Time to dust off the ol' credit card, Boojum..
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Regardless of the mount I have as much use for it as a hog does for roller skates. I just bought a Viltrox 50 for the A7. It has very good reviews and is cheap, like US$170 for 50mm 2.0 autofocus. That makes a total of three lenses for that camera and two more than I need. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1883306-REG/viltrox_af_50_2_0_fe_af_50mm_f_2_0_lens.html
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TenEleven
Well-known
Also the seller has no other items listed and yeah ... I mean maybe you will get it - maybe not. Maybe it will not work correctly or it will be one of these Biotars that don't fully cover 35mm. For example, Kevin Li of Kevincameras had a couple of those but he of course, while he is expensive, he correctly calls such things out in the description.
Just recently I got burned by something similar. I bid, won and paid. The item looked legit and was a newly produced item, so it was reasonable to assume they would have it. They had good evaluations and other varied items on sale.
Then, the seller .... did nothing. No message no reply - no shipment - nothing! Two weeks passed. Nothing. Not a single line of message - no out of office notification. Nothing!
And I called eBay, wrote them, mailed them, posted on their helpline forum, asked friends who worked there for advice and despite all that --- they hung me out to dry!
And then they together with the seller, who still has not said a single peep cancelled my cancellation request.
Luckily PayPal came through and literally saved my hide. It was however now so late into the game that I will have to front the money to my credit card company before getting it back next month....
It's now been two months the item is still on there in "My eBay" showing as "Shipping Soon" in a sort of special farcical dystopia that the modern internet has created.
But yeah eBay of 2025 is not the eBay of the "before times" you really have to be super super careful.
Just recently I got burned by something similar. I bid, won and paid. The item looked legit and was a newly produced item, so it was reasonable to assume they would have it. They had good evaluations and other varied items on sale.
Then, the seller .... did nothing. No message no reply - no shipment - nothing! Two weeks passed. Nothing. Not a single line of message - no out of office notification. Nothing!
And I called eBay, wrote them, mailed them, posted on their helpline forum, asked friends who worked there for advice and despite all that --- they hung me out to dry!
And then they together with the seller, who still has not said a single peep cancelled my cancellation request.
Luckily PayPal came through and literally saved my hide. It was however now so late into the game that I will have to front the money to my credit card company before getting it back next month....
It's now been two months the item is still on there in "My eBay" showing as "Shipping Soon" in a sort of special farcical dystopia that the modern internet has created.
But yeah eBay of 2025 is not the eBay of the "before times" you really have to be super super careful.
Miles.
Beamsplitter
I’ll never own one but I’d love to see an original LTM example one day!
TenEleven
Well-known
I have seen one of these complete with its hood sold at some HK shop. I think it may have been Brequet Camera. It looked impressive with its slightly worn black on brass finish.
However the price was very impressive - too - north of 10,000US dollars.
Sadly I have no images saved.
Personally I have the Biotar 40mm black and nickel (original) and 58mm (likely converted by the Sturzvisier crew) black, both finished in LTM ... but sadly for me I can't really warm up to the look. I guess I will have to keep trying for a while longer.