Zeiss Jena Sonnars

[venchka]

I was wandering around ebay. I shouldn't, but I'm in the office late on a Saturday night, so what the hey, EH?

I stumbled into a German camera store ebay shop and they had LTM Sonnars. "Lots of them. Lots & Lots of them," said Raymond. Various 50s and a couple 85mm 1:2.0. I remember borrowing a hefty chunk of 80something fast ass chrome and glass attached to a Contax body way way back in college. I used that lens wide open with probably Tri-X or Plus-X, a single lightbulb and a bath towel for a refector to make absolutely the sharpest full face portrait of probably the most attractive young lady ever to sit still for such a thing for me.

So I'm wondering. Do you suppose these 80something 1:2.0 LTM Sonnars from Carl Zeiss Jena just might be the equal of the lens that made my sharpest portrait ever? Just for information purposes only. I can't buy anything.

 

[physiognomy]

They probably are... I have a Jupiter-9 (85/2) in Contax/Kiev mount that is amazing, although I've heard the same lens can be variable in ltm mount. I don't think you would have any problems if you buy the original CZJ 85/2... I'm sure there are others here who will be able to tell you a lot more.

Peter

 

[physiognomy]

...I don't think you would have any problems if you buy the original CZJ 85/2...

Oops... you said you weren't going to buy anything 🙄

😀

Peter

 

[xayraa33]

Was it a Zeiss Opton or a Zeiss Jena 85mm that you used in your college days?
Both are very good lenses.
A well adjusted Jupiter 9 might be a cheaper alternative
to the German type prices on that auction site.

 

[venchka]

I don't remember. I only had the lens & body for a day or two. And frankly, I wasn't even looking at the front of the lens while I was using it. "Know what I mean, Vern?"😱 😀

If you held my feet over hot coals, I'd say it was probably a Sonnar. I'm also thinking it may have been an 85mm/1:1.5. If such a beast exists. I just know that wide open minimum focus corner to corner it was killer sharp. I'm going to have to try and dig up that negative. Of course I could never print it and hang it at the house. :angel:

 

[furcafe]

The Zeiss 85/2 Sonnar in Contax RF mount, both the coated & uncoated versions, was 1 of the great fast short telephoto lenses, so if you were using a Contax RF back in college, then yes, the ones you're looking @ may be essentially the same lens. However, I'm a bit suspicious about this German eBay shop having "lots" of the Jena LTM version, as those are pretty rare & many of those sold today are fakes (converted from Soviet Jupiters). The 8.5cm/2 Nikkor-P is very similar to the Sonnar & is much easier to find in LTM (as well as being superior in build quality to the Jena LTM Sonnars).

I was wandering around ebay. I shouldn't, but I'm in the office late on a Saturday night, so what the hey, EH?

I stumbled into a German camera store ebay shop and they had LTM Sonnars. "Lots of them. Lots & Lots of them," said Raymond. Various 50s and a couple 85mm 1:2.0. I remember borrowing a hefty chunk of 80something fast ass chrome and glass attached to a Contax body way way back in college. I used that lens wide open with probably Tri-X or Plus-X, a single lightbulb and a bath towel for a refector to make absolutely the sharpest full face portrait of probably the most attractive young lady ever to sit still for such a thing for me.

So I'm wondering. Do you suppose these 80something 1:2.0 LTM Sonnars from Carl Zeiss Jena just might be the equal of the lens that made my sharpest portrait ever? Just for information purposes only. I can't buy anything.

 

[furcafe]

Zeiss never made a 85/1.5 for the Contax RF, though they did introduce a 85/1.4 Planar for the Contarex SLR just before that line (& Zeiss Ikon) went defunct (it was carried over to the Yashica/Kyocera Contax SLR line). Nikon, Leitz, & Canon did make 85/1.5's for their RF cameras (Canon also made an excellent 85/1.8), but they were never known for their optical quality wide-open.

I'm also thinking it may have been an 85mm/1:1.5. If such a beast exists. I just know that wide open minimum focus corner to corner it was killer sharp.