Scored a new set of Zeiss lenses

Postmaster

Postmaster

Dark Side of the Camera
Got to swank a bit on my new set of medium format Zeiss Lenses.

Some of you saw my old ones at work in UNZEIT.
Most of them where pretty shabby/fungus/scartches and whatnot.

Now I scored a bareley used, mint condition, complete set of Zeiss Jena lenses out of a collection.

50/4 - 80/2.8 - 120/2.8 - 180/2.8

All of them are out of the 60s and 70s - the heyday of Zeiss Jena lens production.

The whole shabang was under 500 Euros.

I go post some shots and comparsons with the Nikons later.

Frank
 

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As you are from Germany you probably know that those Jena Zeiss lenses that were available to the eastern-block too and are probably manufactured in the DDR. I've owned those and even the rare 20mm one of this series and those were the best lenses available in Soviet time. I still have that 50mm one if someone wants.

Cheers,
T
 
O.K. Here are the grabs:

Zeiss Jena 50/4 - 80/2.8 - 120/2.8 - 180/2.8

The last one is for reference Nikon 50/1.4

All lenses and HVX where wide open/shutter 180/Cine D/aviable light on a rainy afternoon.
Images where not changed other than aspect ratio and JPEG compression.

As you can see, the speed difference between the 50/4 Zeiss and the 50/1.4 Nikon is not as much as you would expect.
That was pretty surprizing for me when I saw that the first time.

I have no other explanation for that than the more than 3 times bigger diameter of the Zeiss lens.

Frank
 

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The speed difference is there, but you're right, not as much as one would think.

They appear to be very alike as far as image is concerned (the first 4)
 
Postmaster said:
I have no other explanation for that than the more than 3 times bigger diameter of the Zeiss lens.
Click to expand...

Might the front element look like this on the f4 lens?
ZeissFlekogon50mmfv.jpg

There is a Zeiss Jena mid format lens that could let in almost as much light as does the 35mm format f2 lens. Just a guess.

T
 
There are tons of m42 lenses on German eBay.de.
I brought a Revuenon/Revue 55mm f1.2 lens for $120 once, as New condition.

T
 
No it´s not a m42. The m42 glas is smaller - mostly for ExaKta or Praktika bodys

I got a LEX with Nikon mount. So for the Zeiss I got a Nikon to Zeiss "Pentacon Six Bayonett" adapter (about 19 Euros).
You can spot it on the pictures - a black tube about an inch long.

We standing almost knee deep in those lenses in Germany.

Make sure you buy the ones with the "Zebra" (black and white sriped) rings.
The newer ones are called MC and have a anti glare coating but at this time (80es) the DDR had already problems with material and quality.

I got my new glass out of a private collection but
here is your shopping list: http://search.ebay.de/pentacon-six_W0QQ_trksidZm37QQfromZR40

good luck, Frank
 
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Oh, it's mid format all the way then. The mid format (60x60mm frame size) 50mm is considered an almost ultra wide lens. Sad that you can not get any wider than that when using mid format lenses on 35mm adaptor.

T
 
Yes, unfortunaly Zeiss did not made wider lenses than 50mm.

But that´s no problem. Using an adapter on a wider lens than 50 doesn´t make sense, cause you don´t get much DOF anyway and most wider lenses are not really speedy, so you loose aditional light without real benefit.

Frank
 
I've been thinking about getting a medium format slr for a while and with how affordable these lenses appear to be and them being able to serve double duty, it looks like I'm going to have a new toy soon.
 
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