Zeiss Triotar 210mm f/3.5??

<p>Hi,<br>

I just ordered a Zeiss Triotar 210mm f3.5 lens for Exakta mount. I cannot find anything online about the lens, even from the usual (and usually all-encompassing) Exakta websites. Has anyone ever heard of one or used one? It looks to from the 1930's or early 40's, and as such is uncoated. I am expecting (and hoping for) some nice glowy, low-contract softness wide open...<br>

Thanks for any info you may be able to provide. Once I have the lens and adapter, I'll be sure to post some pictures.</p>

<p>have you tried these :<br>

http://www.ihagee.org/ or http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/exakta/index.html<br>

should help you they did for me:</p>

<p>I don't have this lens, but I would imagine that the mount is for the external Exakta mount rather than the older internal mount found on the early Exaktas and Exas. The later models have both built in.</p>

<p>The catch is that no one seems to make an Exakta to anything else adapter that will accept the long telephotos.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Lauren - I checked both lens lists with no luck. The first lists a one-of-a-kind Tessar 210mm, but nothing about a Triotar.</p>

<p>JDM - I'm going to pretend that I didn't read your post - I'm really looking forward to using the lens on my Canon or NEX (it even has a tripod mount so I won't break the sony...)</p>

<p>JDM - here is a pic of the mount (from the seller's site). Can you tell which mount it needs? Thanks.</p><div></div>

<p>That's a normal internal Exakta mount. Which is surprising for a 210mm f/3.5 lens. That may cause a bit of vignetting -- the throat of the normal internal Exakta mount is really a bit too small for the 35mm film format. Maybe it's been converted from external mount, or some other mount?<br>

For evidence of the challenges posed by the small mount, note that both the 58/1.4 and 85/1.8 RE. Auto-Topcor lenses have very large front elements with a 62mm filter ring. Needs to be large to squeeze that much speed through the small lens mount. Similarly, the 135/2 R. Topcor has a 77mm filter ring. Lenses of the same length and speed for larger mounts (Minolta, Canon, Nikon) are smaller.</p>

<p>Greg I forgot one that's important, http://captjack.exaktaphile.com/index.htm</p>

<p>The Vade Mecum lists that Triotar as a triplet portrait lens in 210 and shorter focal lengths, sold after the mid-1920s. This version was stated to cover 6x6cm, but sometimes such lenses were also adapted to 35mm. Zeiss also used the name Triotar for triplets with different apertures and focal lengths for many years.</p>

<p>Sorry, just got back. John S. has it.<br /> On the larger lens mount, there are mounts that go over the flanges on the <em>outside</em> of the lens. Your lens could be early; the original Exaktas didn't have the external mount either. When it comes, show us how it does. :)</p>

<p>Although you can put a later Exakta mount on an Exa, I think that there may be issues with the distinctive mirror/shutter on those bodies - meaning you still would have trouble mounting the large lenses.</p><div></div>