DDR Zeiss Jena 300/3.5 tessar

<p>I have this lens, which had developed coating defects over time. I have asked guys at Focal Point, and got an estimate for repairs north of $600. I am wondering if anyone knows anything about these lenses and whether it's worth repairing it. I suspect this may be a lens, it's a "1Q" after all, but it may just as well be a very ordinary DDR tessar -- and they are quite cheap on ebay these days. Any advice is appreciated.</p><div></div>

<p>Hi Mike, I wonder if those defects would have much effect on your images at all, unless you pointed it toward the sun or harsh light. The defect looks like the beginning stages of fungus, also.<br>

I believe this is a process lens. Since you've posted under the LF forum, are you planning to use it on a camera, or an enlarger. As it is likely a process lens, it would be far cheaper to buy a suitable replacement, as they go pretty inexpensively—though you don't see too many process lenses with that large an aperture.</p>

<p>From A Lens Collectors Vade Mecum; the f3.5 Tessar was introduced in 1909. It has a narrow field of view. It is marked 1C. The f3.5 Tessar was redesigned in 1929 and gives a wider angle of view. The shorter focal lengths are for cine photography, mid length for folders and hand held photography, with longer focal lengths for studio cameras and portrait work or special applications.</p>

<p>Jena is the town in Germany where the manufacturing plant is/was located.</p>

<p>Yours is most likely a newer version of the lens but<br>

<a href="http://cameraeccentric.com/html/info/zeiss_3.html">http://cameraeccentric.com/html/info/zeiss_3.html</a><br>

should be accurate for it. Coatings for lens came into use in the late 1930's, soft at first then hard coatings by the mid 1940's. </p>

<p>I would not invest in recoating unless you just want this one to look pristine. If after critical testing the coating causes flaws in the image I would find another copy that was is in good condition.</p>

<p>Coating itself is not an expensive or complicated business these days, and nearly every dispensing optician can apply single or multicoating to their spectacle lenses.</p>

<p>What's more difficult is removing the old coating and preparing the lens to a suitable standard of cleanliness to take the new coating. So don't believe anyone who says that the old coating can simply be hand-polished away without altering the curvature or IQ of the lens. Removing an old coating involves some degree of abrasion and consequently the lens will need to be repolished afterwards, which probably accounts for the ridiculous sum you've been quoted to repair the lens. As others have said, it may well be much cheaper to simply buy another lens in better condition. Or if you're lucky you may find the front of a similar lens attached to a damaged rear section and therefore going dirt cheap.</p>

<p>Charles. I think the "1 C" must be a misprint. I've seen many Zeiss Jena lenses, and the marking is quite clearly "1Q" with the number 1 inside and slightly raised above the letter Q. Short for 1st Quality I'm guessing.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Charles. I think the "1 C" must be a misprint. I've seen many Zeiss Jena lenses, and the marking is quite clearly "1Q" with the number 1 inside and slightly raised above the letter Q. Short for 1st Quality I'm guessing.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The Series 1c was applied to the f4.5 and f3.5 versions when they were introduced in 1906. The f4.5 version replaced the earlier Unar and Planar f4.5 lens. See:<br /><a href="http://cameraeccentric.com/html/info/zeiss_4.html">http://cameraeccentric.com/html/info/zeiss_4.html</a><br />The Series 1c was dropped from the f3.5 version when it was redesigned in 1929. I cannot find a reference to the 1Q.</p>

<p>The Vade does list serial numbers from the Jena factory. 3.8m is 1954, 4.5m started in 1957, 5.0m 1960.</p>