The Mysterious Jenazooms

<p>Back after a much-needed break, 10 days without TV or Internet...Once the withdrawals subsided, it was very relaxing, though I see I've missed responding to some fine posts. Still, I've had the pleasure of going through them.</p>

<p>It's not often I'd consider sending an old consumer-grade 75-300mm zoom lens off for a CLA, but I just might make an exception of this lens. It's the Carl Zeiss MC Macro Jenazoom Super f/4.5-5.6</p><div></div>

<p>This post is more to enquire than to inform. The lens came to me with a couple of other bits and pieces, and I thought I knew all about the "mock-Zeiss" zooms, there having been a great thread regarding the somewhat rare AF Jenazooms for Canon EOS SLR's over on the EOS forum, and much mention on other Photonet forums. Basically, I'd assumed they were a re-vamped model from the shelf of some Japanese manufacturer, trading on the Zeiss name under some sort of license. </p>

<p>The lens has a Pentax K mount and a fair dollop of fungus, but out of curiosity I fitted it to a full-frame DSLR and took a few pics. The results were impressive, to say the least, especially when the overall state of optical hygiene was taken into consideration, so I gave all the external surfaces a through clean and took the lens out for some serious photography. And I'll have to report that it performs as well as if not better, than some very high-end and more modern zooms in my kit.</p><div></div>

<p>The build quality is excellent and the finish superb, with the push-pull zoom and focus tight and silky-smooth and a neat retractable hood, so nicely integrated into the body of the lens that it was a while before I discovered it was there. The blue band apparently marks the lens as being a "Mark II" model. This didn't feel anything like your standard kit zoom, so I started digging out some snippets of information on the Net. It's all a little bewildering, with no definitive description of the Jenazoom history or development in any one article. Here are some copies of the original advertising.</p><div></div>

<p>Ad 002</p><div></div>

<p>Ad 003</p><div></div>

<p>This doesn't look like some Japanese manufacturer trading on the Zeiss name. It all looks like authentic Carl Zeiss, right down to the "Lifetime Guarantee". Here's a close-up of the manufacturing reference from the body of the lens. Rather curiously, this text suggest the lens stops down to f/22, while the aperture ring shows a rather unusual f/32 setting.</p><div></div>

<p>I'm aware that the Zeiss zoom lenses for my Series "B" Praktikas were manufactured by Sigma, though again I've never been able to finally resolve the question: "Are these Zeiss-designed lenses, manufactured under Zeiss supervision to Zeiss tolerances and specifications, or merely re-badged Sigma lenses?" And the same question haunts me here; "Are the Jenazooms genuine Zeiss designs, manufactured on behalf of VEB Carl Zeiss Jenna by a Japanese manufacturer, or was there merely a collusion between Zeiss and the Japanese to present a Japanese product under the Zeiss name?" If anyone has the answers, I'd really like to hear. </p>

<p>I've seen both Sigma and Cosina mentioned as possible manufacturers, but even that is hard to establish. In the meantime, here are a few pics. Bearing in mind that the lens desperately needs cleaning, I think you'll agree that it's good performer. At all apertures and all zoom ranges, and despite it's questionable heritage, this Jenazoom is a fine lens. Bigger versions at: <br>

<br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/31253629@N08/sets/72157627967697295/</p><div></div>

<p>No.2</p><div></div>

<p>No.3</p><div></div>

<p>No.4</p><div></div>

<p>No.5</p><div></div>

<p>No.6</p><div></div>

<i>"Are these Zeiss-designed lenses, manufactured under Zeiss supervision to Zeiss tolerances and specifications, or merely re-badged Sigma lenses? [etc.]"</i><br><br>Where it says "Zeiss" above, it should read "Zeiss Jena". Different company.<br><br>But curiously, Zeiss Oberkochen also has a thing about not making zooms.

Great results. Looks like one of the better zooms in that range. BTW, welcome back "online."

<p>That blue rim says "Vivitar" to me but since they did not actually make lenses the next idea was Osawa. Now who else had a habit of putting a ring of color around the front rim of their lenses?</p>

<p>Definitely not from Cima Kogaku, all the zoom focal lengths are wrong for them.</p>

<p>Since I've never heard of Zeiss Jena zooms, I'm afraid I have to come away informed. The Clemaitis and Old Man Gum show impressive quality.</p>

<p>They are all license built by Sigma in Japan. There are only two genuine Dresden-made zooms by Jena in Praktica B mount. They are rare and very expensive.</p>

<p>don't know anything about the lens, rick, but i wanted to say that only you could make a 'mundane' shot of a satellite dish look good. welcome back.</p>

<p>Thanks for the collection of information on the Zeiss Jena zooms. Well done!</p>

<p>I have a couple in Praktica B bayonet mount, and it's no surprise that there were also M42 versions, given that the original Praktica screw-mount was still being made right up to the end.</p>

<p>I wish I knew the answer to who actually designed the Japanese-made lenses. Sigma may have been the maker, although in the picture below you can see that the Prakticar 70-210mm f/4~5.6 on the left has a number of cosmetic differences from the Sigma 70-210mm f/4.5 on the right. Note the JCII label on the Prakticar.</p>

<p>The East Zeiss Jena has at least as good a claim to the name Zeiss as do the later West German manufacturers. They also have a substantial claim to the quality of their lenses being as good.</p><div></div>

<p>Another plausible speculation could be that it was Asahi Pentax. They have had long collaboration with Pentacon and Jena since the days of the old Pentaflex. According Tomosy and others the Pentax K-Mount was designed by Zeiss Jena. It was to be the same for the Praktica B-series too. [in fact Tomosy asserts that they are the same!, perhaps by earlier knowledge of the prototype, before Pentax changed their K-mount.]<br>

Considering that the Jenazooms were made around the same time it is quite possible that they were made by Asahi Pentax. For some reason the Pentax K-Mount seems to have been changed to a slightly different fit from that of the Praktica B-series. sp.</p>

<i>"The East Zeiss Jena has at least as good a claim to the name Zeiss as do the later West German manufacturers."</i><br><br>Sure. But a good claim to use a company name does not make you the same company as another company also having a good claim to carry that name.<br>Zeiss Jena was not Zeiss Oberkochen. What the one did does not carry over into what the other did. Zooms were not 'in their portfolio' before they split up, so if one of them would have earned a reputation for being able to make good ones, that would say absolutely nothing about the other companies skills in making the same. Etcetera.<br>In short: it's not about whether the one is as good as the other, but about the one not being the other.<br><br>But since you brought up one being as good as the other: it's true that - due to their common roots - they could have been. It's also known that they (Jena) generally were not.

<p>It's known?</p>

<p>No it's believed by some people.<br>

That's not the same thing either.</p>

<p>I'm afraid JDM, I side with QG on this one. There is not much of a comparison Jena vs Oberkochen. Jena went a long way pretending to continue "the Zeiss tradition" of excellence. After about 1960 it is all a bit tenuous in my opinion with Oberkochen wiping the floor with them most of the time - but, of course, with a much higher price.</p>

<p>Zeiss and Leica both indeed have never much cared for zooms, at least in 35mm.</p>

What Robin said, JDM.<br>Not a matter of believe, but tried and tested. Been there, done that, no need to return and find out all over again.<br><br>Anyway, the zoom mystery.<br>Before brute computer force deserved being called that, and before it became small and cheap enough, zooms weren't good at all. Zeiss Oberkochen probably did not want to associate themselves with what zooms could be produced and still be affordable. Leica cleverly associated zooms with the name Angenieux. Zeiss Jena (like their Oberkochen counterpart, but for different reasons) wasn't able to design some themselves.