Red coating on Carl Zeiss Jena MC lenses (M42)

[fernando_mcsoto]

I have recently bought two Carl Zeiss Jena lenses in M42 mount. Both

of them are MC (multicoated). However in one them "MC" appears in

white" and has a normal transparent multi-coating. In the other CZJ

lens "MC" appears in red and has something like a red coating in the

external element that reminds me of the laser filter that you find in

military binoculars. Contrary to the military binoculars, when I look

thourgh the viewfinder of my Bessaflex TM it seems that the red

coating does not affect the color redention of the lens. So what is

this red multicoating for? Is the "red MC" lens more modern than

the "white MC" lens or viceversa? Any opiniosn about "red MC" lenses

and about which one is more expensive?

[john_shaeffer1]

Many of the Rollei 35 line of lenses made in the early 80's in Singapore used an HFT coating with that same red coating of the external element. I haven't seen an East German lens like you describe--but hey you have :). Jena could have been experimenting with coatings.

 

I like the HFT Planar standard lens that came on the Singapore made Rolleis. I THINK those were the only Singapore made components of the Rollei line along with the cameras. Most of the other Rollei lenses were made in Germany, or Japan by Mamiya or Sigma. Some of the Japanese lenses were HFT coated. It doesn't take much imagination to think that some of these found their way as rebadged Zeiss Jena lenses. I know the East Germans where buying telephoto lenses from Sigma and reselling them as Pentacon, Hanimex, etc. lenses as part of a set with the Praktica cameras.