<p>I don't agree with the often repeated oppinion that Carl Zeiss Jena lenses were generally pre war projects. Flektogon lenses were all retrofocus wide angle optics which obviously didn't have anything common with pre war lenses. Indeed, the flektogons were much more innovative projects than the west-distagon lenses in 50s and 60s, like the 20/4 and 25/4 flektogons which were introduced when the only distagon existed was the 35/4 lens for Contarex! Also, the first Gauss type lens for rolleiflex was the east german CZJ Biometar 80/2,8, first designed in 1951, before the appearance of Planars. Indeed, the Schneider Xenotar 80/2,8 lens, later used by rolleiflex, seems to be a copy of this biometar lens! Even the Tessar formula was redesigned by CZJ thereupon the end of WWII, many years before the company in Oberkochen decided to redesign its tessar lenses! The last black CZJ lenses for Praktica and Pentacon six cameras, were modern designs and very good performers equal to the Carl Zeiss lenses for Contax/Yashica mount (especially in terms of the rendition of shape outlines and surface-depth details, I have never compared their sharpness in big enlargements and their scanning copies in pc monitor).<br>
Of course the build quality of the west Carl Zeiss lenses were much better. Especially the line of the lenses for the Contarex mount were made with the minimal mechanical tolerances that could get achieved. This fact combined with the the optical excellence of these lenses led to the best (and of course the most expensive) line of lenses ever produced. (I have never experienced the performance of leica lenses).</p>
When is a Carl Zeiss lens NOT a Carl Zeiss lens?
in Classic Manual Film Cameras
Posted
<p>I don't agree with the often repeated oppinion that Carl Zeiss Jena lenses were generally pre war projects. Flektogon lenses were all retrofocus wide angle optics which obviously didn't have anything common with pre war lenses. Indeed, the flektogons were much more innovative projects than the west-distagon lenses in 50s and 60s, like the 20/4 and 25/4 flektogons which were introduced when the only distagon existed was the 35/4 lens for Contarex! Also, the first Gauss type lens for rolleiflex was the east german CZJ Biometar 80/2,8, first designed in 1951, before the appearance of Planars. Indeed, the Schneider Xenotar 80/2,8 lens, later used by rolleiflex, seems to be a copy of this biometar lens! Even the Tessar formula was redesigned by CZJ thereupon the end of WWII, many years before the company in Oberkochen decided to redesign its tessar lenses! The last black CZJ lenses for Praktica and Pentacon six cameras, were modern designs and very good performers equal to the Carl Zeiss lenses for Contax/Yashica mount (especially in terms of the rendition of shape outlines and surface-depth details, I have never compared their sharpness in big enlargements and their scanning copies in pc monitor).<br>
Of course the build quality of the west Carl Zeiss lenses were much better. Especially the line of the lenses for the Contarex mount were made with the minimal mechanical tolerances that could get achieved. This fact combined with the the optical excellence of these lenses led to the best (and of course the most expensive) line of lenses ever produced. (I have never experienced the performance of leica lenses).</p>