gyoung Posted July 21, 2008 Share #21 Posted July 21, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) i can't help you with the decision to modify a rare lens. i had no choice with the front element of my summarit 1.5 - it was simply too hazy with cleaning marks to be used. so, IF you decide to have the front element recoated, here are two addresses: 1) john van stelten's NEW ADDRESS BELOW John Van Stelten Focal Point, Inc. 300 Center Drive Suite G-177 Superior, Co 80027 303-665-6640 john@focalpointlens.com Welcome to Focal Point Lens Inc. 2) i live in europe, so i found and used the following u.k. company for recoating: Roy Atkinson Optical Instruments (Balham) Limited. 39 Neville Court, 27/43 Neville Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 2DS Tel: 020 8664 9799 Fax: 020 8664 9771 E-mail: oib.ltd@btconnect.com <mailto:oib.ltd@btconnect.com> i'm not a pro, but the lens looks great to my eye and works well. you may want other references from OIB before proceeding. good luck rick Not sure the Balham company still exists, but Malcolm Taylor can do coating Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 21, 2008 Posted July 21, 2008 Hi gyoung, Take a look here Zeiss Sonnar 1.5/5cm LTM. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
brianv Posted July 21, 2008 Share #22 Posted July 21, 2008 I have one Contax/Nikon to LTM adapter. I found that the shim was "ever so slightly" off,-or optimized for the Sonnar at F2.8. I changed the variable stand-off ring on the Sonnar to be perfect at F1.5 and close-up. I keep this adapter on a Canon 7. I also have one Nikon to M adapter, and one Contax to M adapter. The latter has the arch cut in it and is good from close-up to infinity. These get used on the Bessa R2 and M3. The manual frameline selection on the Bessa is a benefit here. I don't know about the post-war biogon, do not have one. I have a J-12 that goes onto the Nikon S2. But- after converting an uncoated 5cm f2 Sonnar to a J-8 mount, the war-time 5cm Sonnar T to the early J-8 mount, and a pre-war 5cm f1.5 to a J-3 mount(coated front element, probably after-market), the adapters do not get as much use. I also shimmed a Nikon S2 helical and set the RF to work with the Contax lenses. I have a Contax IIIa- but have an easier time focussing the Nikon's and Leica's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
L39UK Posted July 28, 2008 Share #23 Posted July 28, 2008 key serial numbers... about T coated zeiss lens (any mount) with the Carl Zeiss Jena name -between 2200000 and 2600000, preproduction models and embargo period... rare, rarest... and more -between 2600000 and 3000000 wartime production (rare in 50mm, very rare in other focal length).. Unfortunately it is not possible to divide production between 2200000 - 2600000 and 2600000 - 3000000 into just these two catagories. Post war the Soviet reparation lens production used Carl Zeiss Jena lens serial number batches that had not been allocated before and during the period of the Second World War. Genuine Carl Zeiss Sonnars/Biogons etc. in LTM can be ascertained from the factory production lists in Hartmut Thieles publication of the Carl Zeiss Jena Factory records of lens production.Most of the genuine Carl Zeiss lenses were delivered to the German Military no later than 1943 and these are rare. Many Soviet produced reparation lenses, which were produced post 1945, were given previously unused serial nos.in the 2600000/2700000/2800000 and these can be identified using Thieles publication, and these batches are clearly indicated in the factory records as post- May 1945 production and these are the lenses that are very easy to mistake for genuine Carl Zeiss Jena wartime production. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanvdz Posted July 30, 2008 Share #24 Posted July 30, 2008 Thiele is one source but it's not the always true, the factory records having been partially destroyed for that period of time... ... there is a great incertitude about the serial numbers between 2600000 and 3000000... and of course a lot of fakes around... but it's very difficult to know when a lense was produced... one clue is the metal (heavy chrome lenses are usually early wartime...) the other the history, the body they came with. Anyway (when they are not recent fakes) all those lenses are real Carl Zeiss (jena) lenses with all the optical qualities. To my knowledge the LTM lenses are registered has Contax mount because they received their serial numbers before being transformed for LTM... (to say differently LTM lenses were build from stock contax lenses...)...? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted October 14, 2008 Share #25 Posted October 14, 2008 i can't help you with the decision to modify a rare lens. i had no choice with the front element of my summarit 1.5 - it was simply too hazy with cleaning marks to be used. so, IF you decide to have the front element recoated, here are two addresses: 1) john van stelten's NEW ADDRESS BELOW John Van Stelten Focal Point, Inc. 300 Center Drive Suite G-177 Superior, Co 80027 303-665-6640 john@focalpointlens.com Welcome to Focal Point Lens Inc. 2) i live in europe, so i found and used the following u.k. company for recoating: Roy Atkinson Optical Instruments (Balham) Limited. 39 Neville Court, 27/43 Neville Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 2DS Tel: 020 8664 9799 Fax: 020 8664 9771 E-mail: oib.ltd@btconnect.com <mailto:oib.ltd@btconnect.com> i'm not a pro, but the lens looks great to my eye and works well. you may want other references from OIB before proceeding. good luck rick You might be interested to know that I sent several lenses and a camera to OIB for recoating and repair in February 2007 and I still have not received them back . When I last spoke to him a few weeks back he said he could not dismantle some lenses as they were jammed but he would have known that when he gave me the estimate in March 2007 . ... at the end of our conversation a few weeks back he said "I'll come back to you" but to date he has not. Today I have sent another Email requesting which lenses etc he has managed to repair. I want the matter drawn to a conclusion asap. Cheers dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raid Amin Posted October 31, 2008 Share #26 Posted October 31, 2008 Is this thread still active? I have a 5cm 2.0 Sonnar LTM with number 2234XXX. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted October 31, 2008 Share #27 Posted October 31, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) You might be interested to know that I sent several lenses and a camera to OIB for recoating and repair in February 2007 and I still have not received them back . When I last spoke to him a few weeks back he said he could not dismantle some lenses as they were jammed but he would have known that when he gave me the estimate in March 2007 . ... at the end of our conversation a few weeks back he said "I'll come back to you" but to date he has not. Today I have sent another Email requesting which lenses etc he has managed to repair. I want the matter drawn to a conclusion asap. Cheers dunk I spoke to OIB again last week .. was advised that the technician who has been dealing with my repair died a few weeks back. OIB have now promised to get the job finished asap. Maybe the technician had been ill but that is still no excuse for the repairs taking 18 months so far. Cheers dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianv Posted February 21, 2009 Share #28 Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Thiele is one source but it's not the always true, the factory records having been partially destroyed for that period of time... ... there is a great incertitude about the serial numbers between 2600000 and 3000000... and of course a lot of fakes around... but it's very difficult to know when a lense was produced... one clue is the metal (heavy chrome lenses are usually early wartime...) the other the history, the body they came with. Anyway (when they are not recent fakes) all those lenses are real Carl Zeiss (jena) lenses with all the optical qualities. To my knowledge the LTM lenses are registered has Contax mount because they received their serial numbers before being transformed for LTM... (to say differently LTM lenses were build from stock contax lenses...)...? The Contax mount optics modules have a set screw Tap that secures the module in the bayonet mount. The Zeiss LTM optics module does not have this set screw tap. The LTM mounts also have a Serial Number engraved into it that matches the Optics Module. I believe the optics modules were produced along side of each other, but then split across the mount. It is also possible that the rear module was moved in slightly to reduce the focal length to the Leica standard. My two lenses have good focus from close-up to infinity. I've accomplished that before in a J-3 by moving the rear module closer to the front optics to reduce the focal length. I've picked up two wartime Zeiss Sonnars in LTM in the past two months, and repaired them back to use. This involved taking the mount apart, and some internal numbers were revealed. The construction of the Helical is quite different from a J-3, but the thread size for the optics module is the same. Tear-Down: Late Wartime Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar: and Been Through the War! - Zeiss User Forums 1941 Authentic Leica Mount 5cm F1.5 Sonnar, Disassembled - Zeiss User Forums Results: Zeiss User Forums - Brian's Album: Late Wartime CZJ Sonnar 5cm F1.5 in LTM Zeiss User Forums - Brian's Album: 1941 Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 5cm F1.5 "T" at the Marine Museum The earlier 272xxxx lens has better quality materials in it, the 285xxxx lens is just as good optically. Edited February 21, 2009 by brianv Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaTom Posted March 22, 2009 Share #29 Posted March 22, 2009 I`m still seriously looking for a T "coated" one of these for use on my IIIC K`s ~ has to be in the #272xxxx group pre 1944 Gee Brian I wish you`d sell me your 41'!!!! Drop me a line with all offers with detailed photographs to winkermeister@aol.com Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted March 22, 2009 Share #30 Posted March 22, 2009 Maybe the technician had been ill but that is still no excuse for the repairs taking 18 months so far. Yes, what an inconsiderate bastard that technician was. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted March 22, 2009 Share #31 Posted March 22, 2009 Yes, what an inconsiderate bastard that technician was. I would not call him that ... finally received the camera and lenses back last week and they have made a good job of the lenses that were repairable ... but they were away for two years. I have posted the story here http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-collectors-historica/80747-slightly-ot-contarex-lens-refurbishment.html Cheers dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaTom Posted March 26, 2009 Share #32 Posted March 26, 2009 I would not call him that ... finally received the camera and lenses back last week and they have made a good job of the lenses that were repairable ... but they were away for two years. I have posted the story here http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-collectors-historica/80747-slightly-ot-contarex-lens-refurbishment.html Cheers dunk Two Years!!! OMG!!!, no I had a shady guy posing as a repairman in San Francisco holding on to my IIIC K for well over 6 months and I was ready to call the police on him.........but Two Years! That`s absurd waiting that long for gear to be repaired dunk, if you know of a ORIGINAL "wartime" Sonnar f1.5/50 or a "wartime" Schneider Kreuznach f1.5/50 in LTM mount for sale please drop me a line Tom Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted March 26, 2009 Share #33 Posted March 26, 2009 Two Years!!! OMG!!!, no I had a shady guy posing as a repairman in San Francisco holding on to my IIIC K for well over 6 months and I was ready to call the police on him.........but Two Years! That`s absurd waiting that long for gear to be repaired dunk, if you know of a ORIGINAL "wartime" Sonnar f1.5/50 or a "wartime" Schneider Kreuznach f1.5/50 in LTM mount for sale please drop me a line Tom Tom Tom, I have seen a LTM Sonnar 50/1.5 for sale ... see PM Cheers dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianv Posted March 26, 2009 Share #34 Posted March 26, 2009 Tom, better go after Dunk's heads-up! Mine is not going anywhere. CZJ Sonnar 5cm F1.5 "T" in LTM, wide-open on the Canon P, 1/15s hand-held. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaTom Posted March 27, 2009 Share #35 Posted March 27, 2009 Tom, I have seen a LTM Sonnar 50/1.5 for sale ... see PM Cheers dunk No it`s NOT a REAL LTM version and it`s pre war like 1936 or so and is a CONVERSION LENS and WAY TOO EXPENSIVE, EVEN AT $500 don`t get me wrong I know Don and his work is amazing, but it`s still too much for a converted lens. I want a 1941/43 issue, has to be "wartime" and T coated it`s going on my 1943 IIIC K Grey Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted March 27, 2009 Share #36 Posted March 27, 2009 Mine is not going anywhere. Hello, what is the history of this pict ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianv Posted March 28, 2009 Share #37 Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) Hello, what is the history of this pict ? This photograph is taken at the Marine Corp Museum at Quantico Virginia. The Mannequins in the Museum are modeled on some of the volunteers at the Museum, the likeness taken from their younger days. I was very happy with the results from the lens. I spent 6 hours rebuilding it, about four of those were spent "undoing" someone elses work. Among other problems, the elements were loose in the mount, giving a poor focus. This display is of the Korean War, and is set in a refrigerated room to give some feel of the events. I always remember to bring a coat. More photographs at the Museum with this lens, Zeiss User Forums - Brian's Album: 1941 Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 5cm F1.5 "T" at the Marine Museum and with a Simlar 5cm F1.5 LTM lens that I rebuilt. Zeiss User Forums - Brian's Album: Simlar 5cm F1.5 on the Canon P Edited March 28, 2009 by brianv Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted January 6, 2019 Share #38 Posted January 6, 2019 I have recently been reading whatever I can find about the Zeiss lenses made in Leica thread during the Second World War. I have read about how Zeiss were instructed by the German government of the time to make some lenses to fit Leica cameras, I believe because the Contax wide aperture lenses were believed better than the Leitz ones. Mostly they were the 50mm f1.5 Sonnar. I have read what I can about how to tell a genuine war-time lens from those made during the time the Russians were carrying off what remained of the Zeiss factory and workers to Russia, the transition into the Russian Jupiter lens era and the "faked" copies. So now I have bought this one; The serial number relates to 1941, and the serial number on the front ring matches that stamped into the rear of the lens unit. The last three digits of the number are also scratched inside the focussing mount. The aperture control has "ears". There are two different sized screws in the focussing barrel. The engravings have a "," for the decimal point, a small "m" for metres and a line for the aperture index. Have I got a genuine war-time LTM Sonnar? Someone on the Forum will know. (I found this old thread on the subject). Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I have just printed the first test from the lens and the focusing seems accurate. The glass is not perfect and the filter thread is damaged, but the focussing and aperture movements are good. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I have just printed the first test from the lens and the focusing seems accurate. The glass is not perfect and the filter thread is damaged, but the focussing and aperture movements are good. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/45989-zeiss-sonnar-155cm-ltm/?do=findComment&comment=3659684'>More sharing options...
sabears Posted January 6, 2019 Share #39 Posted January 6, 2019 Serial n.? There are wartime specimen, but also post war ones Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted January 7, 2019 Share #40 Posted January 7, 2019 11 hours ago, sabears said: Serial n.? There are wartime specimen, but also post war ones 2726048 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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