Distagon 25/1,4 and a Distagon 18/2,8

[raspberryrob]

Hello all! I recently posted to Reddit about my Grandfather being an optics designer for Carl Zeiss, and I was asked to post here as well. So here I am! Like the title says, I own a Distagon 25/1.4 and a 18/2.8. New to me is the fact that these don't "exist", and yet I own both of them. When my grandfather passed away his camera bag was passed on to me, and these two lenses were part of that collection.
I wasn't old enough to ask him much about his work, so I asked my dad to tell me what he could about his work.

Someone on reddit asked about how my grandfather made lenses, so here's what my dad sent me as a response:

"I recall my dad telling the story that when he started out at Carl Zeiss in the 50s they had a little army of employees performing nothing by number crunching by hand. [to optimize a lens you have to trace rays of light through the lenses and calculate the refraction at each optical surface.]
then the first computer became available somewhere in the more northern part of germany - several hours away by train. he wrote the code and had to punch stacks and stacks of cards (each card could hold one line of code).
he then reserved some computing time, traveled to the computer, feed in the cards and then quite sometime later (not sure if he had to stay over night...) the computer produced stacks of large print outs that he than took back to his office [in a suit case] to analyze.
he had to do that repeatedly [perhaps once a week?] to optimize a lens."

Anyways, my dad and I will try to answer questions if anyone has any, although he mentioned he can't say too much about the lens designs. I'll get more pictures of the two lenses up, and I'll search for some shots with the 18, but for the 25 I'll have to shoot a few and get them developed.

Here's a bit of info on my grandfather's work.

http://www.zeisshistorica.org/Glatzel.html

Here are links to the collection he left me.

http://imgur.com/JiNLV
http://imgur.com/vxsdR
http://imgur.com/0l5Li[img][/img]

Edit: More photos http://imgur.com/a/kJNxI#kYFmVqn

[Fabian]

If you post another time the links will show up.

Thanks for the info! (And I'm curious for the follow-up.)

[raspberryrob]

Will they? I'm not understanding how to make them appear :/

[Orio]

Welcome to the group! Your grandfather is something like a god for me and others in this group
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[propellor]

Hi Rob (I guess Rob's your name) thanks for showing up here. I guess most of us here are very interested in pics of said lenses. I at least can't wait to see more !
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Distagon 3.5/15, Distagon 4/18, Distagon 2.8/21, Distagon 2.8/25, Distagon 2/28, Distagon 1.4/35, Planar 1.4/50, Planar 1.4/85, Makro Planar 2.8/100, Planar 2/135, Vario Sonnar 3,3-4,0/28-85, Vario Sonnar 4,5-5,6/100-300, Canon 5DMkII

[Nordentro]

Great story indeed!

Thx for sharing this with us.

I would love to hear more stories and see samples of these beauties

cheers
Lars
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"If you only shoot manual, why didn't you buy a manual lens from the start?!?" | Lens collection | Manuellfokus.no

[poilu]

welcome Rob, have a nice time with us !
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[Pontus]

A warm welcome Rob. Keep those lenses safe!
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Cameras: Sony NEX-5N, Sony a900, Minolta Dynax 9Ti, Contax G1 (green label), Fujifilm F31fd
Wide: Hexanon AR UC 15/2.8, Contax 18/4, X-Fujinon 19/3.5, PEN-F 20/3.5, Hexanon AR 21/2.8, Hexanon AR 24/2.8, PEN-F 25/4, Rokkor 28/2.5, MD W.Rokkor 28/3.5, Contax G 28/2.8, Hexanon AR 28/3.5, Hexanon AR UC 28/1.2, SMC Super Takumar 28/3.5
Normal: Contax 35/1.4, Vivitar 35/1.9, Contax G 35/2, Hexanon AR 35/2, SMC Takumar 35/2.8, Hexanon 40/1.8, Contax G 45/2, Contax 45/2.8, X-Fujinon EBC 50/1.6, Hexanon AR 50/1.7, Chinon 55/1.7
Fast: CV 35/1.2 v2, PEN-F 42/1.2, SMC Pentax K 50/1.2, Rokkor MD 50/1.2, X-Fujinon 50/1.2, Hexanon AR 57/1.2, MC Rokkor-PG 58/1.2, FD 85/1.2 SSC Asph
Macro: SMC Super Takumar 50/4, Hexanon 55/3.5, Contax S-Planar 60/2.8, Olympus OM 90/2, Tokina 90/2.5, Yashica ML 100/3.5, MD Rokkor 100/4, Hexanon AR 100/4, CV 125/2.5
Short tele: PEN-F 60/1.5, Leica 75/2 APO, Hexanon AR 85/1.8, Contax G 90/2.8, CV 90/3.5 SL, Contax Sonnar 100/3.5, PEN-F 100/3.5, Olympus OM 100/2, Nikkor AI-S 105/2.5, Nikkor AI-S 105/1.8, Sony 135 STF, Petri 135/2.8, Vivitar 135/2.8 Close Focusing, Hexanon AR 135/2.5, Hexanon AR 135/3.2, Hexanon AR 135/3.5
Tele: Nikkor 200/2 AI, Hexanon AR 200/4, Rokkor-RF 250/5.6, Tamron SP 350/5.6, Rokkor 400/5.6 APO, Rokkor RF 500/8
Zoom: MD Rokkor 24-35/3.5, Hexanon AR 28-135/4-4.6, Hexanon AR 35-70/ 3.5, Hexanon AR 35-70/ 3.5-4.5, Angenieux 35-70/2.5-3.3, Hexanon UC AR 45-100/ 3.5, PEN-F 50-90/3.5, Vivitar 70-150/3.8, Hexanon AR 80-200/4.5, Hexanon UC AR 80-200/ 4, Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
AF: A collection of Minolta and Sony/Zeiss lenses

[patrickh]

You will be warmly welcomed by this forum and many here will avidly follow anything you can tell us about your grandfather and his work. What other magic was in that bag?


patrickh
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DSLR: Nikon D300 Nikon D200 Nex 5N
MF Zooms: Kiron 28-85/3.5, 28-105/3.2, 75-150/3.5, Nikkor 50-135/3.5 AIS // MF Primes: Nikkor 20/4 AI, 24/2 AI, 28/2 AI, 28/2.8 AIS, 28/3.5 AI, 35/1.4 AIS, 35/2 AIS, 35/2.8 PC, 45/2.8 P, 50/1.4 AIS, 50/1.8 AIS, 50/2 AI, 55/2.8 AIS micro, 55/3.5 AI micro, 85/2 AI, 100/2,8 E, 105/1,8 AIS, 105/2,5 AIS, 135/2 AIS, 135/2.8 AIS, 200/4 AI, 200/4 AIS micro, 300/4.5 AI, 300/4.5 AI ED, Arsat 50/1.4, Kiron 28/2, Vivitar 28/2.5, Panagor 135/2.8, Tamron 28/2.5, Tamron 90/2.5 macro, Vivitar 90/2.5 macro (Tokina) Voigtlander 90/3.5 Vivitar 105/2.5 macro (Kiron) Kaleinar 100/2.8 AI Tamron 135/2.5, Vivitar 135/2.8CF, 200/3.5, Tokina 400/5,6
M42: Vivitar 28/2.5, Tamron 28/2.5, Formula5 28/2.8, Mamiya 28/2.8, Pentacon 29/2.8, Flektogon 35/2.4, Flektogon 35/2.8, Takumar 35/3.5, Curtagon 35/4, Takumar 50/1.4, Volna-6 50/2.8 macro, Mamiya 50/1.4, CZJ Pancolar 50/1,8, Oreston 50/1.8, Takumar 50/2, Industar 50/3.5, Sears 55/1.4, Helios 58/2, Jupiter 85/2, Helios 85/1.5, Takumar 105/2.8, Steinheil macro 105/4.5, Tamron 135/2.5, Jupiter 135/4, CZ 135/4, Steinheil Culminar 135/4,5, Jupiter 135/3.5, Takumar 135/3.5, Tair 135/2.8, Pentacon 135/2.8, CZ 135/2.8, Taika 135/3.5, Takumar 150/4, Jupiter 200/4, Takumar 200/4
Exakta: Topcon 100/2.8(M42), 35/2.8, 58/1.8, 135/2.8, Kyoei Acall 135/3.5
C/Y: Yashica 28/2.8, 50/1.7, 135/2.8, Zeiss Planar 50/1.4, Distagon 25/2.8
Hexanon: 28/3.5, 35/2.8, 40/1.8, 50/1.7, 52/1.8, 135/3.2, 135/3.5, 35-70/3.5
P6 : Mir 38 65/3.5, Biometar 80/2.8, Kaleinar 150/2.8, Sonnar 180/2.8
Minolta SR: 28/2.8, 28/3.5, 35/2.8, 45/2, 58/1.4, 50/1.7, 135/2.8, 200/3.5
RF: Industar 53/2.8, Jupiter 8 50/2
Enlarg: Rodagon 50/5,6, 80/5,6, 105/5.6, Vario 44-52/4, 150/5.6 180/5.6 El Nikkor 50/2,8,63/2.8,75/4, 80/5,6, 105/5.6, 135/5.6 Schneider 60/5.6, 80/5.6, 80/4S,100/5.6S,105/5.6,135/5.6, 135/5.6S, 150/5.6S, Leica 95/4

[jjphoto]

Rob, the 25/1.4 and 18/2.8 may be extremely valuable lenses so take great care when you get a flood of offers to buy them from you. These should be sold at an Auction specialising in exotic camera equipment, probably not ebay. Those 2 lenses may be the only ones that exist, unless Zeiss has some too, so may be far more valuable then you might be led to believe.

If you ever decide to sell those 2 lenses then do so very slowly and do a lot of research first. Consider the Zeiss 50/0.7 lens made for NASA and made famous by Stanley Kubrick. There are very few of these and they sell for 10's of thousands of dollars, if you can find one. The last figure I heard (can't confirm) was approx USD$60,000.

And thanks for posting here.

[my_photography]

Welcome to the forum. Is it possible to post more shots of the above two lens? Are they C/Y mount? And do that great care of both of them.
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Zeiss: CJZ Flektogon 20/2.8, CJZ Flektogon 20/4, , CJZ Pentacon 29/2.8, CJZ Flektogon 35/2.4, CJZ Pancolar 50/1.8, Tessar 50/2.8, Biotar 7.5cm/1.5, CJZ Pancolar 80/1.8, CJZ Sonnar 135/3.5, CJZ Pentacon 135/2.8 CJZ Sonnar 200/2.8
Other Germany: Meyer Primoplan 50/1.8, Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8
Takumar: SMC 50/1.4 Super Tak 55/2, Super Tak 85/1.9, S-M-C 135/3.5, Super Tak 150/4
Russian: Zenith 16/2.8, Mir-24M 2/35, Volna-9 50/2.8, Helios 44M (58/2), Helios 44M-3 MC (58/2), Helios 40 (85/1.5), Tair 11A (135/2.8 )
Others: Sears 28/2.8, Sankor 35/2.8, Enna München Tele-Ennalyt 135/3.5
Zoom Sigma Zoom 28-85/3.5-4.5

[raspberryrob]

Hey all. Yes I'm uploading the shots as we speak. They are C/Y mounts, and I use them on my Contax RTS, which I was also given by my grandfather. If I remember correctly, he was given the RTS as a gift when he met some of the heads from Contax. Something like that. Photos should be up in a few..

[raspberryrob]

Here's a link to the album. I couldn't figure out how to post the pictures directly here..

http://imgur.com/a/kJNxI#0

[my_photography]

I usually use the "Upload picture" button. There is also a "Drag and Drop upload" button which I suppose should be easier to use. You only see the buttons when you click "Post Reply". Putting the photos straight into this forum (server) means the photos will be here a long long time. Other servers, might delete the pictures after few years.

After clicking "Upload picture", click "Choose File" and choice which file/photo you want to upload.
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Zeiss: CJZ Flektogon 20/2.8, CJZ Flektogon 20/4, , CJZ Pentacon 29/2.8, CJZ Flektogon 35/2.4, CJZ Pancolar 50/1.8, Tessar 50/2.8, Biotar 7.5cm/1.5, CJZ Pancolar 80/1.8, CJZ Sonnar 135/3.5, CJZ Pentacon 135/2.8 CJZ Sonnar 200/2.8
Other Germany: Meyer Primoplan 50/1.8, Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8
Takumar: SMC 50/1.4 Super Tak 55/2, Super Tak 85/1.9, S-M-C 135/3.5, Super Tak 150/4
Russian: Zenith 16/2.8, Mir-24M 2/35, Volna-9 50/2.8, Helios 44M (58/2), Helios 44M-3 MC (58/2), Helios 40 (85/1.5), Tair 11A (135/2.8 )
Others: Sears 28/2.8, Sankor 35/2.8, Enna München Tele-Ennalyt 135/3.5
Zoom Sigma Zoom 28-85/3.5-4.5

[trifox]

hi Rob

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting these rare images.

so this is a proof of that the 'holy grails' = Distagon 2.8/18 and Distagon 1.4/25 do exist.

tf
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