Carl Zeiss Tessar 50mm f 3.5 alu. M42

[arhi_tectu1]

Hi there i just got this baby today
but i want to ask people here if this is a genuine Carl Zeiss lens
or is a fake . the reason that i ask this is that it has a red T that i only on the new Carl Zeiss (mostly on the lenses made for contax) also i have seen on the forum a thread that some Carl Zeiss lenses are in fact fake russian lenses .




Best regards
Catalin

[vulko]

I think they put T* on Contax lenses.

[themoleman342]

You got yourself a real one. I unfortunately have no experience with the lens but I know a few forum members have. Orio found it to have an incredible 3D quality if I'm not mistaken.

I have an industar 22 for zenit m39 that looks similar. It even has the red "п" coating as an analogous feature to the red "T" coating. These, I imagine, were often passed off as genuine tessars but they don't look THAT much alike.

[arhi_tectu1]

Thanks for the reply
Vulko you are right on the contax lenses the T is with a *
but now i have a problem this lens mount after the fillet ends
it continues with non fillet metal and my adapter does not allow it to go all the way so it does not mount perfectly (no infinity focus max focus distance is 5m or so) i think i need to buy other adaptor without a pin holder.

Thanks again for the reply
Best regards
Catalin

[Attila]

Real one, not fake. This lens is not expensive no reason to make any fake.
Red T means more expensive version due it has famous T coating that is normal to find lenses with T and without T mostly this means nothing after 70 yrs. If lens was cleaned coating is gone a very few lens did survive 70 yrs without cleaning. I have both version in many lenses my exceptional quality Olympic Sonnar has no T at all and looking like garbage. I have a mint copy from same lens with T and it's quality is lot less than others.

I have also Biotar 75mm in both I didn't see any quality difference etc.

Your lens is a pre-war lens , don't be surprise if lack of contrast and not super sharp.A bit PS can help a lot to this little cute lens. I look forward your report. Congrats!!!

[arhi_tectu1]

Thanks for the info Attila
only one question i saw in other posts on the forum
the term pre-war what does it stand for?
made before world war 2?
sorry for my lack of knowledge

Best regards
Catalin

[Attila]

[peterqd]

[arhi_tectu1]

@ peterqd
thank you but i found one at a local store

best regards
Catalin

[hasan]

To define your lens more precisely, please go here:
http://photobutmore.de/exakta/zeiss/

Translated with google:
http://translate.google.de/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=de&tl=en&u=http://photobutmore.de/exakta/zeiss/&act=url


With Nr.3467682, your lens seems to be from the batch:
"2nd Design - beginning with Nr. 3000000 -
the first post-war normal finish, manual aperture, polished aluminum ( 1949-54 )

Nr. > 3.3 million - focal length in mm - 1952"

..so, NOT a pre-war.

Fellows, please correct me, in case I got it all wrong with pre and post.

Regards

[Attila]

You have right Hasan 34xxx is post war.