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Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 1.5/75 : I need some info
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pre-war exactly I do remember for your purchase now.

Most rare and valuable one.

this is early post -war slim biotar


http://www.mflenses.com/carl-zeiss-jena-biotar-75mm-f15-lens-review.html
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/zeiss/carl_zeiss_jena_biotar/biotar_75mm_f1_5/


PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Attila & exaklaus for the complete version info.
I am asking because, like luisalegria said, there are 3 items on ebay with different price, $850, $1,097 and $3,450.
So is it worth it if I take the cheapest one?

By the way, I have Meyer-Optik 135mm f/2.8 with Exakta mount which the protrude black ring part of the mount made my 5D mirror stucked (luckily I finally found M42 mount that could replaced the Exakta mount on this Meyer lens).
But how about the Exakta mount on this Biotar, is it fixed mount?

Thank you All.


PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personal opinion, the Biotar 75 is much too expensive for what it is, no matter what version.

The price these days is so high because of collectors.

If you want a portrait lens with a large aperture, to use not collect, I suggest you try the Samyang 85mm. I have seen excellent results from that.

The lens mount is part of the complete rear tube that holds part of the helical, so it is hard to replace. Some people have the rear tube machined to replace the Exakta mount with M42. But you really shouldn't have to do that. There are good Exakta - Canon adapters.

The only real problem is the Praktina version. It should be possible to have a machinist make a Praktina adapter - I have some ideas how to do that - but it would be expensive.


PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
Personal opinion, the Biotar 75 is much too expensive for what it is, no matter what version.

The price these days is so high because of collectors.

If you want a portrait lens with a large aperture, to use not collect, I suggest you try the Samyang 85mm. I have seen excellent results from that.

The lens mount is part of the complete rear tube that holds part of the helical, so it is hard to replace. Some people have the rear tube machined to replace the Exakta mount with M42. But you really shouldn't have to do that. There are good Exakta - Canon adapters.

The only real problem is the Praktina version. It should be possible to have a machinist make a Praktina adapter - I have some ideas how to do that - but it would be expensive.


Thank you very much for the complete info.


PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Basically all 85mm lenses are good and all perfect for portraits, they go from 100 USD to sky. If you can afford take a Biotar 75mm any .. nice to own a legend. They are like cars all have wheels, engine all transport you to A to B... people buy different ones based on their budget. I still keep my Biotars even if they fetch high price and I can replace them with cheap ones like Samyang.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeahhhh..... I finally got this famous Biotar 75mm. Its very expensive but my curiousity cant stop me buying the lens Smile
I got the fat Biotar in super mint condition. So its the pre-war right?
The sharpness is OK.
The "miraculous" thing is it's M42 mount and does not hit my 5D mirror!! Yeahh:)

I'm gonna play with this lens for a while and taming its wild bokeh Smile before I post the review.

My question is : it there any M42 mount for later Biotar (post-war, slim body) that does not hit 5D mirror? Just curious to know because Attila said its sharper than the fat one/pre-war.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its 1Q type. I measured its length, its 7,5 cm long.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yours is like mine, but in better condition. It looks good.
The fat Biotars are postwar, 1950's.
You can find the year, more or less, from the serial number.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:

The fat Biotars are postwar, 1950's.
You can find the year, more or less, from the serial number.


Argghh ... I mixed up the pre & post war Smile

Thanks for the info about serial number. It starts with number 58xxxxx.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It seems that 1959-1960 would be a good estimate for yours -

5,000,000-6,000,000: 1958-1961


PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:14 am    Post subject: Pre-war Biotar in M42 Reply with quote

Hi there, I've been researching my biotar have come across this post. I think all the experts of biotars are here and hope you guys can help.

From the photos I see, I'm sure it's a PRE-WAR Version.
Serial number starts at 2688XXX.... so roughly 1941
Weight is 416g, the lighter of the lens.
no T coating
7,5 cm ...not 75 mm

mount: M42!!! now this is where I get confused!!

I've searched high and low and cannot find anything on a Pre-war biotar with M42 mount.
If does not look like it's switched of fabricated. Seems to be original from the factory.

Do you guys think this is a Prototype? Definitely a collector's item i would think.

Any info would be great! Also value of the lens.. it's in pretty good condition.

I'm in Hong Kong and if anyone's near by, they can come have a look!

Cheers,

Kitson





PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice one. You are sure it is M42, not M40?, which would mean it is for Praktiflex.
If M42, it was altered at some time in it's life. No prototype, as M42 was introduced after WWII.

Klaus


PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

exaklaus wrote:
Nice one. You are sure it is M42, not M40?, which would mean it is for Praktiflex.
If M42, it was altered at some time in it's life. No prototype, as M42 was introduced after WWII.

Klaus


thanks Klaus,

I have a M42 to EOS adapter and it fits really smoothly. I did a search on wiki for the M42 and M40 and come back with this...
Quote:
The M42 mount was first developed by Carl Zeiss at their Jena plant in 1938 at the request of the KW camera company for their Praktica line, which had previously used M40 (40 mm by 1 mm DIN).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M42_lens_mount

Do you think it's possible that it's one of the first ones made for M42? I think it'd be easy to make it from M42 to M40, but to add 2mm back on the thread would be a much tougher job..

Any insights?

thanks!
Kitson


PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Who knows...
But I don't believe that as first Praktiflex was released in 1939!
There was no Praktica until end of 1949 (m42) and the Contax S (m42) was released as first m42 camera end of 1949, too.
I'd bet that your lens has not the original base. Compare with the other pre-war lenses. There is no depth of field scale on yours.
Not the screw mount was altered to m42, the complete rear end was swapped.

Klaus


PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1 altered lens , but no matter be happy , not many people have it!


PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would think so too! Makes much more sense!
Any idea how much it would be worth??

Thx!

Kitson

Attila wrote:
+1 altered lens , but no matter be happy , not many people have it!


PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kitson306 wrote:
I would think so too! Makes much more sense!
Any idea how much it would be worth??

Thx!

Kitson

Attila wrote:
+1 altered lens , but no matter be happy , not many people have it!




Difficult to make an estimate, but I'd bet something between $600 and 1100


Klaus


PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

after some more research, and talked to some old school camera guys here locally, they said it should be a T2 mount. Not sure where this leads..


PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kitson306 wrote:
after some more research, and talked to some old school camera guys here locally, they said it should be a T2 mount. Not sure where this leads..


T2 (that's a more modern thing) would mean it can be adapted by cheap adapters to every SLR.

But I doubt that it is T2. T2 has a finer thread.
Anyway, there should be a camera shop somewhere with an old praktica or pentax to try if it is M42....

Klaus


PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's M42 when it fits into your EOS Adapter. As said T2 is also 42mm but has a finer thread and won't fit into your adapter.
so
+1 for altered lens, because theres no depth of field scale. I wonder who made this modification. I would say it's about 600-800€ worth if the glas is without haze and focus and aperture are not stiff.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think this mystery will never be solved.

The modification, T2 or M42, doesn't look like any aftermarket work. The metals on the top and bottom are similar in color and quality, also the age seems to match. There's no welding marks anywhere so the whole bottom must have been swapped.

I think there's more to it than just a hollow bottom as the elements seems to be sliding on rails on the inner size. this would make it extremely hard to mill out a bottom just for this.

Another old lens expert suggest it might have been a custom order lens for military use or a limited run for some gov't work, etc. But no way to tell, and no way to proof.

ForenSeil wrote:
It's M42 when it fits into your EOS Adapter. As said T2 is also 42mm but has a finer thread and won't fit into your adapter.
so
+1 for altered lens, because theres no depth of field scale. I wonder who made this modification. I would say it's about 600-800€ worth if the glas is without haze and focus and aperture are not stiff.
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