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1938 Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 Exakta mount
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:54 am    Post subject: 1938 Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 Exakta mount Reply with quote

Mostly snapshots taken over the years. Super-heavy nickel over brass construction.

This lens was pretty much useless when I stumbled across it. The lens grease had solidified...but the glass was actually pretty nice...so I spent some time re-greasing the threads. The dis-assembly of these older Zeiss lenses in not for the faint of heart...multiple nesting sleeves...you need to make lots of index marks whilst disassembling, or you will never get it back together!

Beautiful fit and finish on these....the insides are perfectly finished...amazing stuff.

An interesting thing: the diaphragm is 8 blades and dome-shaped, as the rear-most element of the front lens block is VERY close to the front lens element of the rear lens block, so a flat iris would not fit!

Pics of the dis-assembly: http://eggboy.smugmug.com/Other/Pre-war-Zeiss-Biotar-repair/i-pqRmS6W/A


Here's the lens with a Series 6 adapter and old Kodak lens hood....you NEED a shade with these old uncoated lenses:

Typical lens blackening spots:


Ready for action:


Anyway, enough of me blabbing:

Pics taken with this lens. The first two are with a Canon 40D, the rest with a Sony A7. Click to enlarge to 1600px wide!

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Last edited by eggboy on Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:21 am; edited 3 times in total


PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

looks great Smile

is this the 58/2? Which mount? TY, congrats!


PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent!

I didn't realise they made Biotars pre-war. I have an early postwar one that I like, renders just like this one.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@uhoh7: Thanks! It's an Exakta mount 58/2.

@iangreenhalgh1: the pre-war ones are scarce but not fully rare. They have different, bigger exteriors, and the wacky 8 blade domed iris. I have a post war one, and plan on doing a quick side by side picture set to see how differently they might render.

Eyeballing these 2 Biotars, the left one is early post-war, the right one a 1937 one...and there looks to be a slight difference in the curvature of the front elements: the post war is more curved, and perhaps the post war one has an ever so slightly longer optical assembly...at some point I might measure...



PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Excellent!

I didn't realise they made Biotars pre-war. I have an early postwar one that I like, renders just like this one.


I have a 40mm Biotar in Robot (26mm screw) mount produced in 1938.

Steve


PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool stuff, I have seen these pop up while looking for a matching 58/2 to go with my 35/2.8 Flek, and 80/2.8 Tessar.
Looking for one like this in Exakta:
http://forum.mflenses.com/czj-biotar-58-2-t-alu-pre-set-t34687.html


PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lightshow wrote:
Cool stuff, I have seen these pop up while looking for a matching 58/2 to go with my 35/2.8 Flek, and 80/2.8 Tessar.
Looking for one like this in Exakta:
http://forum.mflenses.com/czj-biotar-58-2-t-alu-pre-set-t34687.html


I have one exactly like that which I would be willing to sell.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like a gem to me!