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New car or old lens... Zeiss Biotar 85/1.9
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PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 10:39 pm    Post subject: New car or old lens... Zeiss Biotar 85/1.9 Reply with quote

I don't ever recall seeing or hearing of this lens... http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Zeiss-Biotar-1-9-8-5cm-2370028-Heavy-for-Exakta-/271882925794
Any information about it? Is this price fair or insane?


PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's insane even if it were fair Wink

The seller claims that only 2 pieces were produced. If we take it at face value, there is no way to determine a fair price for such item. I haven't heard about such lens either. It does not look like an obvious fake though.


PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 11:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The price may be fair for you if you have deep pockets. I would rather buy a 8.5cm F1.75 Sonnar if I have budgets. Rolling Eyes

Last edited by calvin83 on Sun May 31, 2015 11:41 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't care how deep your pockets go, that price is insane, the most I could see paying for it is maybe $4000, if I had the money to burn, and really needed it, I don't and I don't, so I won't.
I guess I'm curious to know if this is going rate or a fishing expedition, I'm thinking the latter.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I were ever going to ask that kind of money for a lens I would have at least cleaned off the grime and fingerprints before I photographed it.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 2:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shameless seller...
I especially love +VAT on second hand items...


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 3:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Obviously there is a market for such things.
In Vienna the Leicashop does sell even more expensive items on regular basis: http://www.westlicht-auction.com/index.php?id=3
On their next auction the most expensive lens has a starting price of 150.000 Euros.
Usually somebody will buy it.
I really don't care about such things. Other people are collecting old cars or paintings for even more. So what?
For pure photographic purposes it doesn't make sense to pay more then a few thousand Euros per lens anyway for the most sophisticated lens, if it is really required at all for any special reason by some professionals.
Even in my former life when I had a higher budget I avoided to spend more than 1000 Euros for a lens. Although I have some lenses in my collection which would go for higher prices nowadays I didn't spent that much when I bought them. So at least it was a good investment. Wink
At the end of the day it's a business like the trading of antiques or likewise and some people make really good money on that.
Is the price insane? I don't think so. Nobody is really in need of such items.
I wouldn't buy the lens even for 1000 Euros as I do not make my money for living on the trading of lenses. My lenses are for photographic purposes only. I doubt that this lens is of any good use for that. My Super Takumar 85mm/F1.9 or my MC Rokkor 85mm/F1.7 will do the same job, maybe even better. For practical reasons I would prefer my Minolta AF 85mm/F1.4 anyway. Wink
Finally I doubt that anybody would be in the position to judge the difference on the final picture whether the photo was taken with the offered lens or with let's say an old Jupiter 9 85mm/F2 in LTM for 100 Euros. I would bet on that.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see what is insane or shameless about it. It's a collector's item and may be well worth it to a right person. There are only about a dozen of O-series Leicas in existence and they go for $2.5-3M nowadays.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see no problem with such prices - but I doubt he will get it via Ebay.
Such really rare collector items are better in a collectors vault or a museum than in my hand or the hands from other users.
So they likely last longer.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is a Hugo Meyer Kino Plasmat 9cm f1.5 in westlicht-auction now. Wink


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Compared to the common Trioplan lenses, this price tag for such a lens, that was produced just twice, sounds high, but ok.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't understand such discussions about prices. It is a free market and it regulates itself.
A rare item indeed, nice looking lens it is. Thiele mentions two lenses made as prototypes.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kds315* wrote:
I don't understand such discussions about prices. It is a free market and it regulates itself.
A rare item indeed, nice looking lens it is. Thiele mentions two lenses made as prototypes.


But it's sometimes quite entertaining to discuss about such unimportant issues and see what other's may think about it. Wink


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:13 am    Post subject: Carl Zeiss Biotar 75mm f/1.5 Reply with quote

I have a friend who have Carl Zeiss Biotar 75mm f/1.5 Exa and selling it if enyone interested let me know


PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Is this price fair or insane?

Pretty much none of my (our) business, I would say. With pockets not deep enough to speak into this auction in any way.

Simple offer x demand market rule will decide, nothing more and nothing less.

Though I'm curious how is the market value of 10cm Biotar that one of the guys here bought at Leicashop some years ago around €300. Must have been a bargain of cosmic proportions. Maybe he's planning a very nice retirement already.

Srdjan wrote:
I have a friend who have Carl Zeiss Biotar 75mm f/1.5 Exa and selling it if enyone interested let me know


What's the deal? Very Happy