Sonnar 8,5cm f/2 Exa (1937) - catching a rare bird

[Marek]

I don't have a time to newspost any new occurence in my home but this one might be interesting enough to get people's attention.

An 8,5cm f/2 prewar (1937) Exakta Sonnar, bought at Leicashop Vienna. Very well serviced. Extremely well built IMO. Optics in rather average condition as kind of expected for soon-to-be-80yo-lens.

According to two i-net sources (Leicashop, Captain Jack) from batch of only 90-100 lenses (I am eager to know more about its background and problematic if any lens-braininac here knows more, as usual).

This lens is an average performer, if not worst, I'd say. It is neither very sharp nor contrasty even shut down around f/8. Soft. Surely not properly coated - VERY light sensitive. I don't blame the optic condition though.

My Biotar 7,5cm f/1.5, about the same age (1940), seems to be a way better performer (and very creative). I am talking about T-coated piece but with horrible front element. I even think my Primoplan 7,5cm f/1.9 made by Hugo Meyer is sharper, less soft and less sensitive.

Having a solid bunch of German prewars to compare, I simply can't stop admiring the oldest Biotar's optic qualities for its age. The rest seems to be just a level(s) below. Saving 18cm Tele-Tessar (I expected nothing from this lens) and especially Triotar 13,5cm (the oldest prewar, not wartime) that is, for some strange reason, a razor-sharp lens even wide-open (never seen a bad Triotar yet).

Apart from that "little thing" the lens is lovely looking, rare and old - that's how I love it. After all, for soft B&W portraits - such a lens could be well suitable.


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#6 - PP will be the Sonnar's best friend...



#7 - f/5.6 or f/8, no PP




Marek

[kds315*]

Leicashop - a rather pricey source

[kansalliskalaCafe]

so you have a really expensive J9?

[Marek]

I barely sell really cheap too and almost always after CLA/clean, so I really don't mind Leicashop to be price-rocketing as far as they are open to negotiate the prices. Plus the chance for the lens being auctioned as dirty dachbodendfund somewhere runs from zero to none actually.

Yes, this lens is basically an overpriced Jupiters' great grandfather. But I have no special plans to photograph with Sonnar/Jupiter 85 optical formula based lenses and never really much cared about common cheap Russian copies, so I never own J-9 for a long time (just selling two "grenade blacks" right now )

[stevemark]

[Marek]