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Please help me identifying a prewar Tessar
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:23 pm    Post subject: Please help me identifying a prewar Tessar Reply with quote
Dear all,
I've just received a nice 50mm F2.8 Tessar, s/n 1.619.918
It has a 39mm thread.
I mounted on a Sony A68 with a M39 to M42 adapter and a M42 to Sony-A one.
At infinity it focuses at about 2 meters.
I did some research but I'm a little confused:
is it a LTM ? It's not clear if Carl Zeiss provided Tessars to Leica
is it a Paxette ? According to the S/N the lens should be of 1936, Paxette cameras are post war. A-Mount and Paxette have similar flange distances, the lens should focus in a different way

So, I'm lost with this little gem from the past.

Thanks in advance for your hints!


PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Some pictures may help...
The last one is a shot I take with the lens


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Can you post some pictures of the lens?

Is it marked "Carl Zeiss Jena" or just "Carl Zeiss"? The latter is post-war, and started the SN on the lenses over again.

The CZJ lenses retained the SN sequence from the pre-war series.


PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi,
thanks for your feedback.
I added some pictures and I did a better research.
So the lens seems postwar and it has the same age as Paxette cameras.
I still have some doubts about the focal lenght:
this lens on A-Mount body is focusing between 1 and 2 meters (infinity on the lens focuses at 2 meters).
Paxette flange distance is 45.7mm, A-Mount one is 44.5, they're quite similar, I expect a Paxette lens on a A-Mount body to focus not perfectly but close to a native one, am I wrong ?

Luca

fiftyonepointsix wrote:
Can you post some pictures of the lens?

Is it marked "Carl Zeiss Jena" or just "Carl Zeiss"? The latter is post-war, and started the SN on the lenses over again.

The CZJ lenses retained the SN sequence from the pre-war series.


PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes its definitely a Paxette version, I have exactly the same lens, just a bit younger.

The FFD is 44mm, shorter than your A mount camera.

There are two ways to mount it on Mirrorless:

Find the elusive 15.2mm extension tube that adapts it (and turns it the right way round) or use a short helical and m39-M42 ring. The latter option is easiest. You need a helical that starts shorter than 26mm and goes longer. You will focus infinity that way.

Note the lens will screw on upside down, the start and finish of its 39mm thread is 180 degrees to LTM



PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
philslizzy wrote:
Find the elusive 15.2mm extension tube that adapts it

It's not really elusive, just a bit too expensive for what it is:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/202770364524
Made rather crudely, but does it's job fine


PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I prefer the helical adapters and have a few of different sizes. It's fantastic to get macro with any lens and sometimes use lenses with no focusing mechanism.


PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great,
I'll clean the lens and I'll find a way to try it on a A7
I have some spare parts I can use to get a helicoid Wink

Thanks for your feedback


philslizzy wrote:
Yes its definitely a Paxette version, I have exactly the same lens, just a bit younger.

The FFD is 44mm, shorter than your A mount camera.

There are two ways to mount it on Mirrorless:

Find the elusive 15.2mm extension tube that adapts it (and turns it the right way round) or use a short helical and m39-M42 ring. The latter option is easiest. You need a helical that starts shorter than 26mm and goes longer. You will focus infinity that way.

Note the lens will screw on upside down, the start and finish of its 39mm thread is 180 degrees to LTM



PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alex TG wrote:
philslizzy wrote:
Find the elusive 15.2mm extension tube that adapts it

It's not really elusive, just a bit too expensive for what it is:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/202770364524
Made rather crudely, but does it's job fine


Price wise, if it does the job properly i.e turns the lens the right way up $22 (£17.40) isn't too bad*. I've seen an original 50's tube go for double that. They're not common. I searched for a long time for mine. And got it free with a focus checker. Mine is a Perfiflex accessory. They made them for M42, Exakta and Praktina too apparently.

*$22 to uk +$6 postage + £3.50 import tax + £8 collection fee cost in UKP £34.08 = $42.08 Too expensive.

There are more Paxette adaptors around lately, but this has only been this last year or so. I notice now that they make them (or rather sell modified M42 adaptors) for mirrorless, perhaps one of those would be good, but the helical will be more versatile and have more uses. Good luck
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