What's this strange T marking on a 58mm F2 Biotar?

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Looks like a red T with two more red horizontal lines. Any ideas? Maybe just an engraving error? It has an Exakta bayonet.

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

It almost looks like the put the normal T on there an then crossed it out. "Oops this one didn't get T coating, sorry..." Smile

really, I have no idea and I have never seen it.

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

Called "Flying Kite".
Guess it is just a way to prevent trademark hassles with Zeiss West-Germany. Have several Zeiss lenses with this markings. Not often to be found.
Klaus

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

I can confirm what Klaus said, I got the same info. They just weren't allowed to mark their multicoating "T*"

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Thanks for the information. Interesting, I learn something new every day about Carl Zeiss Jena Smile

SVP · Expire: 2017-12-17

Quite interesting indeed.

Btw, this is a letter from the Greek alphabet (the greek equivalent for X actually...).

dude163 · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject:

I thought that too,

Xsi , but wikipedia says " XI"

SVP · Expire: 2017-12-17

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

I have a Biotar that has lettering wiped out as if it was melted (the "Biotar" part and one other small area where it might have had either a T* or a small logo - can't tell now). I saw another one like that on ebay from a seller I know and when I asked him about it he suggested it might have been done to allow it to be imported or shipped outside East Germany. Has anyone else seen such defaced CZJ lenses around? The other interesting part about my copy is that it has Germany engraved on the barrel but before that someone has scratched "Lens made in USSR occupied".

This one is different though - it's a professional job and looks neat.

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

This scratching and altering might have happen in USA, just at the customs. It happened with Exakta cameras with Varex name. Varex was a trademark of Argus for their shutters and custom would not clear any cameras until the Varex was removed, altered, partly riveted, scratched out.... which finally let to many interesting usa variations for collectors Wink

And lenses and cameras were marked Made in USSR Occupied Germany, just to warn US citizens that they were supporting a communist regime by purchasing the lens/camera....
Maybe there was something like that with the Zeiss trademarks, too. I have a couple of lenses with aus Jena namering and T 1;2,8 f=50, instead of Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2,8/50 (same game with Biotar, sonnar...). Underneath this aus Jena ring you can frequently find the original ring with sometimes, not always, scratched out lens name and Zeiss name. And with a completly different lens number!

Klaus

Keysersoze27 · Expire: 2012-12-24

Seele · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 741 Location: Sydney Australia

Post-WWII Jena used the original T-coating and marked on the lenses as such, but of course T* was an Oberkochen development so Jena did not have anything to do with it. However, Jena's multicoating method for their telescopes and binoculars was officially known as T3M and yet it was never marked on photographic lenses as such, "MC" was pretty much universally understood anyway.

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

Thanks for the information, Klaus!

I also searched a bit and found this informative article here: http://www.pentaconsix.com/jena.htm

rick_oleson · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:41 am Post subject:

That's an excellent article!

I've had a number of Pentacon 35mm SLRs that had had the Pentacon name ground off, and a Meyer Primoplan with the name ground off of its ID ring. I'm not sure what was up with these... the Pentacons might have been defaced by the factory to be sold for private-label remarking, as all of the rebadged ones I've inspected have had the original name defaced underneath the attached "Hexacon" or whatever nameplate. The US in particular seems to be zealous about this sort of thing - Asahi Pentaxes were defaced if they didn't carry Honeywell markings, even if they were carried home by tourists who bought them in Japan.....

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

rick_oleson · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 1:07 pm Post subject:

very cute! i haven't seen that one! who ever said communists didn't have a sense of humor?

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Keysersoze27 · Expire: 2012-12-24

Seele · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 741 Location: Sydney Australia

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

The strange think about my lens is that it still carries the Carl Zeiss Jena marking - only the Biotar and a logo were erased.

Sevo · Expire: 2012-12-03

SVP · Expire: 2017-12-17