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Need Advice - Ultron Lens
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:40 am    Post subject: Need Advice - Ultron Lens Reply with quote
I can get an Ultron 50/2 lens pretty cheaply, about $40, for my Contax AX (M42 adapter).

Yeah, I've heard good things about the Ultron on the Internet, but you know
how that goes. Confused

Have any of you had REAL experience with the Ultron? Is it worth trying out?


PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:31 am    Post subject: Concave front element Reply with quote
I have one in an M42 mount with the unusual front element design. (It belongs to the sm Icarex.) It has gathered a lot of dust inside, so the contrast would be expected to suffer, but it gives nice and sharp pictures. The filter arrangement is the usual weird Zeiss arrangement with a bayonet fastening, so it needs a peculiar lenscap.

p.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm not aware of an M42 2/50 Ultron. Do you mean 1.8/50?


PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mos6502 wrote:
I'm not aware of an M42 2/50 Ultron. Do you mean 1.8/50?


+1 1.8/50 M42 Ultron is a high value lens.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry guys, I did mean the Ultron 50/1.8 lens. Attila, if you feel it is high value, then that's good
enough for me. I'll purchase the lens, and guess I could always sell it if it doesn't seem very
good to me.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Our member here has a nice set to show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indianadinos/sets/72157626249905127/
Admittedly I have that lens, but haven't done much with it...

$40 is a real steal Larry!!


PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Our member here has a nice set to show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indianadinos/sets/72157626249905127/
Admittedly I have that lens, but haven't done much with it...

$40 is a real steal Larry!!


Thanks MUCH for the link Klaus. Looks pretty nice to me, at least as far as one can see on
a computer monitor. Sounds like the lens is well worth the $40, so I'll pick it up.

I'll bet it STILL doesn't compare to the APO-Lanthar 90/3.5 SL. Of course, that's another
beast altogether. You may have heard about that lens. Laughing

In fact, that 90 is in my de-humidified case, and it is COMING OUT for Spring! It's such a
wonderful lens that I really take pains to keep it pristine, even to the point of having a
reminder on my work calendar to take it out once a month and work the aperture and
focus a little. Shocked I can only thank my lucky stars that it was not part of the stolen
gear. That would have been the worst blow of all.

Anyway, back to the Ultron: I'm looking forward to adapting it onto the AX, which is
my personal favorite 35mm camera of all time (for me).


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Carl Zeiss Ultron 1.8/50 M42 is a 250-500 USD item, made for Icarex 35.



Probably different lens also sold by Voigtlander label I guess good performance and at least 100-150 USD value for others too.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila, the lens looks just like that from what I remember Ken (friend) showing me.
So, looks like a very nice bargain, even if I don't like it. But, I have a feeling I
WILL like it.

I did find a statement (on the web so take it with a grain of salt) that "it might be
one of the best 50s ever built". Shocked


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Laurence wrote:
Attila, the lens looks just like that from what I remember Ken (friend) showing me.
So, looks like a very nice bargain, even if I don't like it. But, I have a feeling I
WILL like it.

I did find a statement (on the web so take it with a grain of salt) that "it might be
one of the best 50s ever built". Shocked


Very convincing to dig it out and give it a spin!!

I like the story behind it about the lens designer W A Tronnier http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/dewiki/2237582 , who was betting against his colleagues that a lens should have a concave front
and all the others were against him. So here we have the living proof that he won the bet.

(c) taunusreiter.de, Frank Mechelhoff


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Our member here has a nice set to show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indianadinos/sets/72157626249905127/
Admittedly I have that lens, but haven't done much with it...

$40 is a real steal Larry!!


Afaik the Color Ultron is a Planar design, see also http://taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Bessa_RF_histo.html


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 6:34 pm    Post subject: planar=double Gauss Reply with quote
According to one of the characters invented by Lewis Carroll words mean what you make them mean.

In this case, the usual Zeiss copyright name "Planar" was, and is, based on a double Gauss; i.e. from its start, convex outer element+negative-aperture-negative+convex in a number of refined constructions adding elements. This particular variant of the Voigtländer nomenclature has a concave first element, as opposed to its predecessors and successors which clearly were double Gauss varieties. The difference might merit not calling it a "Planar".

p.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Laurence wrote:
Attila, the lens looks just like that from what I remember Ken (friend) showing me.
So, looks like a very nice bargain, even if I don't like it. But, I have a feeling I
WILL like it.

I did find a statement (on the web so take it with a grain of salt) that "it might be
one of the best 50s ever built". Shocked


There is many one of the best, but this one surely is one of the most respected. I will look for your big smile once you got first result. Smile


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would certainly NOT call that a "Planar". Tronnier has a patent on that one I guess, so
from that it cannot be a Planar either.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
I would certainly NOT call that a "Planar". Tronnier has a patent on that one I guess, so
from that it cannot be a Planar either.


I thought the Ultron 50/1.8 is optically identical with the Rollei HFT Planar 50/1.8 and the slightly rare Carl Zeiss Planar 50/1.8
http://forum.mflenses.com/carl-zeiss-planar-1-8-50-rollei-sl-1972-t45342.html
One of the better 50mm lenses
Or was it only the "Color-Ultron 50/1.8"?


PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ForenSeil wrote:
kds315* wrote:
I would certainly NOT call that a "Planar". Tronnier has a patent on that one I guess, so
from that it cannot be a Planar either.


I thought the Ultron 50/1.8 is optically identical with the Rollei HFT Planar 50/1.8 and the slightly rare Carl Zeiss Planar 50/1.8
http://forum.mflenses.com/carl-zeiss-planar-1-8-50-rollei-sl-1972-t45342.html
One of the better 50mm lenses
Or was it only the "Color-Ultron 50/1.8"?


I think that is Color-Ultron , not this lens.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 8:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Larry, lo and behold I just found mine. So does that look familiar?







(xcuse the crappy iPhone pics...)

P.S.: Larry, in 2008 we talked about that lens, when I had won it and you commented how sharp it is... Wink
http://forum.mflenses.com/i-won-a-zeiss-ultron-1-8-50mm-hows-that-t6704.html
(the pictures I shot then were crap, I used a bad M42-Nikon adapter with glass...discard)


PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Klaus wrote:

Larry, lo and behold I just found mine. So does that look familiar?

It looks very familiar. Smile


PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 5:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Welcome to the club, Lawrence Very Happy

Reminds me, I haven't done much with this beautiful lens in a while, either... I should!



PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 6:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
uhh, our lenses were made just 39 lenses apart from each other!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
uhh, our lenses were made just 39 lenses apart from each other!


Hahaha, you are right!!! That is kind of awesome… I wonder… it must have sat in the same room at some point during manufacture, wouldn't you think?? Regardless, great catch!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yep, got quite obvious when looking at the lens front!

Last edited by kds315* on Mon Mar 11, 2013 2:05 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Made some test shots, have a look here: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1304764.html


PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 1:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Need Advice - Ultron Lens Reply with quote
Laurence wrote:
I can get an Ultron 50/2 lens pretty cheaply, about $40, for my Contax AX (M42 adapter).



big, red envy alert!!
I still remember when, some years ago as it would have been my most expensive lens, I was too miser to spend 150 Euro for one. Now it usually sells for more than double that!

Laurence this really is a lucky 'steal'!


PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:29 am    Post subject: Re: Need Advice - Ultron Lens Reply with quote
kuuan wrote:
Laurence wrote:
I can get an Ultron 50/2 lens pretty cheaply, about $40, for my Contax AX (M42 adapter).




big, red envy alert!!
I still remember when, some years ago as it would have been my most expensive lens, I was too miser to spend 150 Euro for one. Now it usually sells for more than double that!

Laurence this really is a lucky 'steal'!


Well I am humbled by the price that Ken wants for the lens. When I see him next week, I really want to be sure that he knows the price differences.I would not even enjoy testing out the lens if I was full of guilt.

I anticipate that sharpness is only one facet of 'liking a lens. I'll need to also have a good feeling about the lens, if that makes any sense.

Like when I got my Pentax 645 I didn't really like the looks of it's. But then I found out how ERGONOMIC that camera is. And suddenly it's beautiful!
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