Out for a Walk with a Pre-War Exakta Tessar 5cm/2.8

eggboy

One of my goals for 2014 is to use and perhaps prune my collection of lenses...especially the ones not being used.

This is the first in (hopefully) a series.

Most likely I will sell this guy, as I have another one in the same shape; only waiting to clean the focusing threads.

Of note: I did disassemble this lens, but not the optical blocks. Using rubber/gum cones made for the purpose, it is very easy to unscrew the front and rear assemblies.

..then careful unscrewing of everything else, making very light index marks to record where the helical should re-attach.

..then a gentle solvent bath. I had read somewhere the Zeiss used a whale oil based grease for the lenses: I can believe it. After cleaning many of these, they are ALL quite gummy and black, and foul smelling too!.

...then several dabs of expensive lens helical lube from Micro Tools, and careful re-assembly. I was lucky in that the optics were fine and only needed a careful wipedown with a lens chamois.

Result: buttery easy light focusing that feels like silk. NO ONE seemed to machine better than Zeiss before the war...the insides of their prewar lenses are finished better than the exterior of most lenses.

Camera was a m43 Panasonic G5 (totally digging this camera....US$300 specials in late November...with kit lens...a true steal....not as nice feeling as the Oly E-P2, but much easier to use...)

The pix are from a walk on some local conservation land. You certainly can see the signature Tessar bokeh.

Most shots were at f5.6, and a few wide open. Soft and aberrated with open, quite sharp stopped down. The bokeh really smooths out nice at around f5.6.

I would love to see what this lens would look like on a Sony A7...pretty dreamy I bet...

Sorry for the annoying copyright watermark....

#1 f2.8

#2 f2.8

#3 probably f5.6

#4 probably f5.6

#5 probably f5.6

#6 probably f2.8

#7 probably f5.6

#8 probably f5.6

#9 probably f5.6

#10 probably f5.6

#11 The 'rig' used. You MUST use shades with these old uncoated lenses.

#12

#3

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

edited

Oldhand · Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 2:52 am Post subject: