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Rollei 50mm f/1.8 SL Planar with M42 mount?
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:16 pm    Post subject: Rollei 50mm f/1.8 SL Planar with M42 mount? Reply with quote
This weekend I obtained a strange beast, for me at least. It's a Voigtländer VSL1 TM set with a M42 Rollei 50mm f/1.8 SL Planar with M42 mount. The Voigtländer, as the name implies, is a M42 camera. The Planar lens is clearly marked with "Made by Rollei Singapore" and "SL" on the front lens bezel. Is this a Frankenstein lens? I have searched a bit but I could not find a similar one.

1.
http://camerac.nl/foto/misc/planar01.jpg

2.
http://camerac.nl/foto/misc/planar02.jpg


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That lens is exactly the same as one I have in Rollei QBM mount, the engraved ring on the front is the same. On the rear of mine - on the bayonet itself - it's engraved "Made in West Germany", I think it was probably from the Voightlander factory. The camera, a SL35 is made in Singapore, and I would say they were bought together as I bought a kit.
The serial number of my lens is 1036299 SL

I would suspect the mount has been changed to M42, but I have no firm knowledge of that.

( edited for accuracy )

Last edited by Lloydy on Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:57 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is the rear of my Singapore Rollei Planar. Front is identical to yours (serial number 104xxxx). The bayonet is a simple plate with three lugs and held on with three screws. Very easy to remove and I guess replace with an alternative mount. Note the auto aperture pin is missing on mine (and two of the screws are non-original).

Mark



PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kitlens for the VSL 1 was a Voigtländer Color Ultron (m42) just the same lens as the Rollei Planar 50mm 1.8 for the SL 35 in QBM mount.
Maybe it is easy to swap the mounts?
I is a great lens by the way.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A small quantity of Rollei lenses was released in M42 mount, I have one of them (a Sonnar 2.8/85)


PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rollei lenses for 35mm cameras are very confusing, a mix of lenses made in Germany, Singapore, Japan (Rollinear, and some Voigtlander named lenses). Lenses marked Carl Zeiss (in QBM) were made in Germany only ( have never seen any exception ) and those marked made by Rollei were made either in Germany or Singapore, have never seen any lenses with Zeiss trademark names ( like Planar, Tessar etc. ) made in Japan for Rollei. The factory in Singapore was a Rollei factory and have nothing ( I believe ) to do with Carl Zeiss.

From the book Rollei Report 4 Rollei - Werke Rollei Fototechnic 1958 bis 1998, the following lenses were available in M42 (TM ) mount for the Voigtlander VSL1 TM camera:

f2.8 25mm Distagon, marked as Color-Skoparex, 1977

f2.8 35mm Distagon, marked as Color-Skoparex, 1977

f1.8 50mm Planar, marked as Color-Ultron, 1976

f2.8 85mm Sonnar, marked as Color-Dynarex, 1976

f4 135mm Tele Tessar, marked Color Dynarex, 1977

f4 200mm Tele Tessar, marked Color-Dynarex, 1977

Have never heard of any Rollei camera existed in M42 mount, so it is reasonable to use a Voigtlander name for its M42 lenses, although I cannot be sure if any amount of lenses in M42 mount existed with a Zeiss trademark name (as officially reported by Herr Prochnow). The mounts in QBM and M42 are obviously not interchanegable, but as the rest of the lenses are the same, it would be much easier to interchange the name ring. For those who wants for sell a M42 lens at a higher price, attaching a Zeiss name to the lens could be an attractive option...


PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Rollei 50mm f/1.8 SL Planar with M42 mount? Reply with quote
Spotmatic wrote:
This weekend I obtained a strange beast, for me at least. It's a Voigtländer VSL1 TM set with a M42 Rollei 50mm f/1.8 SL Planar with M42 mount. The Voigtländer, as the name implies, is a M42 camera. The Planar lens is clearly marked with "Made by Rollei Singapore" and "SL" on the front lens bezel. Is this a Frankenstein lens?


No, its actually a fairly common lens...I bought one from Andrews Cameras in Teddington for £20...I tested it and then took it back the next day to get my money back as it was no better than my Pentacon 50mm f1.8.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It is not a frankenlens, these lenses were sold with the Voigtlander VSL1.

Some were named Rollei Planar and some were named Voigtlander Color Ultron.

Since it's no better than a Pentacon I'd gladly take it off your hands Very Happy


PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for all nice explanations! So it seems that I have an original lens. I haven't tried it yet but I will do so soon! Please be patient...


PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
That lens is exactly the same as one I have in Rollei QBM mount, the engraved ring on the front is the same. On the rear of mine - on the bayonet itself - it's engraved "Made in German Democratic Republic", I think it was probably from the Voightlander factory. The camera, a SL35 is made in Singapore, and I would say they were bought together as I bought a kit.
The serial number of my lens is 1036299 SL

I would suspect the mount has been changed to M42, but I have no firm knowledge of that.


Excuse me to restart this thread after long time, but I need some éclaircissement:
"German Democratic Republic" was the Eastern half of divided Germany at that time, and there was no cooperation between the optical industries:
Rollei, Voigtländer and Zeiss Oberkochen were Werstern manfacturers,
Zeiss Jena, Praktia, Pentacon and lot of others http://www.kameramuseum.de/1-kameras-ddr.html were Eastern.

I can't imagine a QBM or Rollei lens with a mount "GDR" engraved, that seem impossible for me. Must be done as DIY work perhaps.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:17 am    Post subject: also for Alpa Reply with quote
The Singapore factory also made some samples for Pignons . M42 mount to be used with the corresponding Alpa adapter. The samples were apparently not good enough to enter production.

p.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
duckrider wrote:
Lloydy wrote:
That lens is exactly the same as one I have in Rollei QBM mount, the engraved ring on the front is the same. On the rear of mine - on the bayonet itself - it's engraved "Made in German Democratic Republic", I think it was probably from the Voightlander factory. The camera, a SL35 is made in Singapore, and I would say they were bought together as I bought a kit.
The serial number of my lens is 1036299 SL

I would suspect the mount has been changed to M42, but I have no firm knowledge of that.


Excuse me to restart this thread after long time, but I need some éclaircissement:
"German Democratic Republic" was the Eastern half of divided Germany at that time, and there was no cooperation between the optical industries:
Rollei, Voigtländer and Zeiss Oberkochen were Werstern manfacturers,
Zeiss Jena, Praktia, Pentacon and lot of others http://www.kameramuseum.de/1-kameras-ddr.html were Eastern.

I can't imagine a QBM or Rollei lens with a mount "GDR" engraved, that seem impossible for me. Must be done as DIY work perhaps.


You are absolutely right, my lens is engraved "Made in West Germany" - I must have been a bit confused with my history and geography when I wrote that. Embarassed ( I shall correct the original post )


PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
You are absolutely right, my lens is engraved "Made in West Germany" - I must have been a bit confused with my history and geography when I wrote that. Embarassed ( I shall correct the original post )


Thanks for reply!
Fortunately in sense of peace & family reunification & open borders we made great success in the last decades in Europe.
Unfortunate to the East German (not only camera, but all kinds of) industry, their employees and the richness of the products made there....
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