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Not your Average Telephoto (180mm F/1.3 Zoomar)
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:44 am    Post subject: Not your Average Telephoto (180mm F/1.3 Zoomar) Reply with quote
One of the few Zoomar 180mm F/1.3 lenses ever made is offered for sale on eBay (Click here to see on Ebay). According to the seller, this rare lens comes from the estate of Dr. Back, the late designer of the first zoom lens and owner of the Kilfitt/Zoomar lens manufacturing company. At $3295, it's a bit expensive for a lens that is reputedly not so sharp, but I guess this is the price to pay to own a piece of history. Here are the pictures from the auction:






Here's a link to the Cameraquest page about this lens (note the pathetic FTM curves):
http://www.cameraquest.com/zoomar13.htm

And here are some pictures taken with this lens by Fuu-diing Chen:






There are more pictures on this page on Shimada Kazuya's website.

Cheers!

Abbazz

Last edited by Abbazz on Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:57 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting lens of course, and thanks for the links.

I wish the photographer had tried digital, as the film+scan+reduced jpg give little idea of the potential of this thing, though obviously it can let you use a fast enough shutter to stop action on a stage.

The minimum focus of 23 ft.(7-8m) is a little unfortunate, but understandable. Not really a portrait or studio lens !


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice and interesting lens! I'd say that the price is relatively low for such a rare beast. Let's not forget that the production costs were much more, and that optical glass in large sizes is not cheap either.

Any clues as to the optical scheme of this lens? I suppose it is not just an enlarged Sonnar design?


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Spotmatic wrote:
Nice and interesting lens! I'd say that the price is relatively low for such a rare beast. Let's not forget that the production costs were much more, and that optical glass in large sizes is not cheap either.

The price of this lens was $2,668 in 1970, which is equivalent to $14,242.75 in 2009, according to the MesuringWorth website (calculation based on Consumer Price Index).

Spotmatic wrote:
Any clues as to the optical scheme of this lens? I suppose it is not just an enlarged Sonnar design?

The optical scheme is available on the invaluable site of Marco Cavina (the lens aperture is indeed F/1.3 an not F/1.2 as erroneously stated):



Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
A guy I know has two or three (wanted to sell one..) of those.
The serial no of that one looks familiar though (#11 made),
so I doubt that it is indeed from Dr Back.

Not too long ago in Australia one was sold (tried to..) and relisted a few times on ebay before it finally went really cheap (offer of ca USD500 ) - and I regret that I didn't make an offer too...


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very interesant lens.

Zoomar? I had the 36-82/2.8 Zoomar with Voigtlander's mount.

It had all the defects that you wanted to find!!!!!

Rino.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Anyway, it's gone, eBay listing "ended with buy-it-now"...


PostPosted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
SVP wrote:
Anyway, it's gone, eBay listing "ended with buy-it-now"...


Must be one of our fellow members. Wink

Cheers!

Abbazz
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