Rodenstock-Heligon 1,9/50 M42 price went crazy on Ebay

[Pancolart]

Would you please enlighten me why this lens is so precious?
Click here to see on Ebay.de

[mflex-on]

[A G Photography]

[LucisPictor]

Yep! Collector's item, collector's price.

[semso]

I do not think that this lens in any aspect better is than Helios 44-2 (1 euro)
regards semso

[exaklaus]

Very rare lens, very few where made.
You can compare with Helios as you can compare Lada with DeLorean. each one will do the job.

Klaus

[Pancolart]

After learning of The DeLorean Motor Company (though I love Back to the Future triology) i think i've got the picture . Thank you guys.

[semso]

To exaklaus,
do not forget that helios 100% copy of Biotar (CARL ZEISS!!!!!)
and LADA is probably based on FIAT
If you like to speek about brands (not about quality)
regards semso

[kansalliskala]

[kds315*]

rare lens indeed. Funny that at least I would always
prefer the original over a copy ... how come?

[mflex-on]

As I already wrote: it would be an interesting lens but I am not willing to pay the collector’s surcharge.

Why do I think it is interesting?

I have another lens made by Rodenstock, the "Ysarex". This is a tiny lens made for the "Deckel" mount (Kodak, Voigtländer). It is a standard lens, a Tessar design. Well, another Tessar. I have seen many. But the Ysarex is better, the best Tessar I have seen before. Even the corners of a picture are usable at wide open aperture on my EOS 5D. Good colours, fine resolution.

If that Heligon is the same way better in the "Gauss" league it’s price may be higher than the normal Gauss design lenses - but not so much more ...

[semso]

I prefear to pay 50X less for a 100% copy
or to get 50 examples of 100% copy for the same money

regards semso

[mflex-on]

[semso]

About Rodenstock,
I will keep 600+ euro for myself and buy 1 euro Pentacon MC 1.8 50mm

semso

[mflex-on]

[no-X]

I don't believe this lens could perform any better than Helios, Biotar or Orestor. It's based on simple 6/4 planar formula, which is used by majority of 50-58mm f/1.7-f/2 lenses including the 3 mentioned ones.

It can be a good tool if used by good hands, but that applies to almost any lens.


It's just a collector item at this price...

[exaklaus]

[semso]

Hugo Meyer made both (Pentacon is Meyer lens)
What is wrong?

[exaklaus]

Nothing is wrong, just the nice price.
Klaus

[mflex-on]

[Rusty]

In my view the price has very little to do with how good or how bad the lens is , it is all about rarity if you are a collector of lenses

Some of us collect and use , some just collect for the sake of having some thing special

An insect collector will pay five times that price for a cockroach if it is guaranteed to be the last one on earth.........and the same goes for lenses

[exaklaus]

[rafa1981]

Even though obviously the price is due to collectibility, I sold one of those on eBay recently to get cash, but I was still amazed of what this lens can do at f1.9 and close distance. I think that it is a 6/4 Xenar design. So after that I bought a QBM Xenar 50 f1.9 (similar lens), where I do think that price will be in consonance with lens performance.

Helios or a pentacon are one or two degrees of magnitude after this lens.

BTW, listing lasted only two days, I think that I could have sold it even more expensive.

I dit two samples showing wide open performance, because the lens did looked like it had some issues:

http://www.ebay.es/itm/M42-Rodenstock-Heligon-50-f1-9-Edixa-RARE-/300662549198?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_186&hash=item4600e26ace

[danfromm]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Some Xenars are Tessars, some are 5 elements.