Good lens, but not Sonnar

[RSalles]

Well, there is a person who's selling a Pentacon 2.8/135 lens which has its Praktica Bayonet mount replaced by a M42 mount as it is a Sonnar 2.8/135 lens, see link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M42-mount-Carl-Zeiss-Jena-Sonnar-MC-135mm-F2-8-L110584-/290840610338?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item43b7738622

I have exactly the same lens, i can say it's not a Sonnar, but a Pentacon lens.

What's your oppinion about this type of pratice?

Renato

[iangreenhalgh1]

It is extremely common to see PB Pentacons listed on ebay as Zeiss lenses, whether they says Pentacon or Zeiss on them, been going on for years, it's a trap for the uninformed.

[fermy]

Obviously it's a dishonest practice as labeling is not shown and it is not a Zeiss lens. The feedback of this seller clearly says: stay away.

[cambug]

The lenses in B mount with a P marked are of Pentacon sourced, also, never heard of any Zeiss Jena 135mm Sonnar lens with f2.8 aperture. Earlier aluminum are f4 and later zebra and MC are of f3.5. The 135mm f2.8 are either Pentacon / Meyer or West German design. Look before you leap...

[Lloydy]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M42-mount-Carl-Zeiss-Jena-28mm-f2-8-110270-/300549385311?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item45fa23ac5f

Is this what he says it is, or is it a clumsily altered 29mm lens ?

[Ultron]

that price seems ridiculous, especially when there are so many 135 2.8 lenses around. Plenty of pentacon 135 2.8 on ebay for much less.

Anyway, the lens does say Carl Zeiss Jena in the pic, and maybe the seller thinks this is a Sonnar copy.
I had to look it up on Google, as I would before spending thay much money on a lens!

btw this 135 3.5 is a sonnar and it's much cheaper!

Click here to see on Ebay

Edited to remove huge ebay URL.
Please use the "ebay" buttons and insert the item number in there when composing your post.

[Ultron]

[Ultron]

Oh, same seller.

I'm starting to doubt if he is a fair seller...

[fermy]

[Ultron]

ah, it's a sigma

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/213289-carl-zeiss-jena-28mm-1-2-8-a.html

Some of his stuff seems worth the high prices and some of his stuff is way overpriced. No way this is worth $ 390.

This has been opened and repaired, you can tell by the marks on the namering.

Maybe $ 20 because he has the box, cap and hood.

[Lloydy]

Actually, I'm wrong to call him out on that 28mm lens I think it's one of these -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carl-Zeiss-Jena-28mm-f2-8-Fast-Prime-Lens-Pentax-PK-Mount-fits-K-5-K-30-K-r-K-x-/330893222847?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item4d0ac5e3bf&nma=true&si=SNg43TnbsutAEev%252Fan5qgEwRvEE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

http://www.mflenses.com/carl-zeiss-jena-ii-28mm-f28-macro-japanse-version.html

Which as Ultron says, looks Japanese - because it is Japanese.

That mess with the paint on the 28mm mark on the trim ring looks very suspicious though.

[Pancolart]

[Ultron]

It's not paint, the lens has been poorly serviced.
The namering has been unscrewed for repair and damaged in the process.

I would not pay 72 pounds for it either. Seems like a good lens, and it's fun that it says zeiss on the lens and the cap but still...

[Pancolart]

Quote frome here: http://museum.praktica.de/index.php?id=11&L=0

On the 2nd of August, 1984 the VEB Pentacon was incorporated in the much larger Carl-Zeiss-Jena combine. For the third time in one century, a Zeiss company grabbed for the photo industry in Dresden - finally with success. From now on, the independence of the VEB was lost forever.

The new company was forced to sign new contracts with suppliers from Carl-Zeiss-Jena and had to withdrawal from long-year local partners. The business structure had to be changed to Zeiss demands.

[iangreenhalgh1]

That lens that lloydy linked to is a Cosina and in common with he other Cosinas of that age is really crap - low contrast, muted colours, just a poor lens. You will see lots of Cosina and Sigma made lenses with the CZJ branding, they are all crap.

In 1991, they changed the labelling on the Pentacon lenses to Carl Zeiss Jena because Pentacon VEB was merged with CZJ VEB.

Therefore, the late production Pentacon lenses are marked CZJ but are identical to the Pentacon ones.

CZJ did actually make lenses in the Pentacon PB mount, but it's not easy to mix them up with the Pentacon 'fakes' because they have different specifications. The Pentacon 'fakes' are 2.8/28. 1.8/50, 2.8/135, as far as I know, the 2.4/50 pancake was never seen with CZJ lettering. The real Zeiss are 2.8/20, 2.8/25, 2.4/35, 1.8/50, 1.8/80, 3.5/135 and a lot rarer than the Pentacons.

The Japanese CZJ lenses came about because the production of lenses in Germany ended and the UK importer needed to source new stock, so unscrupulously, they contracted with Sigma and Cosina to produce versions of their lenses with CZJ labelling. These lenses are identical to the crap they were selling with Sigma and Cosina labels and should be avoided like the plague, I have tried many of them and they are right at the very bottom of the pile in quality.

[Excalibur]

h'mm my CZJ 28mm f2.8 in Pentacon mount says "made in GDR"

[Pancolart]

Maybe it would better to just show photos of fakes that have nothing to do with either Pentacon nor Zeiss Jena.

COSINA mentioned above, available in both 28 and 24mm (photos from Fred Miranda forum: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/949530


also topic here: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=54132

SIGMA primes 24mm, 28mm, 135mm. Topic covered here: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=44781
Looking like this:

None of the above lenses in healthy state isn't really crappy IMHO. Bot nothing special for sure.

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Excalibur]

Please delete

[cambug]

Ian,

Are you sure that there is a Zeiss Jena 25mm f2.8 lens in B mount? I am aware that there was a 25mm f4 Flektogon in Exakta or m42 mount, not even sure if it existed in Praktina mount...

[fermy]

Nothing really confusing here. Lenses made in GDR, labeled CZJ that look like Pentacons and have Pentacon specs, are Pentacons (produced after the ultimate merger of Pentacon and CZJ in 91).
Lenses made in Japan, labeled CZJ are low to average quality Sigma and Cosina (for Sigma and Cosina made good lenses too).

[Excalibur]

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Lloydy]

Definitely a case of 'buyer beware' then How many people will see the 'Carl Zeiss' name and the inflated price tag and believe it's a good quality lens ?

The only lens I have thrown away was a Cosina 28, which from my shaky memory was that lens.

[frenched]

Interesting follow-on to the Meyer/Pentacon/Zeiss history nonetheless.