Zeiss S-Orthoplanar 105mm f/5.6 on Fuji GFX 50S II

[Christian S.]

Well, it's pretty amazingly sharp. I still need to get used to focus precisly at f/5.6, this was much easier with the Pentax 67 105mm f/2.4.

These images are from one of the first walks I had with the lens in my neightbourhood a few weeks ago. All were shot at f/5.6 because, well, I still have to get around to ask a mechanic to rebuild the missing link inside my sample that connects the aperture ring to the iris mechanism. I could reach it by hand and open up the aperture as it was slightly closed when I got the lens. But I think it deserves a proper functioning aperture.

[simple.joy]

Wow - very interesting lenses you‘ve got there! Thanks a lot for posting some sample shots, it‘s highly appreciated. 👍


Do you have an S-Planar 120 mm as well? It‘s also a wonderful lens which holds up surprisingly well, even today.

[Christian S.]

Thanks for the feedback!

Sadly, that's pretty much it in terms of exotic high resolution lenses. I got hold on both lenses a few years ago, but I was able to use them on mirrorless only recently. The 105mm sits in a 3D printed clamping housing with a Pentax 67 Bayonetta that positions it as deep as possible into the original P67 helicoid extention tube. From there, the middle sized fixed-length Pentax 67 extension tube is mounted, followed by a custom 3D-printed P67-to-GFX adapter with a length fitted to make infinity focus possible. I could get away with an aftermarket P67-to-GFX adapter if I would be able to position the lens a few millimeters closer inside the helicoid. But that would require to remove the inner lens shades inside the helicoid that prevents the so far. Maybe I will do that next to.reduce the amount of parts and.to rely only on just one 3D printed mount.

[simple.joy]

[kds315*]

Congratulations to you both, S-Ortho and S-Planar are both excellent lenses and indeed the S-Ortho has less CA.

Here my album with some S-Ortho 105mm shots:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/albums/72157638318121966

[simple.joy]

[Christian S.]

To go along the corresponding bokeh pictures in the Ortho 60mm thread, here is the image of the Ortho 105mm wide open, shooting christmaslights in August:



BTW, the images of the 120mm look very nice, seems to be a great lens as well.

[simple.joy]

[Christian S.]

I finally sat down, 3D printed some protective front- and back-caps for the 105mm Ortho and shipped it to a service technician that will have a look onto the aperture lever issue, following a recommendation from Klaus. So no more updates for the time being but hopefully stopped-down ones in the future.

[kds315*]

Hope it turns out well!

[Christian S.]

Well, after just about a week (if you leave out shipping days), the parcel arrived home again surprisingly while I was abroad. My wife took care of the parcel so it was well cared for until when I arrived this evening. And what a fine job Foto Olbrich did! They analyzed the lens, ascertained a missing link, hand-made a new one(!), cleaned and adjusted the aperture assembly and refitted the aperture ring with new click-stop bearing balls while straighten out a slight oval-like misshape of it. It certainly feels like new now.

I will have a closer look at daylight again but what I can already see is that simple.joy's assumption seems to turn out true: the completely round bokeh balls were probably caused by me moving the aperture lever leftover inside the lens to a fully open position that it is usually not supposed to be set to. With the aperture ring now set to f/5.6, there is a leftover of the aperture blades sticking into the optics just like the 60mm S-Orthoplanar. The invoice of Foto Olbrich specifically mentions an aperture calibration so they did not just stick in a new aperture lever st goodwill reference position. I guess after all, this behavior is normal to at least both S-Orthoplanars I own. The Christmas lights torture test will.tell us more in the next few.days.

Edit:

[Christian S.]

I forgot that my self-made adapter was built for the Zeiss Orthoplanar WITHOUT the (back-then) defunctional aperture ring. I will have to create a new adapter setup, this time probably based on commercially available helicoids and thread adapters.

Meanwhile, by just holding the Orthoplanar in front of my old adapter, I gave it a shot versus my recently acquired native Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2.0 lens, which is supposedly the best lens in the GFX system. Both shot at f/5.6. I find them remarkebly similar in performance. Quite a feat!

Zeiss (left) vs. GF110 (right)

[simple.joy]

[Christian S.]

Wow, these are truly beautiful macroshots! I really put the Orthoplan to shame with my attempts.

Indeed, the Orthoplan seems a tiny bit sharper, and that's with open aperture and a 5% focal length penalty.

[simple.joy]

[kds315*]

Excellent shots!!

[kds315*]

[kds315*]

@simple.joy:
Cannot agree more, as all Zeiss "S-" lenses are really special and within their defined ranges excellent performers!

Those btw.paved the way for modern microelectronics on chips, as some erly stepper systems relied on Zeiss S-Planar lenses (back then first optimized for 546nm, then 436nm, then 365nm wavelengths - written on lens in Angströms)



This one was Diffraction limited, resolution up to 1500 l/mm. 25cm height, 10 cm diameter, ca. 10 kilos weight.

[Christian S.]

@simple.joy: no prob, I will take those shots gladly. I just found out that a) there is no commercially available way to adapt the M55x0.75 to a standard helidoid but b) I got a threaded tube with a flange alongside the lens that I can now use to change the 3D printed adapter accordingly. I think I will be able to take some shots this week already.

[Christian S.]

How about this?

[simple.joy]