HU: CZJ 75/1.5 Biotar in LTM

[Will]

CZJ 75/1.5 Biotar in LTM:

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/347-For-Leica-Carl-Zeiss-Jena-Biotar-1-5-7-5cm-T_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ28272QQitemZ662531179 2QQrdZ1#la-image-3

[John Shriver]

Yeah Westlicht auctions off some really groovy prices. But not generally at "user" prices, that's for sure!

[John Shriver]

I mean really groovy pieces. (Freudian slip?)

[Will]

Then there are the buyer premium

[jlw]

I know I've told the group my story about buying one of these years ago for $20 out of a "junk box" at a camera show; I used it for several years and then sold it to a prominent collector, who spent fairly serious money giving it the full mechanical restoration it deserved.

And actually, the starting price isn't too crazy if you really want an ultra-fast, rangefinder-coupled 75mm lens -- your only other option is a 75/1.4 Summilux, which goes for about $1700 used at B&H, and won't fit on your screwmount camera!

Don't expect the Biotar to be as sharp as a 75 Summilux at wide apertures -- the central 1/3 of the image is reasonably sharp even wide-open, and the central 2/3 by about f/2.8, but the edges and corners have a sort of smeary appearance until you get past about f/5.6, at which point the whole image is nice and crisp. Even with these failings, it produces a nice "look" that probably would be extremely suitable for available-light portraiture, which would have been a logical application for this focal length.

One of my gallery pictures was taken with a 75/1.5 Biotar:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/gallery/588/U588I1136254783.SEQ.0.jpg

[santino]

westlich isn't bad at all, their items are awesome! I'm still considering a trip to vienna tomorrow :)
they've got a chrome asph. 35 summicron that I really would liike to get :)