New to me czj's

[Red Robin]

Brian, So far my move to Wrinkle City has netted me two lenses, a Tessar 1:3,5 MM T & a sonnar 1:1,5 f=5cm T. The first has a 3-fin bayonet mount, I'm not sure what will fit its a small len. The other I have on a Bessa R my question is this: Do you know of the first ,what it might fit, and will the sonnar need to be shimmed to work correctly on a Canon? I've not had time to use them yet. Any info would be helpful, Thanks . Red

[ZeissFan]

Sounds like the Tessar might be in Exakta mount.

[Brian Sweeney]

Can you post some pictures?

The Tessar is probably Exakta mount, and should have a focus ring on it. No focus ring, could be Contax Mount.

On the Sonnar: sounds like you came up with one in Leica mount, highly desirable. Test out the Sonnar, originals usually work wth Canons and other Leica mount cameras.

[sevo]

Originally Posted by Brian Sweeney

Can you post some pictures?

The Tessar is probably Exakta mount, and should have a focus ring on it. No focus ring, could be Contax Mount.

Was there ever a rigid Jena 50mm Tessar for the Contax?

[Red Robin]

Thanks all for the replies. Yup, the Tessar does have a focus ring, the glass seems to be in good shape but I think someone used Agfa lube on it . not much chance of it "drifting"out of focus as it moves slo-o-owly. Is there a decent ser. number list I might link to for more information like d.o.m., value, I'll check the bay and of coarse rff for an adapter. Thanks again all , Red

[dexdog]

The dates of manufacture are available in Hartut Thiele's book on CZJ lenses. I would be happy to look up the serial numbers for you when I get home from work.

[dexdog]

Originally Posted by sevo

Was there ever a rigid Jena 50mm Tessar for the Contax?

Yes, post-WW2 CZJ made a rigid version of the 3.5 Tessar that looked like a collapsible lens, but had a fixed mount. Not an especially common lens, although they do turn up occasionally on eBay.

[Red Robin]

The Ser. Nr.3471602 . Been wondering if in lew of trying to acquire yet another obscure camera system is there an adapter? perhaps a conversion kit to LTM. I really prefer to let these old pieces keep all the original parts. Unused it's only a paper weigh however. Thanks for your help, Red

[Brian Sweeney]

I have two post-war CZJ 5cm F3.5 Tessars: it looks like the optical fixture is combined with the inner helical, does not lend itself to eady conversion. Custom machining certainly could make an outer helical in LTM, but would be expensive.

No Exakta to Leica mount adapter that I know of.

[dexdog]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

The Ser. Nr.3471602.

Your lens was part of a batch of 1000 Kine Exakta lenses completed 25 April, 1950.

[FrankS]

Originally Posted by dexdog

Your lens was part of a batch of 1000 Kine Exakta lenses completed 25 April, 1950.

And unfortunately pretty useless. You did get lucky with the other lens though.

[Brian Sweeney]

I have not given up on converting the Exakta mount Tessars to Leica Mount "yet". The trick is to find a cheap focus mount that will house the optics with the inner helical. On my "thinking cap list". I have remounted the 50/2.8 Tessar in M42 mount to LTM using an I-61 Mount. The Exakta mount Tessar 50/2.8 could follow the same trick, I was hoping the 50/3.5 would be the same and work in an I-50 Rigid Mount. It did not, back to the drawing board.

[Red Robin]

Thanks everyone for the response. Brain, I'm sure it's just me but sometimes after reading about one of your "projects" I get this mental picture of your workshop and I begin to wonder 'did he have to move out ALL of Dr. Frankenstein's equipment or was some of it still useful'.

[Brian Sweeney]

My workshop is the Kitchen Table, the tools fit on a lunch tray for fast setup and teardown. The basement- big workbench courtesy of the prior owner, now with vices, dermel, drill, files, sand-paper, tube-cutters, etc.

I did not need the high-voltage power supplies at home. Those are for work...in my optics lab...

[kpas]

Originally Posted by Brian Sweeney

I have not given up on converting the Exakta mount Tessars to Leica Mount "yet". The trick is to find a cheap focus mount that will house the optics with the inner helical. On my "thinking cap list". I have remounted the 50/2.8 Tessar in M42 mount to LTM using an I-61 Mount. The Exakta mount Tessar 50/2.8 could follow the same trick, I was hoping the 50/3.5 would be the same and work in an I-50 Rigid Mount. It did not, back to the drawing board.

Hi Brian,

I have a 50/2.8 CZJ sitting around doing nothing and also an I-61 which could donate the mount.

Interested if you have any more information on this mod?

Cheers

[Brian Sweeney]

I did not document this early conversion but it was not hard: I took the CZJ module out of its focus mount, I remember it was held in by a retaining ring. I took the optics module out of the I-61, and cemented the CZJ retaining ring into the I61, from the Front of the lens. After that, screwed the CZJ module in- used a camera set to "T" to set the focus to agree with the RF.

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by Brian Sweeney

Can you post some pictures?

The Tessar is probably Exakta mount, and should have a focus ring on it. No focus ring, could be Contax Mount.

On the Sonnar: sounds like you came up with one in Leica mount, highly desirable. Test out the Sonnar, originals usually work wth Canons and other Leica mount cameras.

Sorry I have yet to post any pictures. .. ... anywhere. Just don't have that knowhow, I hear it's easy, if one knows how.

[Brian Sweeney]

On RFF, click on the "Go Advanced" option for a reply. You will get a window for attachments. They need to be scaled to 600pixels for the largest size.

[buzzardkid]

Use the 'Go Advanced' button and in the toolbar above the message box, look for a 'Paperclip' button. It opens a dialogue to attach pictures. Navigate to the desired picture on your computer and upload it, then close the dialogue.

No failing once you try, since it's easy as pie