"Old Dog" The Sonnar 5.8cm 1.5

[RF_newbie]

i'm not sure if this old dog is even worth kicking around,
But.....
Has anyone tried one of these out ?
Does anyone really care ?
Was the final consortium Russian made copy/prototype ?
The focus cam/spanner ring having 6 slots instead of the normal 2 for Russian replica's, was that ever resolved ?
How about the fact that the barrels are made of Solid Silver ?
OK, maybe not silver.
:smile:

[LeicaTom]

Originally Posted by RF_newbie

i'm not sure if this old dog is even worth kicking around,
But.....
Has anyone tried one of these out ?
Does anyone really care ?
Was the final consortium Russian made copy/prototype ?
The focus cam/spanner ring having 6 slots instead of the normal 2 for Russian replica's, was that ever resolved ?
How about the fact that the barrels are made of Solid Silver ?
OK, maybe not silver.
:smile:

So much I know from what I`ve been told from some Big Leica Collectors these were NEVER offically made lenses, the 60mm f1.5 also, and that they are all just made up of postwar Russian Zeiss parts "restposten" and were never issued or sold to the public as such for use on Leica LTM. These are so called *Fantasy Lenses*

Now maybe some Zeiss Historian`s out there might know more?

But, that`s as I heard it, these were "made" to fool Leica collectors.......maybe Brian Sweeney knows???? I`ll ask him this week about these.

I suppose that they might shoot a unique signature and the Bokeh might be interesting, but as for paying any great amount of money for them.......... I`d treat them in the same price range of a nice Russian J-3 (just a under $100)

Tom

[furcafe]

These lenses have been the subject of much discussion on the Zeiss Ikon Collectors Group (e.g., http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZICG/message/10289 & http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZICG/message/10699). IIRC, the consensus is that they are not official Zeiss products, but their origins are still murky.

Originally Posted by RF_newbie

i'm not sure if this old dog is even worth kicking around,
But.....
Has anyone tried one of these out ?
Does anyone really care ?
Was the final consortium Russian made copy/prototype ?
The focus cam/spanner ring having 6 slots instead of the normal 2 for Russian replica's, was that ever resolved ?
How about the fact that the barrels are made of Solid Silver ?
OK, maybe not silver.
:smile:

[jmkelly]

Marc James Small has a bit of a fetish for these. Check over at the Zeiss Ikon Collectors Group (ZICG) at Yahoo and dig back through some early threads. I believe the bottom line on the provenance of these lenses is still: "nobody knows." I can't recall ever seeing anyone post an image made with one.

Edit: great minds think alike - well, in my case anyway, mediocre mind.

[xayraa33]

there seems to be a russian roughness about these lenses.

[Erik L]

Originally Posted by xayraa33

there seems to be a russian roughness about these lenses.

my very same thought

[RF_newbie]

Originally Posted by LeicaTom

I suppose that they might shoot a unique signature and the Bokeh might be interesting, but as for paying any great amount of money for them.......... I`d treat them in the same price range of a nice Russian J-3 (just a under $100)

Tom

So Tom, should i take the $350 someone offered me for it,
and run ?
:smile:

Furcafe : i am still waiting for my membership approval email so that i can read those posts. Thank You.

imkelly : no wait, urkelly. Anyway, Ditto the CZIG approval.

Originally Posted by xayraa33

there seems to be a russian roughness about these lenses.

and ErikL
i have to agree. These look Russian to a point, but then more of a"top shelf" build and maybe far from the bargain Russian lens. i am no lens techie and i do not have it in my hands yet, at which point i may change my mind completely. When it arrives i will post a couple better pics and maybe a photo or two with it, if anyone is interested at all.
i wish i could send it over to Raid or somebody with some experience in lens comparisons. But i am sure it has been done once or twice already somewhere with this batch of lens.
Thanks all.

[LeicaTom]

Originally Posted by RF_newbie

So Tom, should i take the $350 someone offered me for it,
and run ?
:smile:

Furcafe : i am still waiting for my membership approval email so that i can read those posts. Thank You.

imkelly : no wait, urkelly. Anyway, Ditto the CZIG approval.


and ErikL
i have to agree. These look Russian to a point, but then more of a"top shelf" build and maybe far from the bargain Russian lens. i am no lens techie and i do not have it in my hands yet, at which point i may change my mind completely. When it arrives i will post a couple better pics and maybe a photo or two with it, if anyone is interested at all.
i wish i could send it over to Raid or somebody with some experience in lens comparisons. But i am sure it has been done once or twice already somewhere with this batch of lens.
Thanks all.

Well, he`s my suggestion.....offer it to Kevin at Kevin`s Cameras

Here`s TWO he already has

http://www.kevincameras.com/gallery/albuo77

http://www.kevincameras.com/gallery/album1332

And trust me when he has written CALL FOR PRICE - it`s expensive!!!! - And who knows how much he`s asking???? $1,000, $2,000????? More????? - have a friend call to find out and then call him a few days later and offer it to him etc. - He also has these listed as EXPERIMENTAL, so maybe they are like even crazier money?????

And also I say have NO MERCY, as soon as you find out what he`s asking, go for an in-between price, while he also buys really rare things DIRT CHEAP sometimes and then marks up the price 4 or 5x what it`s really worth.....so find a price in-between or ask for a possible really kool trade?????

I know about 1 year ago, we both were "duke`in" it out on evilbay for a Nikkor f1.5/50 in LTM....... I baled out at $815, he got it for $820 and about two weeks later it was at his website for $3,500!!!!!
(I think it`s STILL there!!!!) - BUT, NO ONE WILL BUY IT AT THAT PRICE!

Now please don`t missunderstand, I`m not trying to be mean, but the man can afford to let something else go for this lens if it`s so rare????? - So do your homework looking into what his asking price is......make some $$$ on it or get a kool trade

Tom

[RF_newbie]

TOM !!
your as kuniving as i am....no, you are a Master Kuniver.
i like the, have a friend call first bit.
lol

[LeicaTom]

Originally Posted by RF_newbie

TOM !!
your as kuniving as i am....no, you are a Master Kuniver.
i like the, have a friend call first bit.
lol

I`m DYING to hear what he wants for it!!!!!

I know it`s some CRAZY money, but like I said I`d offer it to him for a trade on something based on HALF of what he`s asking for his lenses.

I have bought from him, when I was very desperate, I bought a Canon f1.5/50mm <EP> from him with the Hood for $525, but I sold it in a Package deal on a even rarer <EP> camera and made my money back.

I`m still not desperate enough to pay what he wants for a Canon f1.2/50mm Vented Hood, with the World Economy in the state it`s dropping into I`ve noticed that Canon RF prices have fallen drasticly over the past 5 months and only the f0.95 is holding it`s *outragously exaggerated* value, (and that`s going to platze someday too)
and in Canon RF almost eveything else is coming down.....I`ll find a hood sometime for under $150, maybe even less, if I`m lucky and I`m lucky like a Mushroom sometimes

Tom

[RF_newbie]

I have a perfect little Canon 50/1.2 hood i will sell you for $150
:smile:
PM me when you need it Tom.

[RF_newbie]

And then there where two

[rxmd]

How does the rangefinder operate on one of these? Does it have a double helix?

[LeicaTom]

Originally Posted by RF_newbie

And then there where two

What ever happened with the Kevin deal?

Ohh I bought a Late 1960`s Ysahica 35 hood that fits perfectly and looks even better and is more compact and practial than the original f1.2 hood is......I have to save my money, a Stepper Leica IIIC with CRR vulcanite strikes me better @ $200! but, thanks anyway

Tom

[RF_newbie]

TOM, TOM, TOM.....
where can i get a Stepper Leica IIIC with CRR vulcanite @$200
:smile:
Ya i also have the yashica hood for mine, that is why i am selling the original.

rxmd, i do not know, I am just a newbie after all. The guess would be yes, but i really do not know if they are the same as the Russian lens. I am waiting for the new one and i will finish a roll and see what the focusing look likes like. That may answer the question.

[LeicaTom]

Originally Posted by RF_newbie

TOM, TOM, TOM.....
where can i get a Stepper Leica IIIC with CRR vulcanite @$200
:smile:

Ohh that`s what the CRR vulcanite JOB is costing $200!!!!!

I`m going to have an addition to my growing group of #392xxx series cameras which I collect, this latest one picking up a CRR vulcanite in the UK,
I`ve always wanted to see how good these really are, while (2) of my very rare #397xxx series cameras both need vulcanite, perhaps they also will go to England for repairs?

Tom

[RF_newbie]

Darn, darn, darn.
:smile:

[Brian Sweeney]

I'm looking at the serian number of the first sonnar, and the infinity lock of the second Sonnar. Both look like conversions. The 5.8cm F1.5 looks like a converted Zeiss optics module made into LTM. The second looks like an adaptation into an existing mount.

I've been asked to work on some unusual Sonnars recently. One is MOST unusual. It's a 5cm f1.5 uncoated Sonnar that is just "wrong". The optics appear to be a longer focal length Sonnar made into a 5cm lens by adjusting the distance between the front and rear groups, and set in a new fixture. The optics look like the first lens shown. after WW-II, the Russians carried away a lot of Zeiss machinery, lenses, and parts. I think they did a lot of copying, kludging, and experimenting. But it is almost impossible to tell unless you take the lens apart.

The second lens- I would need to see more views of it. But that focus lever is not "standard".