Jena Tessar Oddity

[Two23]

Pawing through my camera gear closet I came across what seems to be a lens that seems to span two eras. It's in Compound (serial 259xxx), top speed 1/150s, and lens is marked "Carl Zeiss Jena Nr. 273046", "Tesssar 1:4,5 F=16.5cm DRP." Lens is uncoated. From what I know, this should be a post war Tessar from East Germany. However, it is labeled "Tessar," and it is uncoated. Maybe it was a very early batch? And what about the shutter? Is there a listing for Compound serials? Shutter appears to be older than the lens. Maybe when they were starting back up post war they grabbed whatever shutters they could find?


Kent in SD

[IanG]

It's an early Tessar if that's the serial number. then it's 1914-15, I have a few around that age. I don't know why you think post WWII my East German post WWII 150mm Tessar is T coated and the pre war DRP patent number is not used. I don't think they had access to Compound shutters and it was some time after WWII before Deckel were able to really get back into mass production of shutters, unlike Gauthier and theProntor shutters. I think the Deckel factory had been badly damaged in bombing raids.

If the Compound serial numbers are running concurrent with the Compurs, after all they were both made by Deckel, that would again indicate 1914/15

Ian

[Two23]

It's an early Tessar if that's the serial number. then it's 1914-15, I have a few around that age. I don't know why you think post WWII my East German post WWII

I did some more reading and see I was confused. It was the Oberkochen (West) factory that wasn't allowed to mark the lenses "Jena." I had it backwards. What I have is a great copy of a 1914 Tessar in a good working Compound! Is there a serial number list anywhere for Compound shutters to date them? I haven't found one yet. Some of my lenses are difficult to date using the lens' serial, so I then resort to dating the shutter. I'm thinking of a couple of Dagor/Berlins that I have.


Kent in SD

[Ron (Netherlands)]

No Compound serial lists are known...you can compare the type of compound with the ones shown in the different catalogues. A Compound from 1903 is quite different from the one of 1908 or the later 1912 type.

[Dan Fromm]

No Compound serial lists are known...you can compare the type of compound with the ones shown in the different catalogues. A Compound from 1903 is quite different from the one of 1908 or the later 1912 type.

P-H Pont's Les Chiffres Cles has a chronology for dial-set Deckel shutters from 1905 - 1964. This includes Compounds and dial-set Compurs. He says to use it carefully as there are anomalies.

Kent, 259xxx means between 1914 and 1920, closer to, perhaps even, 1914. Goes well with the lens.

[Two23]

Thanks Dan. I've been looking for that Pont book without success. I had Flutot do a CLA on that shutter a few years ago. The lens/shutter run perfectly and it's one of my favorites.


Kent in SD

[Neal Chaves]

Any item marked DRP is from the Third Reich Era, 1933 to 1945.

[Dan Fromm]

I just looked, the book seems to be out of print.

[cowanw]

Any item marked DRP is from the Third Reich Era, 1933 to 1945.

To be more precise, after 1877 and before 1946 (or 1950 in practice). The Deutsches Bundespatent (DBP) started in the West in 1949; the GDR used "DDR Patent" or "WP" but pre 1946 components may be found.

[Randy]

Kent, could you post a nice close-up of the lens in shutter? Just would like to see it. I am not much of a vintage lens aficionado but have two older CZ tessars in shutters - a 120mm and a 150mm, neither of which I know much about...just use them.