Carl Zeiss 135mm F3.5 T* Lens

[LH1H17]

I just bit the proverbial bullet... it was being offered under $3k but it wasn't cheap! (>$2500)
It was just so beautiful sitting on the display counter... I tried to resist but in the end I couldn't take it any more and handed them my Amex



Now if someone donates me a scanner I would be more than happy to upload some files

[David A. Goldfarb]

You've made a very good deal. Now get yourself a Linhof Technika IV, V, or Master and have the lens cammed, so you can use it with the rangefinder. That's really what this lens does best, since the image circle doesn't give you much room for movements.

I have the earlier single coated version. It's pretty good wide open, but best I think around f:4-5.6. Here's a handheld rangefinder shot, pretty close to wide open--



Here's another 135 Planar shot using a 6x7 back (I'm fairly sure I used a tripod and groundglass for this one, rather than the rangefinder)--

[Vick Ko]

Congratulations. That lens is on my "lust list". Well done on finding it. The prices sounds about right - they are pretty rare.

Vick

[Vick Ko]

And if you ever want to sell it, let me know.

Vick

[Steve Clark]

This is the first of these I`ve seen for sale in quite a long time. The last one went for 3700.00, I`m told. Don`t know anything about condition etc. I have a slightly later version of that lens in that the shutter is all black and the serial no. indicates that it was one of the last built. In a letter from Zeiss that I have, they barely acknowledge the existance of these lenses, although they go on to say that the intended use of these is full aperature, at infinity, in effect, aerial photography. The images have a similar "feel" to the ones that I get from the 80mm 2.8 on the Hasselblad, except with more negative to work with. If you need to stop down past F/11, you might want to find something else to go with that. After about F/11 it becomes another pretty good lens, as opposed to what you`ll see at wider apertures. As others have said, coverage is little tight. I generally use it with a 6x12 back, so it`s a bit less of an issue for me.
Have fun, Steve

[LH1H17]

Thanks for all the advice and feedback!
I can't wait to test out this lens more!
This forum just rocks. Please look forward to some scans in the coming months

[Vick Ko]

By the way, can you tell us what town you found this gem in?

I thought I read that it was made for a Japanese contract.

Vick

[Arne Croell]

By the way, can you tell us what town you found this gem in?

I thought I read that it was made for a Japanese contract.

Vick

Vick this is true for the last batch of these lenses that came in the black Compur shutters, see Bob Salomons remark in this thread: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...t=135mm+Planar

However, this lens here is an earlier version probably from the early-mid 1980's, as the Compur shutter is different from the late black model, with a chrome ring and the white levers. A similar one was sold here a year ago: http://www.westlicht-auction.com/ind...set=1&_ssl=off

The production lists from Zeiss (available and edited by H. Thiele as a private print in Germany) indicate that a few hundred of these T* versions were made before the batch for the Japanese Linhof importer.

[LH1H17]

By the way, can you tell us what town you found this gem in?

I thought I read that it was made for a Japanese contract.

Vick

I picked up this lens in the little town of Tokyo, Japan
Which is a bit ironic, since I thought I had purchased one of the Japanese Linhof batch. I was wondering why my lens shutter didn't quite match with Ken Thalmann's pictures. Thank you Arne for pointing out that my lens is actually an older version. In fact, the serial number on mine is "Nr65785xx" making it slightly newer than the one listed in the Westlicht auction.

I wonder if there are any functional differences between this compur 1 and the newer black shutter? I find that mine does not have a "B" mode; it only has T, 500, 250, 125, 60, 30, 15, 8, 4, 2, 1 in that order. The shutter clicks two stops between F3.5 and F4, and in third stops between F4 and F32. There are ten aperture blades that form a beautifully round diaphram (In fact, this lens really reminds me of the 85mm F1.4 AF-D, a fine optic in itself). Can any compur shutter experts out there please advise if this is standard behavior for all compur 1 shutters of this vintage? Thanks!!

[Gary Smith]

In the last three months I have seen exactly 4 of these lenses here. I have been tempted to pick one up to play with, but they tend to disappear rather quickly. I can keep my eye open is anybody is interested, they seem to be more common here than anywhere else.

Regards.

Gary