Zeiss Spiegel 125x165

[slotter]

Anybody know something about this camera and objective?
Picture on

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3887/tessar1.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2701/tessar2.jpg
http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/6951/tessar3.jpg

[Dan Fromm]

It is Zeiss DDR process lens mounted on a prism. 600/9 Apo-Tessar, coated. Used in photogravure and the like.

Ain't no camera there.

Use this board's search function to find discussions of Apo-Tessars here.

[slotter]

I supose this is part of camera too. Everything that have objectiv is called camera

[Michael E]

"Spiegel" is german for mirror. My guess is that it allows shooting at a 90° angle. Maybe for reproductions with either the art work or the film in horizontal position. Maybe just to save space in tight work spaces. 600mm demands a lot of bellows extension.

Just guessing, sorry.

Michael

[slotter]

Michael, I know what Spiegel means. I am more interest what is this combination, and what is part off. Thanx for your observation

[Arne Croell]

What Dan said, its for a process camera; except, because of the word "Spiegel" I assume they used a first surface mirror, not a prism for the 90° deflection. Maybe a prism was too big for this size.
The lens was made in 1967, one of the last batches of Apo-Tessars since Zeiss Jena had already developed the Apo-Germinar line, succeeding the Apo-Tessars, a few years earlier. The combined "1" and"Q" symbol means first quality and was their symbol for their top tier quality, on par with Western competitors.

[Bill Burk]

I think Dan Fromm has it.

If you are familiar with Offset Lithography, these presses use a rubber blanket to transfer ink from plate to paper. Plates for offset are right-reading. A normal camera negative makes right-reading plates, which is correct for offset presses.

Gravure and Letterpress printing plates directly impress the paper. The plates are reverse-reading.

This lens with mirror arrangement would be a good way to get a flipped negative off the camera. That negative would be good for letterpress or gravure printing process.