Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 150mm f4.5

[shutterbug guy]

I mistakenly posted this originally in a wrong forum. I apologize and if a moderator wants to take it down I understand. I'm new to this website and I am still learning.

Can anyone tell which year the above-mentioned lens was manufactured? It has Nr 609995 stamped on the front of the lens. My best guess is 1924 according to http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Carl_Zeiss_serial_numbers. Of course if you scroll down to Carl Zeiss Oberkochen it indicates a possible match for the years 1951-1953.

If it was made in 1924 or 1951-1953 is it of high quality?

[Tin Can]

Zeiss always and still makes high quality lenses

https://www.zeiss.com/corporate/int/about-zeiss/history/archives.html

[shutterbug guy]

Zeiss always and still makes high quality lenses

https://www.zeiss.com/corporate/int/about-zeiss/history/archives.html

Thanks for the helpful input.

[Myriophyllum]

Hi,

a focal lengh imprint in mm is uncommon for pre war Zeiss lenses (exept close up/micro or microscope optics).
Is your's coated? If so, and it is Carl Zeiss Jena it should be a East german Tessar of the 1950s. Can you post a picture?

Best
Jens

[Havoc]

I mistakenly posted this originally in a wrong forum. I apologize and if a moderator wants to take it down I understand. I'm new to this website and I am still learning.

Can anyone tell which year the above-mentioned lens was manufactured? It has Nr 609995 stamped on the front of the lens. My best guess is 1924 according to http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Carl_Zeiss_serial_numbers. Of course if you scroll down to Carl Zeiss Oberkochen it indicates a possible match for the years 1951-1953.

If it was made in 1924 or 1951-1953 is it of high quality?

Zeiss was originally a single factory in Jena but after WWII split into 2: "Zeiss Oberkochen" in the West and "Zeiss Jena" in the East. Then there was a fight over the use of the name "Zeiss". And later they were reunited and then split again. (it is more complicated)

If it is marked "Jena", then it certainly isn't one of the "Oberkochen" ones. Could be before WWII or east German after the war.

[shutterbug guy]

Hi,

a focal lengh imprint in mm is uncommon for pre war Zeiss lenses (exept close up/micro or microscope optics).
Is your's coated? If so, and it is Carl Zeiss Jena it should be a East german Tessar of the 1950s. Can you post a picture?

Best
Jens

Thanks for the response, photo is attached. I'm not sure if the photo was attached or not so I'll put a link to it, you'll probably have to scroll down to see it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274459914249

[shutterbug guy]

Zeiss was originally a single factory in Jena but after WWII split into 2: "Zeiss Oberkochen" in the West and "Zeiss Jena" in the East. Then there was a fight over the use of the name "Zeiss". And later they were reunited and then split again. (it is more complicated)

If it is marked "Jena", then it certainly isn't one of the "Oberkochen" ones. Could be before WWII or east German after the war.

Thanks for the helpful reply.

[Dan Fromm]

The lens in the photo is marked "15 CM", not 150 mm. Pre-WW II.

[shutterbug guy]

The lens in the photo is marked "15 CM", not 150 mm. Pre-WW II.

Well that explains a lot, it's a really old lens. I wonder if it's worth keeping and using image quality-wise. Everything works ok and the glass is good.

[Bernice Loui]

Completely depends on your print image goals. Previously discussed.
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?159497-Teach-me-about-Lens-Design

What might be the only choice for some does not work at all for others.

Do test any lens before considering long term ownership as each individual lens in question might not perform as designed due to an extremely long list of events that can and does happen to an lens of age.


Bernice




Well that explains a lot, it's a really old lens. I wonder if it's worth keeping and using image quality-wise. Everything works ok and the glass is good.

[David Lindquist]

Among Arne Cröll's excellent publications here: https://www.arnecroell.com/publications are two on the post-World War II Zeiss companies, the one in the original location in Jena and the other in Oberkochen in West Germany. As Havoc says, it's complicated, especially how the two lens makers' names were rendered. I think Arne does a good job of sorting this out.

Based on Hartmut Thiele's Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik I Carl Zeiss Jena, Zeiss changed from millimeters to centimeters in describing focal length about 1910. Carl Zeiss Jena switched back to millimeters about 1949-1950. Also from Cröll (and other of Thiele's works), after WWII Carl Zeiss Jena continued using the serial number series that they started in the late 19th century. By 1979 serial numbers were in the ten millions. They began anew with serial numbers in 1980. Zeiss Oberkochen had their own serial number series.

David

[J. Patric Dahlen]

Yes, it was made in 1924, and as you can see on the Compur shutter, it came from an ICA camera. The dial-set Compur shutter was used till around 1928, and from then on the rim-set Compur.

[Myriophyllum]

The lens in the photo is marked "15 CM", not 150 mm. Pre-WW II.

Yes.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

The oldest one in my modest collection has serial nr. 117941
any idea about the year of manufacture?

[Dan Fromm]

The oldest one in my modest collection has serial nr. 117941
any idea about the year of manufacture?

Per P-H Pont's chronology, between 1905 and 1910.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Thank you Dan for the swift reply!