Zeiss M42 club? - Page 3

georgweb · 09-06-2008, 06:47 PM

ddhytz,
all three close-up shots loke tak-sharp! Err, flek-sharp :-)

Pushing this up again with yet one more from the 50mm league,

Voigtländer Color Ultron 1.8/50 M42-version, ca. 1/6 of the original picture

The photo itself does not prove so much about the lens rather than the artistic marvel of those fireworks people battling it out each year at 'Pyronale Berlin'.

The lens is not bad either, it is the predecessor of the Contax Planar 1.7/50 and was originally made in Germany and then in Singapore with HFT coating, a.k.a. Rollei HFT Planar 1.8/50. It seems to be as good wide open as the Contax, which I found better than anything else I've got.

I also found out that focussing (at least the wide open inf. test) is so critical that you have to review the pics (camera monitor is enough in 12x mode) to find the 'real infinity' position. Good to know this anyway. Finally (sorry for long text :-) here's a link to a comprehensive Contax comparison.

The lens don't matter but it's so nice with the Zeiss

All the best, Georg

riba · 09-06-2008, 11:55 PM

I become owner of one old CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (first - With semi-automatic diaphragm) and here is some of my first shots with this lens on Pentax K200D body.

richard64 · 09-08-2008, 12:03 PM

And a Flek is good for getting close to your subject. This spider was in my greenhouse today. Unfortunately I spooked the spider so it scuttled off to the edge of the web. This is a crop of about the centre third of the image, the green bar is actually the 0.5cm overlap of two panes of glass.

f22 1/180 ISO200 body flash -2.0 compensation.
Araneus diadematus (with the exciting name of Garden Spider).

Although the closest focus is supposed to be 20cm, this picture was taken at about 5cm. I took apart this lens a couple of months ago, so I might have changed the focus then, but it still focuses to infinity (well clouds in the sky, which is good enough for me).

Richard

georgweb · 09-08-2008, 03:16 PM

Richard,

the green/brown pattern in the overlay gives for a very nice contrast to the spiders' colors, and flek-sharp too :-)

About the focus distance, this is always measured from the focal plane (that's to say: film or sensor plane). Now as the Pentax as well as the M42 bayonet flange-to-film distance is 4.55 cm, you just add up to it the fully extended Flek, which is about 7 cm and get something like 11.5 cm already up to the front end of the lens. Let's say the spider has been 7.xx cm away from the front, then that would be in the range the lens scale claims to go to.

Good job on cleaning the lens and getting it back to infinity, which I found quite fiddly.

Keep 'em coming,
Georg (the other)

richard64 · 09-09-2008, 02:34 AM

Hi Georg

Originally Posted by georgweb

the green/brown pattern in the overlay gives for a very nice contrast to the spiders' colors, and flek-sharp too :-)

Yes, but it makes me realise how dirty the panes are!

I was surprised that I could get the spider illuminated with the K100D flash, even though at close focus the lens extends 7cm or so, I still avoided getting shadows.

About the focus distance, this is always measured from the focal plane (that's to say: film or sensor plane).

Thanks. It didn't occur to me that it would be from the film plane, but it does make sense because it is a fixed point. At least I know that I've not got an unusually close focus due to my fiddling with the lens!

Good job on cleaning the lens and getting it back to infinity, which I found quite fiddly.

Umm, well, I did have to re-assemble it twice before I got infinity again.

I got the lens cheap because the barrel is quite badly scratched and the filter ring is mangled. However, the optics are fine, and the focus turns OK (it's a bit sticky at close focus, but I've drilled a hole for the locking pin to prevent the lens unscrewing when I focus). I've managed to find a push-on hood, but the mangled filter ring is a pain since there are occasions when I would like to use a polarizer. I'm toying with the idea of buying a cheap 49mm rubber hood, removing the hood and then forcing the ring onto the mangled filter ring on the Flek - once it's there I'll never take it off.

Richard

georgweb · 09-09-2008, 03:41 AM

Richard said:

I'm toying with the idea of buying a cheap 49mm rubber hood, removing the hood and then forcing the ring onto the mangled filter ring on the Flek

How about a step ring like 49 to 52mm? you could leave this on all the time too?
Georg

ddhytz · 09-09-2008, 04:33 AM

I did not realise it was 49mm. Now I can use a spare hood for it.

This one was taken on Sunday using CZJ35/2.4. I believe it was f/5.6. Did not see a motorbike of this green colour very often, maybe just me.
RAW to jpeg & cropped from PPL and resized with CS3, no other PP.

richard64 · 09-09-2008, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by georgweb

How about a step ring like 49 to 52mm? you could leave this on all the time too?

What's your thinking there - use a step ring to try and prevent vignetting?

Most of the filters I have are 49mm which is why I thought I would try and replace like-with-like. However the 49mm hood I have has a metal ring that would extend out 7.5mm from the front of the lens but the step ring I have would extend only 3.5mm. So I would have 4mm less rim at the front of the lens. Thanks, the step ring is a much better idea!

Richard

ddhytz · 09-09-2008, 05:19 PM

I think a longer rim that extends out from the front of the lens would have better protection to the lens and resistance to the flare, as long as it does not cause vignetting.

ddhytz · 09-20-2008, 06:59 AM

Some shots taken this afternoon.

georgweb · 09-21-2008, 05:02 PM

Very nice photos ddhyz!

Every one of them is well done and at the same time show that Sonnars' nice package of colors, punch and neutral bokeh (except #1 for the bokeh).

Similar pics from Voe's Jupiter37A (same design as the CZJ 135/3.5) here.

And likewise stuff from me,

CZJ MC Sonnar 3.5/135 on K100D

CZJ MC Sonnar 2.8/200 on K100D

Keep them coming :-)
Georg (the other)

ddhytz · 09-22-2008, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by georgweb

...

Similar pics from Voe's Jupiter37A (same design as the CZJ 135/3.5) here.

The pictures from Jupiter 37A look pretty good.

ddhytz · 09-28-2008, 06:19 AM

Two from CJZ135/3.5

One from Pancolor 50/1.8

*Sudhakar* · 03-13-2009, 12:32 AM

Greetings,

No doubt CJZ135/3.5 is wonderful lens; I am kind of lingering how much I should pay for good condition lens. Somebody is offering for USD 125. Is it high/ low price for it?

thanks in advance
Sudhakar

georgweb · 03-13-2009, 11:53 AM

Hi Sudhakar and welcome to the forum,

I'm afraid the price you have mentioned is now the average price.

Maybe you can push it down if the aperture is slow or the focus is a little stiff (maybe just ask about these things).

Other than that FWIW the MC Jupiter 37A(M) 3.5/135 has the same lens design and should give similarly excellent results.

Good luck in hunting,
Georg (the other)