I've been regularly monitoring the availability of Zeiss ZK lenses that pop up on eBay ever since my first Makro Planar 2/100 was stolen back in 2012.
It's been interesting to see the ebb and flow of what is available and try and work out why sometimes there's a reasonable amount on offer and other times there's next to none. The K-1 was a big influence on the latter as once it was announced there seemed to be less available and it's remained that way for quite some time.
Anyhoo, I've not been on the 'Bay in a while and as I've saved a search for ZK I thought I'd check it out. What I see is I think another trend, this time assuming my theory is right, it's based on announced Pentax lenses. So I've no proof to base this assumption on other than what I noticed today when I counted the following ZK lenses on offer:
1 x Distagon T* 25/2.8
1 x Distagon T* 28/2
5 x Distagon T* 35/2
1 x Makro Planar T* 50/2
5 x Planar T* 50/1.4 (correction, there is now 4 as one disappeared between me first looking and then returning to the search a bit later)
9 x Planar T* 85/1.4
Of course based on my hypothesis the figures would suggest the announced Pentax 85 was the one coming soon which is not the case but it has been announced as has the Pentax 50/1.4. There is an anomaly to my theory based on these numbers, that being the amount of 35/2 on the market, though the 35/2 is usually a lens around for sale when the others aren't. Some other interesting things about these lenses are where the sellers originate from. Seventeen from Japan, one from S. Korea and three from Singapore. Prices for the 35 and 85 range by close to AU$600 when you disregard the 85mm listed at AU4696, and the 50/1.4 range in price by over AU$360. Some of the prices seem close to rivaling a new purchase whilst others are a bargain or reflecting a less well kept lens maybe. Who knows?
So why the weird post? Well it's just a comment on something I noticed where there's been a resurgence in the number of Zeiss ZK lenses being available via eBay. I've not checked KEH or other options but thought it something worth sharing as they're all good lenses and it's a shame they're not being used, especially with the thread being so quiet of late.
It's also odd to see the Distagon 28/2 and especially the Makro Planar 50/2. These are rare lenses up for sale and as an owner of the 50/2 I know how great that lens is. Personally if I had some money to throw around that 28/2 would be winging it's way to me.
Hopefully the approaching Spring and summer will help with some more action in the thread.
Tas