# For Stan, Influenced By Jena



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Influenced by Jena...

*Nippon Kogaku K.K.*










Now for the cream of the bunch with a tenuous link to Jena...

*Ernst Leitz Wetzler*










OK does anyone know (or for that matter care) what the relevent link was between Leica & Zeiss?


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I would rather know who this Jena bird is


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

jasonm said:


> I would rather know who this Jena bird is
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You would, I`ve seen you`re posts in `Totty`


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Is it Jenna Jameson ?

Yummie


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

jasonm said:


> Is it Jenna Jameson ?
> 
> Yummie
> 
> ...


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## deryckb (Aug 11, 2005)

Very nice cameras, that R6 was tempting.

My guess:

Jena was the home of East German Zeiss.

I don't think Leica was ever in the DDR. So I assume Leica are now doing something with Zeiss in Jena?

Just doing a seach for Jenna so I may be busy for a few minutes


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

deryckb said:


> Very nice cameras, that R6 was tempting.
> 
> My guess:
> 
> ...


No this was_ way_ before the GDR


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

BTW Stan, in case you missed it, this thread is part 2, here`s part 1...

For Stanley... Aus Jena (& Others)


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Not sure what the link is between Leica and Ziess Jena? Unless it has to do with Contax using lenses from both makers?

Nikon (they started out as a lens maker I believe) used Jena designs for some of its lenses, the early Nikkor 135mm was based on the Zeiss Sonnar.

Pentacon made the first pentaprism hence Asahi adopting the name Pentax.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Stan said:


> Not sure what the link is between Leica and Ziess Jena? Unless it has to do with Contax using lenses from both makers?
> 
> Nikon (they started out as a lens maker I believe) used Jena designs for some of its lenses, the early Nikkor 135mm was based on the Zeiss Sonnar.
> 
> ...


Oscar Barnack (the designer of the Leica and argueably father of 35mm photography) originally worked for Carl Zeiss in Jena.









Nippon Kogaku worked with Zeiss during WWII on huge rangefinders for Japanese battleships such as the Yamato, after the war they developed the Nikon 1 which looked like the Zeiss Contax but had the Leica type shutter.









BTW Nippon Kokaku a camera which was similar looking to one made by Zeiss *IKON* (ie Contax) the N*IKON* which I gather was purely coincidental









The Contax S was the first camera to have a roof pentaprism, the name Pentacon which stood for *PENTA*prism *CON*tax came about due to legal arguements as to who owned the rights to the Zeiss name and America not allowing East German made cameras to be sold there using Zeiss names, hence my `Hexacon` which has a plate glued over the original `Contax`









Regarding Pentax, I`m not too sure but I think I read somewhere that this was a name Zeiss originally considered using for the Contax S as in *PENT*aprism con*TAX*


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I didn't know Barnack worked for Zeiss but I'm not surprised.

It's interesting to note that even after VEB Pentacon was formed most of the major player's were still in the mix. Meyer Optik made most of the "Pentacon" lenses AKA Prakticar.

It's also interesting that many lens maker's based their designs on re-computed examples of the Tessar etc.









What we didn't know until the "wall" came down was how advanced Zeiss Jena was in microchip technology, strange how the area around Jena has become Germany's "silicon valley?









I never had much faith in communism as a viable form of society but the East German's made the best of it and produced a lot of useable technology despite it.









And, you can quote me on that.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

I`m not absolutely certain about this but I think I remember reading that the Tessar lens was a development of an English design









It is a shame that people often assume that all inovations must have come from the west or Japan, for example the Russian Zenit 5 was the first camera in the world to have an intigrated battery powered autowinder









BTW I`ve got a Zenit 6 outfit with its original huge Rubin 37-80mm Zoom lens


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Mac, the Tessar may have been based on a Taylor, Taylor Hobson design? Who knows? Reed did design some good cameras but TTH and other's were designing outstanding lenses in the UK well before that.

I remember that the Russian Industar 50mm was an outstanding lens for its time in both contrast and resolution and was reputedly made for the KGB to photograph documents.









There was also the Zenitar 50mm F1.9 (?) that was fitted to the Zenit TTL that equalled the Nikkor 50mm F1.8 in most tests and bettered it in some.

I don't want to get into some of the Konica and Fuji SLR lenses I've owned that have made the "big" names look silly. Like I'd mention the Konica Hexar.
















Cameras and lenses are a bit like watches, doh.









We all know who makes good ones now but the building blocks may have come from places we may not want to acknowledge.









Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Japan, America and even France to name a few.

Bugger, I forgot to mention the country that allows its best to go elsewhere because the controlling "powers" have not read Ayn Rand's work.









My coat is on and I may need it in the coming "winter".


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Sorry, had to add this.









Search for Ayn Rand on Google and you will find Google ads.









The Kelkoo one says :-

" Ayn Rand, find the Cheapest Prices on Kelkoo"

















I don't know whether she would be pissed of or just roll with it?
















Do they want to sell her or her ideals?

As long as they trade honestly and with respect for their trading partners, employees, et al. I guess she would be happy.









Bless her.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

A few years ago I did some (not very scientific) lens testing, using a Leica M4 on a heavy tripod to ensure stability and keep the distance from the subject the same.

The subject was a framed, mounted (and therefore should be flat) nautical poster which included writing and pictures.

Making sure that the different lenses were set at the same apperture the shutter speed also stayed the same.

So lenses tested all of which were standard ie 50mm (or as close as possible) included a bayonet mounted Leitz Elmar, plus via an adapter screw mount Elmar, a Nikkor, Industar & Fed`s.

BTW ages of the lenses were;- screw mounted Elmar & Fed 1930`s , the rest 1950`s.

The results were interesting, the FED was the worst followed by the Nikkor then there was very liitle to choose between the screw Elmar & Industar and they were not far behind the bayonet Elmar.

It should be said that this was only at a print size of 5x7.

I did another rough test using different camera`s ie the M4 with F2.8/50mm Elmar & a Contax F with F2.8/50mm Tessar (GDR) using the same type film in each camera with the same shutter and aperture settings, mounted on a tripod which I tried not to move between camera changes and of course keeping the subject an early Zenth C still.

At 5x7 print size no one has been able to tell the photo`s apart


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

Mach......Glad to see you collect working cameras as well as the jewellery type!

















Best regards David


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