Bessaflex Shots

[doubs43]

brianvsweeney said:

That CZJ 135 is beautiful. I'll have to build a search list for after Christmas for Ebay.

Brian, the M42 CZJ 135mm Sonnar can be found as the older f/4 with single coating and the newer f/3.5 which may all be multi-coated. Both are four elements in three groups. As Gene's lens shows very nicely, they are optically excellent.

I suggest also keeping an eye out for the 135mm f/2.8 Pentacon which is a five element lens in four groups. It's a very sharp lens and I like mine, an MC Electric version.

A good web site for East German Optics in M42 and other mounts can be found here:
www.praktica-users.com/index2.html

Navigation to the lens sections is easy.

Walker

[doubs43]

genew said:

Walker, I bought this lens from Randy. He identified it as probably Cosina. It looks good to me -- don't see any need to look further for a 28. Gene

Me either. Your pictures with it are impressive and other Cosina lenses have gotten good reviews too.

Walker

[vintageslrs]

Gene

I like the photos using the 28mm M/W lens......nice colors!


Bob

[PeterW]

Gene wrote:

Brian, I have Peter W to thank for the CZJ. He may have some ideas on where to find another.

Brian,
This was one of six lenses I bought about two years ago as a single lot at a camera auction. Quite a few of the lots came from a camera dealers which had closed down, and I believe they were all 'new old stock'. Two of them were CZJ 135mm. Gene now has one and I have the other, and it's definitely not for sale! I have seen a few others at camera fairs from time to time but they don't seem to turn up very often.

PeterW

[John Parry]

Brian,

Don't get too tied down about it being a CZJ. Meyer-Optik also made superb lenses, and they are almost interchangeable with the CZJs. To be honest, I suspect that the two factories produced lenses for each other.

Regards - John

ps - I have a Meyer-Optik 135 on board a Fujica AZ-1 at the moment. Nice combo...

[doubs43]

johnrparry said:

Brian, Don't get too tied down about it being a CZJ. Meyer-Optik also made superb lenses, and they are almost interchangeable with the CZJs. To be honest, I suspect that the two factories produced lenses for each other. Regards - John
ps - I have a Meyer-Optik 135 on board a Fujica AZ-1 at the moment. Nice combo...

The Meyer Orestor 135mm f/2.8 lens became the Pentacon 135, f/2.8 lens when the East German Camera & Optics companies were combined as VEB Pentacon. It's the lens I have in the multi-coated, electric version in M42 mount. (I also have the pre-set version that's not in such great condition.) Here's the specific data on it with links to a few example pictures taken with it.
www.praktica-users.com/lens/mlenses/morp2.8_135.html

Walker

[bobm]

The Meyer Orestor 135mm f/2.8 lens became the Pentacon 135, f/2.8 lens when the East German Camera & Optics companies were combined as VEB Pentacon.

AFAIK one of the factors that may make the Orestor 135 such a good lens is that it is a Sonnar derivative.

I've got two Orestors - one in M42 and one in Exakta mount and can only echo the comments on how good they can be.

And I can use the M42 one on my 5D - whoopee!!!!!!!!!

Meyer-Optik also made superb lenses

Some of my favourites include the Meyer Lydith 3.5/30 or its Pentacon successor, Trioplan 2.9/50 (said by some to possibly be the best triplet ever) and a whole raft of others.

All largely underrated and just waiting to be appreciated once more...