p.1 #1 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
My brother in law just inherited this lens *Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome* was wondering what the Alt crew hear thinks of it.Worth buying a $20 adapter for? Any samples that can be shared? He will be using it on a 5DII.
He also picked up a steinheil munchen culminar 135mm f4.5 chrome .
Both are screw mounts.Any info and samples would be greatly appreciated.
-Jim
p.1 #2 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
Sounds rare - or with false description.
Zeiss Jena Biotar 75/1.5 is well known - and rare.
Prakticar 50/1.4 is rare as well, and very good.
Seems to be worth to buy the adapter.
And if the description "Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome" is correct, it could be a worthy collectable lens.
p.1 #4 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
Sorry, I only have Biotar 75/1.5 which has great color and famous swirly bokeh, and with undercorrected SA it retains OOF background objects shapes better rather than blurring them into blobs. Lens element coatings were not as advanced back then so it struggles in bright contrasty light .its bokeh circles are rendered very strongly which can be used to good effect.
Thanks for posting those links. Unless Emiliano is cropping his scans quite a bit, it looks to have better full-frame coverage than I would've though possible/practical for a 16mm movie camera lens.
p.1 #6 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
Jim,
Try to post a pic of that lens - I have several M-42 Biotars (5.8 & 7.5cm) including a pre-WWII 5.8/2 - solid machined brass body with satin nickel plating - very small and close MFD. The IQ is very good for it's age - it also has T* coatings - I've researched it - T* was available then. The Biotar shown on that 16mm with the big knurls is an aluminum body - post-WWII.
I remember seeing a few 50/1.4's - not often and very expensive - definitely splurge for the adapter. I'm thinking it is an M-39 rangefinder mount. The first photo on the "flicker" site is M-39.
p.1 #7 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
Thanks to all for the feedback.
The 5cm Biotar has a ding on the filter thread but the glass and blades are nice.He can remove the front element to git to the blades.He says the aperture ring is snappy.
-Jim
p.1 #11 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
I think with that large mount it is probably for 24x36mm film.
Front lens diameter around 35mm (50mm/1.4), and I think the mount diameter is not smaller. I suppose that a 16mm film lens would have C-mount with 25,4mm diameter or something smaller.
p.1 #13 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
how would one know for sure whether this is an m39 or an m42? Also is a m39 mount strictly a Leica mount? Fotodiox has an m39 mount but it is Leica to EOS
Jim
p.1 #14 · Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 50mm f1.4 chrome - Any Good?
Jim, hold the lens horizontal toward a far off horizon, then take a piece of white paper and bring the image to focus on the white paper. With your 3rd hand, measure the distance from the paper to the lens flange. An M lens will be about 27mm. A M42 will be around 40 something.
