Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/06/25

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Subject: [Leica] Zeiss Sonnar Versions
From: langeratcarleton at gmail.com (Mark Langer)
Date: Sat Jun 25 10:06:18 2005
References: <5852407faece53f6c0a92a9bded00822@shaw.ca>

Are you talking about the ones only in LTM, or all versions?  

I have a prewar uncoated version that only stops down to f11, in
Contax mount made of chrome and brass..  Also in Contax mount, is an
aluminum mounted one, coated, stopping down to f22.  I have a postwar
coated on in aluminum mount (East German) also stopping down to f22,
and a postwar Opton one in brass and chrome, stopping down to f16. 
There is a very early prewar version of the Sonnar that has some black
in the mount, but I'm a bit hazy on this.

In terms of LTM ones, there was a wartime one in aluminum.  The most
common ones that mount on a Leica would be the Soviet Jupiter lenses. 
I've had several that were in white metal (I think aluminum) and have
one nice one in black made in 1977.  I'm not sure of the manufacturer
of this one -- this sounds like a job for Marc James Small.  It has a
logo of a lens element in front of a circle, with an arrow going
through both.  There are numerous variations of these, and MJS can
probably fill us all in on them.  I don't know if my black one is
considered one of the "good ones" but it sure seems good to me.

Mark

On 6/25/05, B Entus <bruent@shaw.ca> wrote:
> What versions are there of the Contax (classic range finder) Sonnar
> f/1,5 5cm/50mm lens?
> 
> What visual cues (in particular serial number and other engravings)
> that allow simple identification of the version?
> 
> Are there any guides available on-line?
> 
> NO ARCHIVE
> 
> 
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