Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/12/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Marc, Thank you very much for all your really interesting details and general information, I'm very happy with my old new toy, at least I can say that I have something archaeolgical!. Well, I've paid much more less than the values indicated by you, this would be a good deal if the today value was between 800/1200$. I've saw a similar one on e- bay, announced as a Contax F, but with the same logo as mine, asking "Buy it now" for 813$ ...??! Well, the camera and lens is younger than me, it shall run! Saludos cordiales Lluis El 18/12/2008, a las 0:10, Marc James Small escribi?: > At 05:23 PM 12/17/2008, Lluis Ripoll wrote: > >Hi Marc, > > > >It is not a secret, the PENTACON is the model F, S/N 186012 the lens > >is marked JENA S/N 5505038. Here you can see the camera: > > Thanks, Luis > > The camera was in production between 1956 and 1960 but I cannot find > a more precise breakdown by serial number. The camera was also > marketed in some parts of the world as the Contax F. The F cost > 643DM in 1956 and this had fallen to 499DM as the model was phased > out. But I am not certain WHICH DM this would be; it might be the > DDR Mark or the BRD Mark, the former generally running about 70% of > the value of the BRD Mark for most of the era. If this is in the > "four to the dollar" BRD Mark, then these prices, adjusted for > inflation, would be around $1200 in 1956 at today's values and $870 > by 1966. If these values are in the East German Mark, then these > values would be reduced by 30%. > > I own a Contax D, a Hexacon-rebadged ContaSol -- VEB Zeiss Ikon was > not permitted to use Zeiss intellectual properties in the US at the > time -- which I occasionally use. These cameras are remarkably > complex as only a German industrial production can be, and, to add > insult to injury, they were produced on machinery appallingly worn > out by Wartime over-use. But it is a fun camera to use, despite > Peter Dechert's warnings about it's reliability. > > The 2/58 CZJ Biotar is more interesting. The factory records show a > gap between 5504092 and 5506001, and your lens indicates that at > least some of the production in this 1900-lens void consisted of the > 2/58 Biotar in M42. Industrial archaeology and reconstruction of > lost records continues! The production date was possibly in the > summer of 1958. > > Marc > > > msmall@aya.yale.edu > Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir! > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information