I'm going to try to find a matching one and use for arm curls to build up my muscles.
The optics on this lens- breathtaking.
The optics on this lens- breathtaking.
raid
Dad Photographer
Reminds me of my WWII camera! The lens was huge. 362mm 1.9
wlewisiii
Just another hotel clerk
Oh My F'in Light. That thing is amazing. I am reminded on David Burnett's Aero-Ektar Graflex that he used at the Olympics
At a different event:
boojum
Mentor
Yes, as was its application. No family vacation pics with that one.
Räuber
Established
Finally I can build my X-Ray goggles! 🥳
On the left an early R-Sonnar, on the right a later R-Sonnar. Those Sonnars were used to photograph X-Ray screens. They are special in the way that they have no aperture at all. They were build for RSBK cameras. That are cameras that were used in medical sectors to take images of X-Ray images. Could not find an image of such a camera yet. But you can see the ring used by the left one to attach to the camera.
I think those Sonnars were screwed into the camera to a fix distance to the screen they should photograph. There was no way to focus it or set an aperture. It was not needed since the screen and the camera did not move and the screen was only faintly glowing. So it needed a bright sharp lens to take images of this X-Ray screen.
Interestingly the left one did not say it is an R-Sonnar at the name ring. The lens is authentic. I just noticed on the images that there is an R at the back of the lens at the rear group. I was quite surprised. Later CZJ put the R before the name at the name ring.
The right one is missing the ring to attach it to the camera but it has the M44 screw.
dexdog
Mentor
Rauber, thanks for posting this, I dont think I have ever seen an R-Sonnar in its original mount. I have R-Sonnar 2800190, but it is in a nicely-made "irregular production" LTM mount.
JakobN
JakobN
Here is another copy from the first production with the R on the rear mount but none on the name ring.
Take a look at www.lpfoto.se auction no.64 lot no.163.
Take a look at www.lpfoto.se auction no.64 lot no.163.
Attachments
Räuber
Established
Found an interesting auction that might tell the history a little further.Another old CZJ lens, likely one of the first produced by CZJ in LTM. Pretty sure I bought this one off an RFF member about 10 or 12 years ago.
If you look closely it matches your lens. Serial 1.502.652. So just a little later. It is an inverted version of the prototype you have. It is black with white letters. The scale is in feet 3,5 - 60 - inf and it also has the MADE IN GERMANY inscription. Very nice example. Unfortunately it was sold in 2002 and the auction site only took 2 images of this unique lens and put them online. The aperture and focus scale is not visible. What a shame! I suspect that they match your lens.
The auction text mentions that it was delivered to India in the past. So who was so important (or rich) in 1934 India that he can force a protectionist firm like CZJ to manufacture one of the most precious lenses of this time in M39 mount for the concurrent Leica I ?! This had to be a gift to someone.
wes loder
Photographer/Historian
These were used on the Tenax II dark boxes for filming x-rays of lungs to spot tuberculosis. The Tenax II had their original mounts, rangefinders and shutters removed and a huge film advance was added. As many as a 1000 were made, but I have only seen a couple with their original R-Sonnars. Numbers seen: 2317778 and 2677243.
Räuber
Established
Thank you for the interesting insight to the R-Sonnar. I have seen those Tenax cameras and Sonnars in the past but I was wondering if those are the RSBK cameras mentioned in some CZJ brochures. A little correction it is 2.517.778. The 3 and 5 can easily be confused. I have to update my documentation now.