35mm SLRs with Zeiss lens

[pradheep thavamani]

I am looking to buy 35mm SLR camera with Zeiss lens. Not looking to buy Contax due lack of parts on repairs. If you can suggest me few models that came with Zeiss lens. Any suggestions?

 

[R.Gould]

I know it is an older camea but a lot of the lenses for Praktica's were carl zeiss lenses

 

[AgX]

• A western alternative to the Practicas would be the Rolleiflex 35SL-family, with a Rollei propriatory mount.

But as for long time the basic mount for Prakticas was M42, you could put such Zeiss lens basically on various cameras from other manufacturers

 

[BAC1967]

Any M42 mount camera like a Pentax Spotmatic or the numerous other brands.

Chinon SLR by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[pradheep thavamani]

Anything with matrix metering?

 

[Pentode]

Some Zeiss lenses are available in Nikon mount.

 

[AgX]

Anything with matrix metering?

If you could put such old Zeiss lens on a most modern film-camera by means of a mount-adapter. But then you likely loose the feature of automatic-diaphragm.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Exakta



These are 60+ year old cameras, completely mechanical, no meter or batteries, but I've found them to be reliable. I used all five of mine last year, had no problems, all shutter speeds worked accurately, and images were totally sharp.

 

[abruzzi]

Nikon + Zeiss ZF lenses
Pentax + Zeiss ZK lenses

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

• A western alternative to the Practicas would be the Rolleiflex 35SL-family, with a Rollei propriatory mount.

But as for long time the basic mount for Prakticas was M42, you could put such Zeiss lens basically on various cameras from other manufacturers

If repairability of Contax cameras is an issue for the OP, then Rollei 35SL cameras are definitely off the table. Contaxes may not have the parts availability of a Nikon, but a Rollei 35SL is a 1970s Fiat in comparison to the 1970s Mercedes of the Contax.

 

[pradheep thavamani]

Nikon + Zeiss ZF lenses
Pentax + Zeiss ZK lenses

I was thinking about Pentax with Zeiss Lens.

 

[Dali]

Wha

I am looking to buy 35mm SLR camera with Zeiss lens. Not looking to buy Contax due lack of parts on repairs. If you can suggest me few models that came with Zeiss lens. Any suggestions?

What do you mean by "Zeiss lens"? Any lens with Zeiss written on it or do you have something more specific in mind?

 

[ph]

The Zeiss-Jena Practica optics are M42, but generally of an older generation than the Carl Zeiss M42 for the Icarex. The much more recent Zeiss optics came in Nikon, PK and EF mounts. The EF mounts have no manual aperture control, so they will be useless if you ever change to a camera that cannot control them. All Contax mount zeiss optics can be used with EF- adapters but with manual aperture operation.

p.

 

[ic-racer]

Woha! Don't confuse the communist, East German "Zeiss-Jena" with West German "Carl Zeiss." That is like confusing Skoda with Porsche.

 

[BAC1967]

Woha! Don't confuse the communist, East German "Zeiss-Jena" with West German "Carl Zeiss." That is like confusing Skoda with Porsche.

I was waiting for that, now we can have 47 pages of debate on East German vs West German Zeiss.

 

[abruzzi]

I was thinking about Pentax with Zeiss Lens.

I'd do a little research, but ZF (Nikon) lenses seem to be a little more plentiful, than ZK lenses, though ZF can be converted to ZK, and there are kits out there made by Leitax.

 

[Ian Grant]

KW Praktina, far better than Praktica (brand), although KW did have a cheaper Praktica range before becoming part of VEB Pentacon.

Note this Biotar lens is being remade on Kickstarter at a rather high price.

Ian

 

[jjphoto]

Yashica bodies take Contax lenses. You could buy dozens of spare Yashica bodies for relatively little.

 

[Paul Howell]

+1 for Yashica FR or or FRII, even an FX, buy 2 or 3, get a winder, then save up for the lens.

 

[jjphoto]

...alternatively you could buy one of the best film bodies known to man, the canon 1V, and use a contax to canon EF adapter to fit Contax lenses to the Canon. There are limitations, you can't use every contax len because of mirror collision, but most are fine, and you have to use stop down metering. All this is do-able, i shot contax lenses on canon digital bodies for years. It's just a thought, albeit an expensive one.

 

[narsuitus]

I am looking to buy 35mm SLR camera with Zeiss lens.

There is nothing stopping you from buying Nikon 35mm bodies and buying Carl Zeiss ZF lenses.


Zeiss Lenses by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[faberryman]

There is nothing stopping you from buying Nikon 35mm bodies and buying Carl Zeiss ZF lenses.

The obvious solution. Why make something more difficult than it needs to be.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

If repairability of Contax cameras is an issue for the OP, then Rollei 35SL cameras are definitely off the table. Contaxes may not have the parts availability of a Nikon, but a Rollei 35SL is a 1970s Fiat in comparison to the 1970s Mercedes of the Contax.

My knowledge of cars is not that deep sorry, so don't get the analogy. Anyway, I particularly fond on the Rollei sl35e because its a pleasure to use and the Zeiss QBM are gorgeous. Unfortunately their electronics and dependability are not as gorgeous. I have something like 3 of the dont work or are unreliable but have one that I use regularly and has not as yet failed.

Regards

Marcelo

 

[WilmarcoImaging]

Zeiss glass is available for Sony/Minolta A-mount bodies. For example the Maxxum/Dynax 9, and others. Additional benefit is the A-mount lenses can also be used on non-film cameras.

 

[AgX]

Thus to be mounted on a Minolta 5000, 7000 or 9000 camera.