Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 15cm f4,9

Man-Wei · Sep 19, 2024

I have seen a lot pre-war Tessar 15cm f4,5 lens with dial-set or rim-set Compur. What I have in my hand is a Tessar 15cm f4,9 in a dial-set Compur.
I am curious, which camera manufacturer(s) were issuing their cameras with a 15cm f4,9 lens?
Would it cover a 8x14cm 122 roll-film camera which is to be mod'ed to a 6x14cm 120 roll-film camera? My guess is yes.

Thanks.

Donald Qualls · Sep 19, 2024

The shutter probably wouldn't quite fit a 15/4.5. I have that lens on one of my Ideal plate cameras, and it requires a larger shutter (and, in that case, bayonet mount) than the 13.5/4.5 on the other one.

lobitar · Sep 20, 2024

The max. aperture of 4.9 instead of 4.5 is no doubt the engravers mistake? As far as I remember, the 4.5/150 mm prewar Tessar in no. 2 dialset Compur covers 5x7 clearn to the corners. That is, if memory serves me.

Ian Grant · Sep 20, 2024

A 150mm f4.5 Tessar does not cover 7x5, it will illuminate the screen but edges and corners will be soft., probably OK though for 6x14cm.

CZJ did make a 150mm f4.9 Tessar, they are very rare, like the 165mm f5.3 Tessar which seem to be used only on Kodak cameras. The slower the Tessar the better sharp coverage at wider apertures.

Ian

JPD · Sep 20, 2024

Donald Qualls said:
The shutter probably wouldn't quite fit a 15/4.5. I have that lens on one of my Ideal plate cameras, and it requires a larger shutter (and, in that case, bayonet mount) than the 13.5/4.5 on the other one.

I too think that's the case. The first Rolleiflex had a 3,8 Tessar, that actually was a 3,5 but physically limited to 3,5 in the small Compur at the time. Same with the 3,8 Triotar for the Rolleicord, and some plate cameras with longer lenses and smaller shutters.

lobitar · Sep 20, 2024

Ian Grant said:
A 150mm f4.5 Tessar does not cover 7x5, it will illuminate the screen but edges and corners will be soft., probably OK though for 6x14cm.

CZJ did make a 150mm f4.9 Tessar, they are very rare, like the 165mm f5.3 Tessar which seem to be used only on Kodak cameras. The slower the Tessar the better sharp coverage at wider apertures.

Ian

I didn't know about the 4.9/150 Tessar. I suppose then, that the shutter is a no. 1 dial-set Compur, normally used for a 4.5/135mm Tessar, with shutter mounting flange of 39mm, and not the no.2 shutter as supposed by me.

Donald Qualls · Sep 20, 2024

lobitar said:
I suppose then, that the shutter is a no. 1 dial-set Compur, normally used for a 4.5/135mm Tessar, with shutter mounting flange of 39mm, and not the no.2 shutter as supposed by me.

I think you're correct. My 15/4.5 Tessar is in a #2, I believe.

Ian Grant · Sep 20, 2024

This thread is only the third or fourth time in about 20 years I've come across the 150mm f4.9 Tessar, one was a barrel lens., another in a Compur.

Donald Qualls said:
I think you're correct. My 15/4.5 Tessar is in a #2, I believe.

According to English language CZJ catalogues (? US), the 150mm f4.5 is in a #IV (presumably a Compound). However, this maybe differences in naming/numbering between US made B&L Deckel shutters and Germany. B&L were a major shareholder in Deckel along with Paul Gauthier (Prontor etc) and the Carl Zeiss Foundation, along with others. I would add the catalogues don't match the German CZJ Tessar lenses I own in terms of shutter sixe.

A Dial set #2 (tube 4) is 30mm Iris diameter, slightly larger than a Rim set Compur #1 29mm which is the later norm for 150mm f4.5 Tessars, Xenars and other clones.

Ian

Man-Wei · Sep 24, 2024

Thanks for all your comments. Just a bit more info. The shutter of this lens came is a compur:
Mounting thread: 39mm
Front and Rear lens thread: 35~36mm, both are the same
Shutter barrel length: 20mm
I was thinking that this is a Dial-set Compur #1a because the front and rear lens thread are the same at 35~36mm but the info I gathered on the web is that Compur #1a should have a barrel length of 23~24mm.

Do normal Dial-set Compur #1 ever comes in same front and rear thread 35~36mm and barrel length 23~24mm? AFAIK, Compur #1 normal has an inside thread 30mm as shown in this thread.

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/dial-set-compur-shutters.138914/

Ian Grant · Sep 25, 2024

Zeiss made the lens, roughly 1927/8 and by then Deckel was fully owned by the Zeiss Foundation, there are some Compur variations not listed in that chart I posted in 2016. It would be easy to shorten a tube length, for a specific lens.

Ian

Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 15cm f4,9

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