Ernst Abbe Jena lenses

By chance I came a cross an Ernst Abbe Tessar Jens 50mm f2.8, in a Praktina mount, it's a pre-set version, Oddly I also came across an Ernst Abbe Jena Biotar. 58mm f2 lens M42 mount again pre-set. The serial numbers are very close and would indicate being made 1954/5.

I'm assuming these Carl Zeiss Jena lenses were re-badged for sale in West Germany, later exported lenses were marked Aus Jena.

Ian

Why call "Ernst Abbe" a Tessar or a Biotar. Ernst Abbe was an important contributor to optical science, but he designed neither of these two lenses.
A marketing trick already in the 50's, like Cosina calling some of its lenses "Heliar"?

Carl Zeiss the man didn't have anything to do with those lenses either. I think Ian was suggesting that during the period where East-German-Carl-Zeiss Jena lost the rights to use the "Carl Zeiss" name in the West (there was a whole legal saga), CZJ or someone importing the lenses may have used the "Ernst Abbe" name as a substitute. Which I think is actually kind of clever.

I read one of the legal documents in the Carl-Zeiss-West vs Carl-Zeiss-Jena saga and I thought the western court that took the trademark rights away from CZJ was biased, frankly. But that's all water long under the bridge now.

bernard_L said:

Why call "Ernst Abbe" a Tessar or a Biotar. Ernst Abbe was an important contributor to optical science, but he designed neither of these two lenses.
A marketing trick already in the 50's, like Cosina calling some of its lenses "Heliar"?

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reddesert said:

Carl Zeiss the man didn't have anything to do with those lenses either. I think Ian was suggesting that during the period where East-German-Carl-Zeiss Jena lost the rights to use the "Carl Zeiss" name in the West (there was a whole legal saga), CZJ or someone importing the lenses may have used the "Ernst Abbe" name as a substitute. Which I think is actually kind of clever.

I read one of the legal documents in the Carl-Zeiss-West vs Carl-Zeiss-Jena saga and I thought the western court that took the trademark rights away from CZJ was biased, frankly. But that's all water long under the bridge now.

Click to expand...

It was a squabble over who owned the rights to the Carl Zeiss name after WWII. Initially both sides assumed the East and West German would re-unite, so there was some cross over until the Cold WAr.

So not a marketing trick, just a legal workaround. Post WWII Germany the country was split into sectors, controlled by the British, French, and US. Cameras and particularly lenses sold in the British & French sector could use the Carl Zeiss & Jena name. But the US had heavily invested in CZ(Ikon) Oberkochen, and huge financial clout, so East German exports to the US, and US sectors in Germany could not use the Carl Zeiss name.

Ian