Repeat this until the images are aligned as well as possible. If it is not, slip the inner ring about 10º and repeat the rotation of the lens assembly.
Rotate the objective lens assembly a small increment – say about 10 to 15º – at a time until it has made one revolution and see whether there is any movement of the image and, if so, if it is sufficient to bring the images into proper alignment. the narrowest part of the inner ring aligns with the widest part of the outer ring and vice-versa. Next, set the rings so that there is no eccentricity, i.e. It can be a tough test of perseverance and patience – you have been warned!įirst of all, mark the positions of the rings (see Fig 5-17) so that, if you do not manage to improve matters, you can at least set them to their original position. However, it is all but impossible to move an objective only either laterally or vertically, and collimation with eccentric rings can be monumentally frustrating until you get the hang of it. Moving the lens one way will move the image in the eyepiece the other way. Binoculars differ from telescopes in that collimation is achieved by lateral movement of the objectives, not by tilting them.
#Broken carl zeiss jena binoculars full
Filter diameter: 49mm.From a certain book :-) (but note that the best you can get doing this is conditional alignment, not full collimation)Įccentric rings. The 50mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar has a minimum focusing distance of 0.35m and weighs around 170g. Also, images look sharp and distinctive on both film and digital. It may be so, but the qualities of the Tessar go beyond this f2.8 maximum aperture, as the lens performs really well when kept in the f5.6-f.8 range. Today, 50mm f2.8 Tessar are often overlooked mainly because people think that this is a slow lens and probably because they are the cheapest Carl Zeiss vintage lenses. Some versions are marked with a red T, which indicates that they have a multi-coating layer. The 50mm f2.8 Tessar was launched at the beginning of the 1950s in an all chrome version and was followed by a zebra version and then by a black version, with green or red markings. Note that many modern lenses found in mobile phones and entry level digital cameras only share the name with the Tessar. The Tessar was made in numerous mounts and evolved under Zeiss, but the optical formula was also incorporated in other lenses such as the Soviet Industar 50-2. Then the German physicist Paul Rudolph, who worked at Zeiss, developed this so called 4 elements in 3 groups construction that made Tessar one of the most successful vintage lenses ever made. However, the history of the Tessar goes way back, as its optical formula dates back to 1902. Through the years it equipped many of the 35mm film cameras sold in the former Soviet Bloc. The 50mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar is a standard lens, one of the most iconic vintage lenses produced in Eastern Europe.
#Broken carl zeiss jena binoculars series
In fact, we consider that they cannot match the build quality displayed by premium Japanese lenses, such as the Takumar series made by Asahi Pentax.Ĭompared to other German brands, Carl Zeiss lenses have a certain reputation and which hasn't been surpassed as time went by. Mechanically though, their quality differed, from very good for the most part of their existence to only good in the final years (late 1980s - early 1990s).
Optics-wise, the quality of Jena lenses was very solid.
The Western branch also developed the Sonnar and the Tessar, albeit in different focal length, along with other lens series such as the Biogon, Distagon and Planar. The latest generation of classic Carl Zeiss Jena lenses was made of plain metal with red or green markings. Through the years, their lenses had different exterior designs and trims: the older ones were chromed and then came the "zebra" type. Their portfolio includes many generations of lenses such as the Tessar, the Sonnar, the Pancolar and the Flektogon. But when sold in the Western countries, they were branded simply “aus Jena” or just "Jena", as Carl Zeiss West Germany had the right to use the original name. When sold in Eastern European countries, the lenses were named "Carl Zeiss Jena". The company not only produced camera lenses, but also binoculars, industrial optics and optical equipment for the military. Later they also used the Prakticar bayonet system. One part of the company continued production in Jena, the German Democratic Republic, while the other relocated in Oberkochen, West Germany.Ĭarl Zeiss Jena built lenses in the M42 and Exakta mounts. At that particular time Carl Zeiss, which had been founded in Jena in 1846 as an optics workshop, was divided between the two German states. Carl Zeiss Jena is the Eastern branch of the legendary Carl Zeiss Company and appeared under this name after World War II.