3.5 cm F2.8 Zeiss Opton

[davela]

I bought a Zeiss Opton Biogon 3.5 cm f2.8 in Zeiss Ikon Contax rangefinder mount last year having found one on eBay at a not too ridiculously high price. Like a lot of vintage wide-angle lenses from the 1950's I expected it to work fairly well, perhaps with a few obvious forgivable flaws compared to modern lenses, and certainly be a nice conversation piece if nothing else. I had owned the Zeiss Jena (a much earlier version) once, so I knew that the build quality at least would be special. (The Opton is the post-war verison of this lens and coated).

Well, as Zeiss lenses are often wont to do, this lens exceeded my expectations. I finally got around to processing some film taken with it yesterday and I will post a result or two. The camera is a Voigtlander Bessa R2. The C41 processing was done with an Arista kit and it was the first time I'd processed my own color film since the 1970's and I made some mistakes, partly corrected with post processing using GIMP. The lens sharpness and rich color rendering ability still comes through. This lens is going to see a lot more use real soon.

Sonoran Desert (Fuji Xtra 400):

[

Moon Rise over desert west of Blythe, CA (Fuji Xtra 400):

[jamesmck]

The rich colors are very attractive (not to mention the fine composition in number one). I have the same Opton in Contax mount, and am embarrassed to admit that I haven't used it in a long time. Your photos make me want to dig it out. Thanks.
--- James

ADDED: Just curious, are you using a Bessa R2C, or an adapter? I just checked my lens, and it is the Opton-Biogon (deep rear). Yours?

[davela]

James,

Yes this is the Opton Biogon and it fits directly on the Bessa 2RC - no interference problems. The older or East German made Biogons may not fit it - not sure.

I purchased the Biogon just for the R2C which I acquired in a trade deal with Steve Gandy of Rangefinder forum fame. It's a pretty expensive rig, and I was a little worried it would not perform at a high level, but I was wrong. I also have a good Contax IIIa, but the R2C is just seductively easy to use. I think I need some more Opton class lenses.

[davela]

Here's a couple more with the Biogon, this is Rincon Beach in Southern California a little south of Santa Barbara. I'm starting to like Fuji 400 - it's remarkably tolerant of my errors for one thing! No implied art here - just lens and camera testing and playing around with film. I could use a sky or polarizer on this lens for landscapes - the first is a little overexposed or overdeveloped (probably the latter). The backlit beach shot is a pretty brutal test of any lens, and this one handles it damn well, especially for a 1950's lens, if I say so myself.

[jamesmck]

I purchased the Biogon just for the R2C in a trade deal with Steve Gandy of Rangefinder forum fame. It's a pretty expensive rig and I was a little worried it would not perform at a high level, but I was wrong. I also have a good Contax IIIa, but the R2C is just seductively easy to use. I think I need some more Opton class lenses.

My Opton Biogon is circa 1953. I also have an Opton Sonnar 1.5/50 of similar vintage, and a very nice Contax IIa. I'd like to have a Bessa R2C, but they never show up used. Though now discontinued, Gandy still has some but the price is very steep ($750).

[davela]

One more, along the Interstate in far west Texas



I shot a couple of rolls using flash as well as natural light too at a family event, with very, very good results on persons - not unlike a modern Nikon lens for instance. I rarely post photos of people I know for privacy reasons though (unless they are long gone or public figures).

[melek]

Wow - nice photos. The price for these has been high for years -- including through the "go digital" era of the early 2000s.

You know, the lens handled that direct sunlight pretty good. That's usually death for most older lenses.

[davela]

A couple more the the 3.5 cm F2.8 Biogon Opton (on a Bessa 2RC)

Interstate 17 north of Phoenix, Kodak Gold 200, self processed (can't you tell!)



Coconino National Forest, somewhere a few dozen miles south of Jerome, on a dirt road off the main highway. Kodak Gold 200, self processed. I can recommend the Coconino National Forest if you want to "get away from it all" (I was just driving through).

[PFMcFarland]

Love those rays! Yeah, the Opton Biogon is like the Holy Grail for Contax shooters. I may never see one on my camera, unless I sell off a bunch of other stuff.

PF