The Journal of the Zeiss Historica Society ~ Volume 12; Number 2.

Autumn, 1990

A. AICHTER 2,031,792

Filed Jul¥ 25. 1934

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The Zeiss Historica Society of America is an educational,
non-profit society dedicated to the study and exchange of
information on the history of the Carl Zeiss optical
company and affiliates, its people and products from 1846
to the present.
OFFICERS
Founder Thomas Schreiner
President Charles Barringer, Jr.
Secretary Maurice Zubatkin
Treasurer Maurice Zubatkin
Archivist Lawrence Gubas
Journal Editors Marion Husid
William Stone

Address all enquiries to:

Lawrence Gubas, 24 Valley Drive, Randolph, N.J. 07869,
USA. Annual Membership Dues: North America, $20.,
Overseas, $30. Dues include subscription to Zeiss
Historica Journal, airmail postage overseas.

Trademarks and various names that are the property of

Carl Zeiss are used with permission.
©Zeiss Historica Society, 1990. All rights reserved under
Pan American and Universal Copyright Conventions by
Zeiss Historica Society. Reproduction without permis- The Nedinsco plant's tallest structure: used to test long
sion is prohibited. optical instruments such as periscopes prior to shipment.
Type-setting and printing: The Warren Press, Inc.
6 Lake Avenue, Danbury, Connecticut 06810.
ZEISS IN THE NETHERLANDS
A PICTORIAL FOLLOW-UP
In Volume 9, Number 1, Spring 1987 issue of the Journal this
author described the connection that existed prior to and during
World War II between the Dutch optical company Nedinsco B.V.
and Carl Zeiss, Jena. The article closed with this sentence: "Should
you visit Venlo, in The Netherlands, you can find the B.V. Neder-
landse Instrumenten Compagnie (Nedinsco) doing business at
Molensingel 17, 5912 Venlo."
In the spring of 1990 this author was fortunate to have the
opportunity to visit Venlo, and to have as a guide our fellow Society
member Mr. Adriaan Matthijs, who lives in Velden, adjacent to
Fig. Venlo. Mr. Matthijs took these photographs of the Nedinsco plant.
r, - 1'2. 63 Nicholas Grossman
r" - 1'7. 70

ON THE COVERS
FRONT COVER: IOcm Topogon against copy of Richter's 1936
US Patent.
BACK COVER: Miroflex ad from 1927/1928 edition of "Photo-
freund Jahrbuch" published in Berlin. While ad is for the Zeiss Ikon
product, the Zeiss Ikon logo has not yet found its way to the body of
the camera. Camera is still the Contessa-Nettel product.

ILLUSTRATION SOURCES
Front cover and Topogon photos, C. Barringer, Jr. • Great Contax
Mystery photos, except as noted, by Sam Sherman . • Binocular photos,
Eugene Zartarian and Kevin Kuhne . • Photos of Augustana telescope,
Astro 1 catalog, and I5x telescope (lichtstrahlen) by Nick Grossman . •
Shutter photos (lichtstrahlen) by Maurice Zubatkin . • Manufacturers'
One of the entrances to the Nedinsco plant.
codes photos by the Editor.
-2-
 THETOPOGON
WIDE-ANGLE Joachim Arnz, Jena, Germany

With the introduction of the dry plate in 1875, photography

gained greatly in popularity. Demand increased for telephoto and
wide-angle lenses which could alter the composition of images.
Existing designs like the Aplanat, Periscop, and Triplet were
unsuitable for use as wide-angles - lenses whose focal lengths were
less than the diagonal of the plate. Image quality suffered greatly at
the edges of the image. The causes were little or no correction of
astigmatism and curvature of the image plane.
Many experimental designs had shown some degree of success at
correcting these problems. Among them was one which deserves
credit for providing the basis of the Topogon. This was an anastig-
matic meniscus designed by Emil von Hoegh (1865-1915) in 1900. Its
design was as simple as it was ingenious. Both the curved surfaces of
this design point in the same direction and have the same curvature.
The diaphragm is positioned so that incoming rays are refracted
from both the inner diverging surfaces and the outer converging
surfaces in the same manner. As a result, anastigmatic distortions
cancel each other out. Other distortions - especially spherical
aberration - cannot be corrected. They can only be minimized by
using extremely small apertures. Color correction is also impossible.
Von Hoegh then improved on this design by comhining two
single meniscus elements in such a way that the concave surface of
each faced the diaphragm in the middle. The result was the
symmetrical Hypergon. The Hypergon was produced by c.P. Goerz
in Berlin until 1926. After that, Carl Zeiss Jena produced it until the
Topogon was developed.
The Hypergon was not successfully challenged for almost three
decades. Its field of view was 140 degrees, and it was well-corrected
for astigmatism and distortion of the image plane. Nevertheless, the The Goerz Hypergon, with its star-shaped "spinner" to even illu-
lens had to be stopped down to f22 for focusing and to f32 for mination from center to edges of film. Illustration is from the
exposures, since its lack of color correction and focus difference, 1903 Goerz New York catalog. Lens could be ordered in six focal
because of spherical aberration, were of considerable magnitude. lengths ranging from 2 3/8" to 7 7/8".

Von Hoegh's meniscus. Goerz Hypergon.

-3-
 The i40 degree field of the Hypergon produced noticeable light
loss at the edge of the image. To counteract this, a star-shaped
diaphragm was mounted in front of the lens, and rotated by a hand-
operated blower during part of the exposure. This produced an
evenly graduated exposure from the center of the image to its edges.

Enter the Topogon

As commonly used film sizes became smaller with the passage of
time, the performance of the Hypergon became less and less
adequate. It can be assumed that during the 30 years of its supremacy
as an ultra-wi de-angle, there was continuous experimentation in the
optical industry to increase the performance and efficiency of this
lens.
In the early 19305, Carl Zeiss Jena made a remarkable step forward
in solving the difficult problem of combining increased light trans-
mission with a wide field of view. This was the Topogon -
developed by Dr. R. Richter (1886-1956) and awarded German
Patent Number 636167 in 1933; US Patent Number 2031792 in 1936.
IOcm flO Topogon has 95 degree angle of view.
The Topogon is composed of·four meniscus lenses, each with its
concave surface facing the diaphragm. The two outer elements are its useable angle of view was nearly 100 degrees. It saved both
made of nD 1.6i glass with minimal dispersion. They have a light- material and time. And the design laid the foundation for further
converging effect. The two inner elements are made of nD 1. 72 glass developments around the world.
,:hich has less refracting effect but correspondingly higher disper- Worth noting is the fact that this Topogon was not exactly
sIon . symmetrical. Later, greater freedom from distortion was achieved by
This design keeps the relationship of the radii to the focal length making the arrangement fully symmetrical, and encasing the entire
relatively flat, and has a positive effect on flatness of field. Moreover, system within two plane glass plates.
the varying dispersive qualities of the glass used result in improved Another version of the Topogon had an aperture of f6.3 and a focal
chromatic correction. The important criteria of anastigmatic flatness length of 55mm. This was used in the Zeiss phototheodolite "TAL",
and freedom from distortion are almost totally met by this design. produced by the Zeiss Aerotopograph Company. To achieve better
Fall-off in illumination at the edges of the field is within tolerable correction in this instrument, a plane plate was installed at the focal
limits. To correct it completely, a compensating plate graduated in plane. This device also found applications in photogrammetry.
density from center to edges can be mounted in front of the lens. Other versions of the Topogon designed for photogrammetry
Production costs of the Topogon were high. The radius of the lens were a l00mm flO and a 115mm flO, both with a 95 degree angle of
was so short that the grinding carrier had to be very small. The view. In addition, there was also an 80rnm f6.3.
number of pieces that could be produced was limited. Moreover, the Even though it was built only in small numbers, the most widely
nearly hemispherical shape of these highly curved meniscuses made known and used Topogon was the 25mm f4 for use on the Contax.
grinding very time-consuming, particularly when close tolerances This has an 82 degree angle of view.
were specified. The process is comparable to the production of high- Similar to this Topogon is the Orion 28mm f6, manufactured
quality microscope optics, as an examination of the 25mm f4 around 1%0 in the USSR for the Zorki and Kiev cameras. It is also
Topogon in a Contax mount will show. composed of four meniscus elements which are arranged symmetri-
cally with their concave surfaces facing the diaphragm. Despite its
Topogon Versions large angle of view (75 degrees), it has resolving power. Drop-off in
The Topogon described above had an aperture of f6.3, and a focal light intensity towards the edges of the image plane is also negligible.
length of l00mm. Since its relative speed was adequate for short A final version of the Topogon was designed in 1%0 to be used on
exposures from a fast-flying plane, it was originally dedicated to an undeveloped 6x9cm camera like the Linhof Technika. This lens
aerial photography. With its large field of view, broad areas could was a 60mm f5.6 with an 82 degree angle of view. It was never put
now be -captured from relatively low altitudes. With 18x 18cm film, into production.

The Topogon. B&L Metrogon.

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 A trio of Topogons. Top left: postwar uncoupled 25mm f4 for Contax, T-coated with breechlock (only Contax lens with this feature). Top
right: prewar (1939) uncoupled 25mm f4.5 Contax. Bottom: wartime (1941) T-coated 13mm f3.5 for Movikon 16mm movie camera.

can be easily recognized as the rear group of the Topogon.

Topogon Descendants This list of Topogon descendants cannot be complete, since all the
In 1941, Dr. Richter designed a derivative of the Topogon called documents concerning them are unavailable. But it is evident that the
the Pleon. This is a 7.5cm fSlens. In effect, it is a Topogon with a possibilities of this design have been widely exploited. Equally
dispersing front element which increases the back focal length - the evident is the fact that wide-scale development or applications no
distance between lens and film plane. The dispersing front group and longer seemed feasible after the late 1%Os.
the associated disturbance of symmetry produce great distortion in One reason for the arrested development of the Topogon can be
this lens, which can only be corrected with special anti-distortion found in the increasing domination of the SLR camera. Since the
devices. Richter's Planigon is also related to the Topogon. distance between the Topogon's rear element and the film plane is so
An interesting American derivative is the Metrogon, manufac- short, the lens would interfere with the rise and fall of the mirror in
tured by Bausch & Lomb under US Patent Number 2325275. an SLR.
Although it consists of five individual meniscus elements, its Modern wide-angle lenses employ powerful dispersing front
relationship to the Topogon is unmistakeable. groups which effectively increase the distance between rear element
The furthest development of lenses related to the Topogon are the and film plane. They also provide considerably greater illumination
ultra-wide Pleogon (designed in 1955 by Richter and Koch) and S- at the edges of the film plane than does the Topogon. For example,
Pleogon 0968, by Roos and Winzer). Both these lenses are products the 25mm f4 Flektogon transmits 3 times as much light as does the
of Carl Zeiss Oberkochen. Their kinship with the Topogon can be Topogon at its widest field of view. Such designs have largely
clearly seen in the middle group of elements with its two external eliminated the problem of insufficient illumination at the edges of
groups of diffusing elements. The optical performance of the S- the field.
Pleogon is astounding. An S5mm f4, it has an angle of view of 125 Nevertheless, the Topogon remains one of the most famous and
degrees, and can cover a film size of 23x23cm. With nine elements, it long-lived designs in the history of photographic optics. The
is cosdy to produce, and requires extremely precise manufacturing ingenuity of its design is in no way diminished by the fact that new
and mounting. Both the Pleogon and S-Pleogon were developed times demand new solutions.
exclusively for aerial photography. This article was translated from the original German by member
Portions of the Topogon have appeared in the construction of Gaus Stegmann, with additional technical editorial assistance from
other lenses. For example, the rear group of the Biometar SOmm f2.S honorary member Edward Kaprelian.
-5-
 ZEISS TELESCOPE
AT AUGUSTANA COLLEGE Nicholas Grossman, Rockville, Maryland

Number 9244 on its Gark equatorial mount.

In the Spring 1981 issue of the Journal this author listed the few highway at "Sky Ridge", the telescope had to be removed in 1966. In
large Zeiss telescopes that are open to the public in the United States. 1%7, ground was broken at Augustana College for a new building to
The largest, a 300mm refractor, is housed in the Griffith Observatory house the John Deere Planetarium. It included an observatory to
in Los Angeles. There is also a 250mm refractor at the Franklin Insti- honor the memory of Carl H. Gamble. Funds were provided by the
tute in Philadelphia. John Deere Company and by private donors. In 1968, these new
The information on these two instruments was correct. But details facilities were opened to the public.
about the Zeiss telescope at the Carl Gamble Observatory, in Rock
Island, Illinois were based on secondhand information, and were
incomplete and largely incorrect. Recently I had the opportunity to
visit the Carl Gamble Observatory and I now am able to provide
factual information for the record.

The Telescope Itself

Carl Zeiss, Jena refractor Number 9244, Carl Zeiss, Jena l30mm
diameter telescope objective Number 11343E, f=194cm. Finder
telescope lOx, Number 7138, objective 30mm diameter (number not
available), focal length 3Ocm. A Zeiss wooden accessory storage case
for the slide-in sleeve contains 25mm, 12. 5mm, 7mm, 5mm, and 4mm
oculars, a 50mm screw-in ocular, 3 filters, a Zenith prism Number
10308, an Abbe erecting prism Number 7049, and a revolving turret
ocular holder Number 7208. The telescope is attached to a Clark
equatorial mount.

The Telescope's History

Dr. (Hon.C.) Carl H. Gamble, an enthusiastic amateur astronomer
who worked for the John Deere Company in Moline, Illinois,
acquired the telescope secondhand, for about $275 in 1929. In 1938,
Dr. Gamble purchased an Alvin Clark motor-driven equatorial
mount from Mr. Hamilton Maze and placed the Zeiss refractor on
this Clark mount. In 1941, the telescope was moved to Dr. Gamble's
newly built "Sky Ridge Observatory", near Moline, Illinois.
Dr. Gamble passed away in January 1958, and bequeathed the
telescope to Augustana College. Due to the construction of a new Observatory at Augustana that houses the telescope.
-6-
 WWII GERMAN
MANUFACTURERS' CODES
Some of the optical equipment used by the German armed forces in bvf Reichert, Vienna.
WWII was of course ordinary civilian equipment carrying the bxx. Askania, Berlin.
maker's name and simply marked with the branch of the service to cag Swarovski, Wattens, Austria.
which it was issued. Many Leica and Contax cameras used by the cau Kodak-Nagel, Stuttgart.
military bear markings which clearly identify them as property of ccx Hugo Meyer, Goerlitz.
one or another branch of the armed forces: the Navy, the Army, etc. crn Friedrichs & Co., Hamburg.
Robot cameras marked "Luftwaffe Eigentum" (Property of the Air cro R. Fuess, Berlin.
Force) are quite common. ddx. Voigtlaender, Braunschweig.
But equipment designed specially for military use often carries no dpv Zeiss Ikon, Dresden.
manufacturer's name. Instead, the manufacturer is identified by a dpw Zeiss Ikon (Goerz), Berlin.
three-letter alphabetic code. These codes are found on almost all dpx. Zeiss Ikon (Contessa), Stuttgart.
specifically military optical equipment: rangefinders, periscopes, dzl Oigee, Berlin.
aerial cameras, binoculars made to military specifications and the eaw R. Winkel, Goettingen.
like. (If a specific item was made by two or more manufacturers, the eso Rodenstock, Munich .
products of each manufacturer would be identified by differing esu Steinheil, Munich.
codes.) eug O.P.W. (a Zeiss affiliate), Warsaw.
Coding was not confined to optical equipment. Such mundane fwq Saalfelder G.m.b.H., Saalfeld.
equipment as barracks furniture supplied to the military was also fwr Saalfeld G.m.b.H., Saalfeld.
manufacturer-coded. gug Hungarian Optical Werk, Budapest.
Here is a list of some of the codes which appear on optical equip- gxn Fritz Volk, Berlin.
ment. It was gathered from several different sources. While incom- hwt Ihagee/Steenbergen, Dresden.
plete, it should be helpful in identifying equipment not marked with jon Voigtlaender-Gevaert, Berlin.
a manfacturer's name. jux Nedinsco (a Zeiss affiliate),
Where a period appeared after the code, it was intentional - and Venlo, The Netherlands.
was added to prevent misreading of the code when seen upside down. kqc Joseph Schneider, Goettingen.
beh Ernst Leitz, Wetzlar. Ifm Nederlandsche Maschinefabriek
bek Hensoldt Werk, Herborn. Artillerie Inrichtungen, Delft.
ble Carl Zeiss, Jena. Ifn Reflekta (c. Richter), Tharandt.
bmh K. Jirasek, Prague. Imq Carl Zeiss, Jena (for equipment from
bmj Hensoldt, Wetzlar. some foreign affiliates of the firm) .
bmt Steinheil, Munich. Iwg Osterode G.m.b.H., Freiheit bei Osterode.
bpd. Goerz, Vienna. rln Carl Zeiss, Jena.

"gxn " code on plate of 1941 70mm aerial hand camera identifies manu- 6x30 military monocular from Carl Zeiss Jena . Body is dark
facturer as Fritz Volk, Berlin. The lens, a 125mm f2, bears 110 code mark , green-gray. All markings except the triangle are black enamel.
however. It is directly marked as a Xenon from Schneider in Goettingen. The triangle is light blue, and its significance is unknown.
-7-
 MORE ON THE
GREAT CONTAX
MYSTERY
Samuel Sherman, Old Bridge, New Jersey

With the opening of the Eastern bloc nations through the process
of glasnost, new pages will be written in photographic history and
old ones uncovered. Looming large on the horizon is the possible
reunification of Zeiss East and Zeiss West along with German reuni-
fication itself. Collectors and historians of East German and Soviet
photographic equipment have long been regarded as offbeat hobby-
ists to say the least. Much of this equipment has unfairly been cate-
gorized as inferior, when in reality the Eastern bloc has produced
much fine optical equipment. For political and other reasons, the
history of this equipment has been cloaked in secrecy of a kind which
evokes the most complex of both real and fictional spy stories.
Until recently, the Contax II and III cameras were generally
thought to have been produced in the years 1936-40. For many years
the Modern Photography "Camera Buying Guide" stuck by those
dates. But the existence of the "No-Name" Contax, of Contax-type
Kiev cameras, and the sale of "new" Con tax II and III cameras after
1945 made it clear that 1940 was not the last date of production for the From "Popular Photography", January, 1951: portion
Contax II and III. Nevertheless, there were those who attempted to of retail ad from Geo. Levine's Sons Co. in Boston.
deny the existence of these more recently made products, having
their own axes to grind. In the March and April 1979 issues of This was not a Contax IIA and the man who wrote this ad
"Photographica," the publication of The Photographic Historical accurately described what he was selling: a NEW Contax II in
Society of New York, this writer brought many of these events to 1951. The man who ran that ad and sold those cameras is Sam
light in a two-part speculation entitled "The Great Contax Mystery." Levine. He wrote to me on Christmas day 1978:
The following excerpts are from those articles: "We bought all those Zeiss cameras from Zeiss Co. on Fifth
Legend has it that after the occupation of Dresden by Russian Ave., N.Y.C. which they imported from Zeiss in Germany,
troops (1945), the entire manufacturing facilities for Contax II East Zone, where they were still being made under the auspices
cameras were crated and shipped to Kiev in Russia where the of the Russians. Your theory is correct - Zeiss in Eastern
Kiev (Contax-type) cameras are reportedly made to this day Germany continued to make their cameras."
(1979) . I feel that Kiev (Contax) cameras were always made in Perhaps, based on the information and theories presented
East Germany with only some part of their assembly done in here, all of the postwar Con tax II cameras including Kiev's,
Russia. "No-Names" and Jena models are all the same in various
I had an expert camera technician disassemble a No-Name versions of minor evolution ... with the major part of their
Contax (Kiev-type). This man has an extensive background in manufacture taking place in the lens city of Jena.
East German cameras of the posrwar period. His knowledge In the early 1960s, the Kiev cameras were modernized with
extends to manufacturing and assembly techniques. His bottom locks and tripod socket to imitate the Western Contax
opinion was that the "No-Name" Contax was made in East IIA and IlIA models. The "No-Name" Contaxes are these
Germany, not Russia. Kiev models, with usually better finish and better quality
To further confirm my theory about the Kiev being an East control. The date on my "No-Name" case strap is 1963.
German camera, I would also have to prove that the majority of Mr. Noak of Carl Zeiss Inc., New York informed me that
the technicians, tooling and manufacturing equipment for the the prewar Contax II and III models were indeed made again
Contax II did not go to Russia after the 1945 occupation of in East Germany after 1945.
Dresden. In this regard I submit the following story. In the Fellow PHSHY member Leslie Oswald, formerly of
January 1951 issue of Popular Photography, Geo. Levine's Hungary, told me the following: Years ago in Europe he
Sons Co. of Boston, Mass. ran a full page ad. Part of it states : learned that Russian forces had taken equipment to manufac-
"Exclusive Scoop - Contax II Back Again. The world's ture Contax cameras back to Russia. They failed in their
most famous 35mm Camera, now with internal synchroniza- attempt to properly make the cameras and returned the
tion, plus all its original great features. CONTAX II, coupled equipment to East Germany where manufacture resumed
rangefinder, etc., internal built-in flash synchro, f2 factory- success full y.
coated lens in latest lightweight rigid mount ... S295. Takes all The following is from a third part of this story which was never
pre-war Con tax II lenses 'and accessories; also Con tax IIA published, dated November 5, 1979.
lenses," As to Russians "never" taking machinery to Kiev and "never"
-8-
 Technician works on a Kiev. Photo was taken in March or April of 1947 at prewar Zeiss Ikon factory in lena. The
photographer was.Henry Ries, then a staffphotographer for the New York Times in Europe, now living in New York .

making Kiev Contaxes there - I feel I have been too strong on was near impossible."
that point too. The answer is not a simple one - ie. all Kievs It seems obvious that the Dresden Zeiss workers got their
were made in Kiev -orall Kievs were made in East Germany. machinery working and probably had a supply of prewar and
I feel a more intricate relationship is involved. wartime Contax parts to work with. Using a combination of
James E. Cornwall, a noted photographic historian living in these old parts and new ones, they assembled the earliest
Germany, related this story to me: postwar East German Contax II and III cameras.
"In 1945 Russian troops entered Dresden where Zeiss made From extensive research I have concluded that the Con tax
the Contax cameras. They came to one of the Zeiss factories to cameras with higher prefix serial numbers are later cameras. I
remove manufacruring equipment. The Zeiss workers have examined "M" models and feel they are late wartime and
generally didn't wish to cooperate with this removal. The postwar, equipped with "T" coated Carl Zeiss Jena lenses as
factory had three large elevators. Workers locked one of the their original equipment. I own the latest model I have ever
elevators as if broken after having removed key equipment and seen of this type: a Contax II with a high "0" prefix serial
hidden it in the building's basement. The Russian troops used number and collapsible "T" coated Zeiss Jena f2 Sonnar. The
the two other elevators in their operation and took the desired lens seems to be made of prewar and postwar lens parts.
equipment. They were unaware of the fact that they didn't get Many of the post-1945 Con taxes sneaked into the postwar
all of the equipment. The troops put explosive devices in the camera market where quality cameras were scarce and worth
cwo operating elevators and destroyed them. Once the Russian big money. Ads in 1948 u.s. consumer photographic
troops left Dresden, the remaining Zeiss workers used the magazines offer many "as new" Contaxes in original boxes and
third elevator to return their manufacruring equipment with "T' coated lenses. Many assumed these were not new
upstairs where the enormous task ahead was resuming any cameras (of inferior quality) but just original prewar Zeiss
kind of manufacturing operations. The Russians took the items. Those dealers that knew the truth may have concealed it
tooling they had to Kiev along with some former Zeiss since the quality of these items was not as good as prewar Zeiss
employees. The Zeiss workers sahotaged the equipment the quality.
Russians took so that producing cameras with this equipment The "0" Contax II that I have is not as well made as the
-9-
 1955 Contax 111 synchro model, newly arrived from the USSR.

earlier cameras. Some parts, including the film channel Les Frankham of Leicester Camera Repair Service in England,
assembly, are more like those in Kiev models than in prewar formerly with Zeiss Ikon, wrote to me as follows:
Contaxes. The exterior plating is very bright, grainy, of poor "There were no manufactured cameras officially (Zeiss)
quality and immediately stands apart from the finish on the post 1945, the same as the prewar models, it's a long story.
prewar cameras. There were many escapes involved around 1947/48 ... we
Perhaps after the initial hostility between the Russians and even hold some original blue prints dated 1946/47 when the
the East German Zeiss people, these differences were worked Contax re-started and original parts saved from enemy
out. The cooperation between the East German lens firm of action."
Carl Zeiss Jena and Russia is well-known today. The His letter was not specific, but it indicated he had information
manufacturers of Kievs and East German Contaxes might also which for political reasons he didn't want to write about in 1979.
have worked together in various ways. This may have taken The post-1945 history of the Contax II and III is a most fascinating
place in the early years until some point in the 1%0s - perhaps one with many hints of intrigue that are not easily analyzed. Behind
when all manufacture of Contax-Kiev types might have this was the fight between the East (USSR) and West (US, West
shifted solely to the USSR. German) over the rights to the Zeiss name, patents and related
Isaak Maizenberg, formerly a top camera technician at the Kiev products. Its seems obvious that after 1945 persons both known and
camera works and author of a detailed repair text on Kiev (Contax) unknown may have been manufacturing some form of Zeiss products
cameras wrote to me as follows: including Contax II and III cameras. The products were in demand
"After the war, the USSR removed these (Dresden) plants and could be easily turned into hard currency. Exactly what these
partly to Kiev, where they produced Contax II and Contax III products were and who made them is still a mystery. After the war,
but named them Kiev II and Kiev III. the American company Carl Zeiss Inc. sold the products made by
Later when the camera had been improved with a Zeiss (West) in the United States. How then did they sell Contaxes
synchrocontact, the names were changed to Kiev IIA and Kiev from East Germany?
IlIA. Siegfried Kessler, former President of Carl Zeiss Inc. (US), spoke
Together with the moving of plants to Kiev, they moved at the November 1989 Zeiss Historica meeting in Secaucus, New
some engineers, but they returned back to Germany in a very Jersey. After his talk he explained to me that as an American
short time and the Kiev camera was put together from the company, Carl Zeiss Inc. could sell Eastern Zone cameras as well as its
parts which were made in Kiev. own cameras from the West, since it was not a division of the West
About the No-name cameras: I never saw them in Russia, Germany company.
but I am sure that they were made in Russia to be sold in While Carl Zeiss Inc. was selling East German Contaxes in the US
foreign countries." in the late 1940s and early 1950s, they did not advertise that they were
-10-
Contax II from Jena. Synchro contact is probably a later addition, not factory original. (Randall Scheid photo.)

Highest film speed on 1955 Contax III is 33 DIN.

-11-
doing so. In fact, these cameras competed with the official Contax The cameras sold in the US were marked "USSR Occupied
IIa, which they openly sold in 1951. At the same time, Geo. Levine's Germany". You had your choice: an East German Kiev without a
Sons Co. in Boston was selling the East German Contax II. nameplate, or a Soviet-made Kiev of better quality. The "USSR
Hubert Nerwin, formerly of Zeiss (Dresden), told me he knew of Occupied Germany" was a deception.
the East German Con taxes in the 19505, when they were sold in
camera stores in Rochester, New York. Examining one, he felt it was
below the original (19305) Zeiss standards and that the finish on the
exterior metal parts was generally poor.
Speaking of the Russians removing the tooling from Zeiss in
Dresden, Nerwin told me a related story. It seems that a Russian
soldier appropriated a camera from the factory for himself at that
time. It was one of the rare Pentaprism SLR prototypes developed
from the Contax II for use with its telephoto lenses. In 1948 that same
soldier returned to Dresden and brought "his" camera back for
repair, claiming it was no longer working properly. Nerwin's story
ended there. Does that camera still exist today somewhere in the
USSR?
Based on related history and various stories and research, I have Base of 1955 Contax Ill. Note solid center bal-
come up with the following approximate timetable of production of ance foot and improved, smooth rewind button.
various models of the Contax II and III in all its guises:
1936-40: Zeiss Ikon Dresden - production of official original
models of the Con tax II and III.
1936-65: Carl Zeiss Jena - production of chrome and aluminum
mount lenses for the Contax II & III, prisms for internal
rangefinder and related optical accessories.
1940-45: Zeiss Ikon Dresden - production of the Contax II and III
for German military use - some in modified form.
1945-46: Workers at Zeiss Ikon Dresden factory produce Contax II
and III models from prewar, wartime and newly made
(poor-quality) parts. Zeiss Ikon logo on back has round "S"
letters, not square as in earlier models. These cameras have
"M" and "0" prefix serial numbers.
1947-49: Carl Zeiss Jena (optical factory) - production of the Jena
Contax II (and possibly III) models. Production of the
early KIEV II and III models.
1948-86: Carl Zeiss Jena - production of complete lenses, prisms
for rangefinders and opticallel)s elements for insertion into
Soviet lens mounts - for Kiev cameras (also speculation).
1948-86: Kiev Camera Works - production of Kiev (Contax)
types, with many changes in specifications and modifica- From top to bottom: base ofJena Contax (similar to 1955 Con-
tions. tax Ill), Kiev with base like that of Contax lIa, and original
1950-65: Former Zeiss Ikon plant in Dresden (this is speculation). Zeiss Ikon Contax 11 from Dresden. (Randall Scheid photo.)
Production of the Contax II and III, "No-Name" Contax
II, parts for Kievs and interaction with Kiev Camera Recently, I obtained a Contax III from a Russian immigrant. This
Works on production of this camera. camera had an improved flash socket (more advanced than that on my
As with the much-revised black Contax I models, the Contax II 1954 Kiev) and the old bottom - a bottom unlike the changed
and III continuously received numerous design changes, most of bottom with thick grooves found on the 1956 Kiev. I would date this
which were hidden from external inspection. Postwar East German camera as 1955. It came with a Carl Zeiss Jena "T" coated rigid
production continued these changes: the solid-center balance foot, Sonnar f2, serial number 3093500. The camera has no serial number
the smooth rewind button, f1ash-synch socket under the viewfinder anywhere on the body. It is not a homemade hybrid of Kiev and
window, etc. Con tax parts, but rather a complete factory model with Zeiss Ikon
These changes traveled straight through all East German logo on the back. It shares Jena Con tax and later Kiev features. The
Contaxes, Jena Contaxes, "No-Name" Contaxes and Kiev models, meter knob reaches a high setting of 33 DIN (the laterthe model, the
suggesting cooperation between all the parties producing these higher the film speed). This was an ongoing Contax III
cameras. One story says that several sets of tooling for the cameras improvement.
existed and that East German production continued at the same time The lens is of the same style as the 1950 Carl Zeiss Jena rigid f2
as did Kiev factory production. This might account for the "No- Sonnar models, which came in dull aluminum mounts. But this
Name" Contax. mount is of high-quality chrome-plated brass.
From all reported observations of "No-Name" Contaxes, Who made Contax III synchro models in 1955 remains open to
including my own, these were Kiev types with Con tax I1a bottoms speculation. The best of luck to fellow researchers who are interested
and serial numbers beginning with "63". This indicates 1963 in this subject, including Bob Barlow, Charles Barringer, Nicholas
production as per the Soviet serial number system. The cameras are Grossman, Kurt Juettner, Hans-Juergen Kuc, Ivor Matanle, Bernd
of better quality than contemporary Kiev versions. They were sold K. Otto, and Bob Pins. Doubtless it will be European Zeiss
new in the US with new West Zeiss Sonnar lenses - probably historians and collectors close to the changes in Eastern Europe who
surplus from the discontinued I1a and IlIa. According to some will go to the Eastern bloc countries and finally get all the facts of this
reports, these cameras came equipped with new Zeiss Jena lenses. story which have long been hidden.
-12-
 NEW SHUTTER AND TAPES
FOR A ZEISS MIROFLEX
Frank Paca, Alexandria, Virginia
During the summer of 1989, I acquired a Zeiss Ikon Miroflex B To provide the energy required to operate the shutter, springs are
(9x12cm film size). The camera was fitted with a 165mm 4.5 Tessar located in the opening shutter roller and in the spools for each of the
and was generally in excellent condition. The shutter operated at all tapes of the closing shutter. This method of operation imposes some
speeds (T,B, and 1/3 to 1/2000 second). However, time and air unusual demands on the properties of the tapes as can be illustrated
pollution had hardened and cracked the shutter cloth as often occurs by one cycle of exposure at a middle (1/35 second) speed.
in cameras this old. What follows is a description of the replacement • When the shutter is unwound it is as shown in Figure 2. The
of the shutter cloth as well as some unexpected problems with . shutter tape has slid through the sliding junction and there is no
selection of a suitable replacement shutter tape. shutter opening.
• During winding, the entire shutter moves to the right. The
Assumptions friction in the sliding junction is sufficient to cause the opening
In spite of the camera's 60 year age, it should be assumed that all of shutter to follow along without allowing the shutter to open.
its mechanisms (rollers, gears, springs, levers, etc.) will be properly • When the opening shutter reaches the right side its metal edge
or nearly in adjustment if the cloth and tapes are replaced and the stops it from continuing to follow the closing shutter. However,
camera is cleaned and lubricated. the closing shutter and its tapes continue to move until a slit
opening is formed for the 1/35 second speed by wrapping
Reference Points around the closing roller.
Prior to and during the process of taking the camera apart for • When the shutter is released the entire shutter (opening, closing
repair, it is necessary to make notes on various reference points so and tapes) moves as a single unit and allows the 1/35 second slit
that the camera can be properly reassembled. This applies to shutter to expose the film .
speeds, shutter cam, mirror positions and other points. The shutter • When the opening shutter reaches the left side, the shutter is still
should be set at 1/2000 second. Two circles should be drawn and the open. The tapes must quickly slide through the sliding joint and
position of the 2000 mark recorded on one circle when the shutter is close the shutter.
unwound and on the other circle after the shutter is wound. Repeat Thus, the shutter tapes must possess a careful balance between
for several other speeds such as 1/35, 1/5, T, etc. During the surface friction, flexibility, strength, and resistance to wear and
disassembly of the winding knob the shutter cam position should be abrasion in order to have sufficient friction during the slow
similarly noted for 1/2000 second. Likewise, the mirror return knob winding phase and sufficient flexibility and durability at the sudden
should be examined and the position of the arrow in the unwound end of the exposure.
(mirror up) and wound (mirror down) positions should be recorded. Dr. Nagel's design reduced some of the severe demands on the
tapes by progressively changing both the curtain speed and slit width
Access to the Shutter in the high-speed, mid-speed, and low-speed ranges. At 1/2000
The following steps are required to take the camera apart:
second, the shutter has the narrowest slit and the least retardation
• Remove screws as follows (See Figure 1): 4 screws - one at each
from the geartrain. At 1/3 second, the shutter has a wide slit and the
corner of geartrain cover, 1 screw in mirror return knob, 2
most retardation from the geartrain.
screws in camera body top front and 2 in bottom front, and 2
screws on the opposite end of the camera from the gear box. (Do Repladng the Cloth and Tapes
not remove the 2 screws on the bottom left of the back side.) The closing shutter and the tapes should be removed and replaced
• Remove 2 screws on the shutter index plate of the winding first. Release the shutter and be sure that it is fully unwound (as in
knob. Figure 2), then mark and record the exact location of the metal edge.
• Reference the cam screws and remove them, the cam and the This reference point is needed to establish the correct slit width for
coiled spring under the cam. 1/2000 second. Measure the exact width of the cloth (about 14Omm)
• Remove the shutter release retainer and button. and estimate the length including the portion wrapped around the
• Separate the shutter cover by sliding it away from the geartrain roller (also 14Omm). Measure the thickness of the shutter material
with a twisting action to get around the tripod socket. (about 0.010 inch). Note : the ends of the tapes must be secured at all
• Place a tape over both ends of the closing shutter axial pin in times so that they do not get loose and lose the spring tension
order to prevent it from slippjng out and losing its gear tooth reference.
reference (See Figure 2). Remove the closing shutter and save the metal strip. Open it with a
knife blade so that it can be reused. The shutter cloth is ripped to get
Dr. Nagel's Shutter the correct width. Make cuts at 140mm and rip two edges. Then use a
While at Contessa-Nettel and Zeiss, Dr. Nagel designed several right angle to cut the shutter so that the edges of both halves (opening
shutters similar to this one. The closing shutter is wound around a and closing) will be parallel. Clean the roller, rotate it to the unwound
roller on the right side. Its speed is controlled by the geartrain as position and glue the shutter with contact cement. Be sure that the
shown in Figure 2. The opening shutter is wound around a roller on metal edge exactly matches the position of the original shutter. The
the left. The opening shutter in the mid-exposure position is shown shutter tapes must then be joined to the closing shutter.
in Figure 3. Notice that each half of the shutter does not have its own
tape as do most other focal plane shutters. Only the closing shutter Tape Selection
has a tape attached to it. The opening shutter has no tape of its own. It Finding the proper tape proved to be a difficult task. I did not
operates in a "piggy back" fashion on the tape of the closing shutter. know anyone with a knowledge of textiles who could identify the
-13-
1

1
~

~
-----1
1

GEARTRAIN
COVER 2
Figure 1. Access to the Miroflex for repairs.
tape material. The tape is a soft flexible cloth about 0.20 inches the back (dull side ) up. Samples of tapes were rapidly pulled back and
(5mm) wide and about 0.008 inches thick. forth up to 50 times and any wear was noted. Many of the tapes
My first attempt at repair involved the use of a strong synthetic rapidly deteriorated. Based upon this, I selected a white cotton tape.
tape which was 0.21 inches wide and 0.006 inches thick. It looked It is 0.215 inches wide, 0.009 inches thick and is known as twill tape.
good, but the wear due to the sliding of the tape through the junction
quickly caused failure of the tape. Installing the Tape
I then visited several fabric shops and bought six more samples of The new tapes were installed on each side of the closing shutter.
tapes which appeared to be about the right width and thickness. A The tape passes through the end of the metal edge of the closing
pretest was given to each one. A knife blade was placed in a vise with shutter and is held by strong adhesive (contact cement) to the reverse
-14-
 Figure 2. Mirof/ex shutter and geartrain exposed.

side. The rivet at the end of the metal edge is resecured. The length of
the tape should be determined by pulling it from its spool and
measuring it (about 275mm).
The new tape must be installed without letting the spool spin free
and losing its reference tension. The tape must pass through the
sliding junction as shown in Figure 3. It comes from the bottom,
goes over a bar and then down again. The end of the tape is then
secured to the spool by sliding a small loop under a bar or pin in the
spool, inserting a pin in the loop, and then pulling the tape until it is
TAPE
secure as shown in Figure 4.
The last item to be installed is the opening shutter. Measure the PIN SPOOL
exact width (about 126mm) and determine the length (about Figure 4. Securing the tape to the spool.
14Omm); then tear and cut the cloth as before. Be sure that the outer
edge is exactly parallel to the edge of the closing shutter. Material Sources
When the opening shutter is being removed from the roller, first The shutter cloth came from National Camera Repair, Engle-
remove one end and glue a length of tape material to the roller. Then, wood, Colorado. A current source is Leather/Cloth, 116 Lunado
if the roller gets loose and spins free, you will still know the reference Way, San Francisco, CA 94127. The shutter tapes are available in
tension. Glue the closing shutter in place with contact cement and fabric stores and are known as twill tape. One source is Couture
glue the other end to the underside of its metal edge. Be sure that the Fabrics, 320 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Film in the 9x12cm
tapes on both sides, which pass through the sliding junction, are size is available from Fotohaus-Steins, Hohe Stabe 117-119, 500 Koln
straight. This completes the repair. The camera is put back together 1, West Germany. I have purchased several boxes of Agfa Pan (B &
in reverse order. W) in both ASA 100 and ASA 400 speeds.

OPENING SHun-ER

Figure 3. Ooseup of the shutter components.

-15 -
 CARL ZEISS JENA
BINOCULARS OF
WORLD WAR II
Eugene Zartarian, Paramus, N.].

The more one delves into the realm of Carl Zeiss Jena binoculars,
the more apparent become the wonders of their optics. Recently, I
came across several of their binoculars with particularly exquisite
optics.
The first is a Carl Zeiss Jena 5 and 10 power binocular with
apparent 70 degree fields. Its optics are remarkable.
Before I disassembled the binocular to study its optics, a repair-
man, Kevin Kuhne, had told me that he suspected the oculars were of
an orthoscopic design . He was able to see three cemented lines by
peering along the back of the eyepiece. This spurred me on to
disassemble the binocular and to check it out.
When I got the lens apart, I discovered that it was composed of a
plano-convex eye lens and a field lens of four cemented elements.
This makes it an orthoscopic ocular, which is found only in military
instruments - probably because of its high cost of manufacture.
Roger Gordon, a dealer in optics, brought to my attention that
Horace Dall of Luton, England had mentioned this ocular in a book
entitled "Astronomical Instruments and Observatories for Ama-
teurs."
The optics of this binocular are composed of 70mm objectives,
Amici Schmidt roof prisms with 2!/!,' entrance and exit faces, and the
eyepieces described above. Their orthoscopic design more fully
corrects all aberrations.
The optical engineers at Carl Zeiss have wrung many orthoscopic
designs from the classical orthoscopic. Several are illustrated here.
All have been used in various military instruments.
A second instrument with exquisite optics is a IOx80 Carl Zeiss 5/10 power binocular with 70mm objective.
Jena binocular bearing an "Eagle M" logo. It was exciting to disas-
semble this instrument. To my delight, I again found the same a plano-convex eye lens. The prism system is a Porro Abbe with its
fantastic design as used in the S/1Ox70described above. The ocular is exit face inclined at 20 degrees. This is a very superior binocular to
of ordloscopic design with a field lens of four cemented elements and use for rich field and star-gazing.

Gassical orthoscopic ocular design (far left) and three variations.

-16 -
IOx80 binocular bearing "Eagle M" logo.

IOx80 binocular with six-element Erfle ocular.

Another lOxSO of special interest is a Carl Zeiss Jena "great." It is
particularly appealing to the eye because of its aesthetics. It has circles
on both axes.
This instrument's optics are made to a high degree of perfection.
Such optics never fail to excite one's imagination. The design is very
different from that of the other 1OXSO. Here, the prisms are Amicis
with four-inch-Iong roofs and exit faces inclined at ' 80 degrees. It
boasts a fine ocular with three cemented achromats, which makes it a
six-element Erfle ocular.
These three are but a few of the large family of binoculars manufac-
tured by Carl Zeiss Jena for military use in World War II .
Unquestionably, there is still a large number of these binoculars still
remaining to be disassembled and examined. In the collection of the
Smithsonian Museum in Washington is a truly giant binocular made
by Carl Zeiss Jena. It is the largest known to date: a 20/40x 200mm.
The accompanying photograph gives some idea of its massiveness.
The story of large binoculars does not end with the Smithsonian's
200mm instrument. I have been told by Ed Kaprelian, an honorary
member of Zeiss Historica, that a binocular with 300mm objectives
has been reported. But until this is further substantiated, we can only
imagine the wonders of such a marvelous optical tool from Carl Zeiss
Jena.
The giant 20j40x20Omm binocular.
-17 -
 THE ASTRONOMICAL DEPARTMENT'S
FIRST CATALOG
Nicholas Grossman, Rockville, Maryland

. ' . ',' - ''; - .. ~ .

C ARL ZEISS A type "E" objective.

OPTICAL WORKS "C" Binary Telescope Object-Glasses. These objectives are described
as n . .. made from heavy but permanent Jena glasses ... but not free
JENA.' from secondary spectrum. " The apertures are from 60mm to 200mm.
'V" Triple Telescope Object-Glasses. These objectives are charac-
terized as providing a large flat field, larger apertures than series "F",
but not free from secondary spectrum. The sizes are from 20mm to
15Omm.
I
"E" Astronomical Telescope Object-Glasses. (Made of ordinary
I,
I -.;·"r-...,· .... ·
'
PRICE-LIST silicate glasses.) These objectives are based on the classical
I .
i OF Fraunhofer formula and are the objectives most commonly en-
"

I,· countered by collectors today. It should be noted that the two largest
i
r -
ASTRONOMICAL OBJECT-GLASSES Zeiss refractors in the United States, the 300mm Griffith telescope
and the 250mm Franklin Institute telescope, are equipped with type
AND
"E" objectives. Sizes were from 20mm to 500mm, with larger sizes on
special order.
ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS.
"F" Triple Telescope Object-Glasses. These lenses were made of
ordinary crown and flint lenses and the lens elements were cemented
- -: ..:' together. (Type "B" objectives have air-spaced, not cemented, lens
elements.) The sizes were from 40mm to 12Omm.
"G" Long Focus Apochromatic Aplanatic Object-Glasses. (Dr.
Harting's formula for celestial photography.) Apertures available
1899. from 60mm to 18Omm.
"H" Short Focus Object-Glasses of Large Aperture adapted for celes-
-'~~.::~'~-: .-~':' .::.":-" .- ,.;.
_ ~~ >-- tial photography. These objectives were based on the Petzval
. . .. . . 'f"I. ... _ . .
.'.: ..
~' , . '
'.~'~'-' ••. - -~.' :
.
";i".,

?~~~~,. _r anastigmat and Planar lens formulae. The catalog noted, ..... dimen-
~t~t~~.~0;;, ~i:~ ,.-:::,-:.-. ";./. sions and relative apertures of these object-glasses being subject to
considerable fluctuations, exact prices cannot conveniently be listed.
Title page of the 1899 catalog. Their cost is therefore estimated in each individual case."
The only prewar objectives the author has actually seen or is aware
than those of ordinary glasses on account of the great difficulties of are types "A", "B" , and "E" used as primary telescope lenses, and
encountered in the production of the material ...... The sizes listed are the type "C" used on smaller auxiliary finder telescopes. If any readers
of 50mm to 450mm apertures, with larger sizes available on order. can provide information about the existence of the other Zeiss objec-
"B " Triple Apochromatic Object-Glasses (according to Dr. Koenig's tives listed in Astro I, kindly send it toour Editors. (In the mid-1920s
formula) . These objectives consist of one flint and two crown glasses Zeiss introduced a modified two-element air-spaced objective,
and ..... yield absolutely colourless images .. .... The sizes are of 40mm designated as "AS". That type of lens lies outside of the scope of this
to 180mm apertures. article.)
-18 -
 LICHTST
Light Rays: Notes of Interest to Those Interested in Zeiss and Its History
LEN
MYSTERY EYEPIECE NOSTALGIA

At the Spring 1987 Leipzig Trade Fair, Zeiss Jena introduced a

modern version of the collapsible telescope. It magnifies 15 times,
and has a 30 mm diameter objective. It is constructed of four
"telescoping" tubes. Collapsed length is 7 inches (17 cm),
extended 17 inches (43 cm ). Finished in tan leather covering and
carried in a soft leather pouch, it is just what every sailing
enthusiast needs.

ZEISS EXHIBITION
AT CALIFORNIA MUSEUM
Member Charles Gellis would appreciate help in identifying this "Zeiss: Photographic Precision", an exhibition based on the vast
eyepiece. From its appearance and nickel chrome finish, he believes it Zeiss collection donated by Society life member Mead Kibbey, will
to be from the early post-World War I era. Its overall height is 6Omm; be on display at the California Museum of Photography from
outside diameter of the threaded base is 3Omm; outside diameter of December 1, 1990 to February 16, 1991. The exhibition will assess
the eyepiece tube is 25mm. Magnification is approximately 7x. Its the contributions of Zeiss to both the professional and amateur
view is wide-field with a controlling iris . . markets. The Museum, (714) 787-4787, is in Riverside.

INEXPENSIVE BETWEEN-THE-LENS SHUTTERS OF THE LATE 1920s.

The rare Sonto shutter (center), flanked by the more common Derval (left) and Klio (right). Sonto appears to be a
version of the Klio, but without the 1 sec. to 1/5 sec. slow speeds. Serial number of the lens in the Sonto dates the piece as
circa 1928. Derval shown is from 1927-28, Klio from 1929. Top-of-the-line shutter of this era was of course the Com pur.
-19-
 on
Die kombinierte Spiegel-
Re/lex- and Deckrallo-
Camera
fur den
anspruc.{jsvoJJen
Amateur
Fur Sport- und Reporter-
Aufnahmen die

Ideal-Camera
dank ihres
geringen Gewiehtes,
sofortiger Bereitsehaft
u. optischer Ausstattung

mit Zeiss"T essar 1 : 4,5

15 em Mk. 495.-
mit Zeiss ..Tessar 1: 4,5
16,5 em Mk. 5l5.-
mit Zeiss-Tessar 1 : 2,7
16,5 em Mk. 1t5.-

Sonder .... Drucksmrift kostenlos

im Fachgeschaft oder direkt von

Zeiss 9hon ~9.

{jfce.sden 211