Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 10:12 PM 2/28/98 +0000, Danny Gonzalez wrote: >The 15/3.5, 28/2, 135/1.8 and some other lenses are roundly thought of as being a >product of the relationship. The 15 and the 28 are both optically identical to later >produced Contax products and, it would seem to me that Zeiss would not >compromise their pride by releasing 'copies' of Pentax designed lenses. > >Can you say absolutely that Pentax had nothing to do with the Zeiss/Leica/Pentax >15mm? No, I cannot say 'absolutely' that Pentax had nothing to do with the 3.5/15mm Distagon. I can say absolutely, however, that it is improbable that they did. The saga of the Zeiss/Pentax relationship has been well documented by Peter Dechert in several of his fine monographs, especially THE CONTAX CONNECTION. I also had the opportunity to discuss this relationship last fall with Alan Nomano, the former marketing director for the Contax SLR camera when we were both guested by Charlie Barringer for a weekend. (I also talked at length with Alan about his experiences as a Cambridge-educated draftee in the Japanese Army during the War, quite a tale -- Alan barely spoke Japanese at the time!) The 3.5/15 Distagon was introduced in 1972 for the Contarex: between two and six were produced, as the Contarex was then in its death throes, along with Zeiss Ikon. This lens was subsequently produced in Rollei QBM in quite limited numbers, never being 'officially' produced for that mount, and in Contax SLR and Leica R mounts. The timing is right for a Pentax/Zeiss collaboration on this lens, but neither Pentax nor Zeiss have ever breathed a word of this, though both have been quite open in discussing the common development of multi-coating and the K mount. As the Pentax/Zeiss relationship was in anticipation of the shutting down of Zeiss Ikon, it would seem unlikely that the lens was a joint effort, however, as it clearly was intended for the Contarex system. I am sorry if you felt I was disparaging Asahi design capabilities. While I am not a fan of either Pentax cameras or lenses, I have nothing against them and wasn't trying to talk down the abilities of the engineers and opticians behind them. Finally, I am not aware of a 2/28 or 1.8/135 lens for the Contax SLR system. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!