Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/02/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 02:55 PM 2/23/03 -0800, Javier Perez wrote: >They are still making industrial gadgetrs but their >camera production is dead. The lenses they sell are >relabeled stuff, possibly samyang. They may still make >binoculars though. And while I'm not sure they may be >affiliated with an outfit called jenoptik. Javier Please get your facts right. First, Pentacon was bought out by Carl Zeiss Jena in 1985, though I am uncertain how one Bolshevik enterprise could ever buy out another. But such is the case here. Second, the binocular end of CZJ was sold to Doctor Optics in Wetzlar and, with it, the Eisfeld and Saalfel (formerly, OAS) plants. Doctor was reorganized when its owner died, but the current enterprise is quite happily cranking out sports optics, including the 8x,21 TURMON moncular (introduced in 1921) and the ASPECTUM 65mm and 80mm binoculars, first introduced in 1931. Take that for 'longevity', Leica! Third, the Jena plant itself was taken over by the State government and rented to Carl Zeiss, who, of course, claim ownership. Zeiss now has dedicated the Jena plant to optical research and the production of professional astronomical gear. Fourth, those portions of the Penttacon concern which could be identified were returned to the Noble family (an ex-German US family) who now produce the Noblex panoramic camera. The Noble family had owned the KW firm. The current head of the family lost the business to a consortium of banks some years back. (He refers to himself as 'Sir John' Noble due to membership in the Knights of Malta. I know a couple others of this ilk and I do not regard them as exactly on plumb with the rest of the universe.) Fifth, Herr Mandermann, he of Schneider fame, purchased large chunks of the camera works and made 35mm and 6cm by 6cm cameras until the last year under the name of 'Feinmechanik-Schneider-Dresden AG'. I am not certain just what these guys are doing right now. Sixth, the remnants of Pentacon tried to have an independent existence but this failed miserably several years back, and they entered into a consortium with Carl Zeiss to produce high-end industrial, scientific, and night-vision optics. Seventh, the East German remnants of the Schott glassworks were taken over by the State Government under the name of Jenoptik, and Carl Zeiss is a large minority owner in this (I believe that the split is 51/49). The Schott glassworks in Jena were assigned to Schott-Mainz for operational control, and they now use this plant to produce consumer glassware. I own some egg coddlers from this "Jenaer Glasswerke", sold in the US by, of all people, our most suspect MS Martha Stewart. Eights, Hugo Meyer was hived off and retains an independent existence. It is still producing lenses. So, the original Carl Zeiss Jena and Zeiss Ikon legacy has been fractured but, in the end, there are really only the following: Doctor Optics: sports optics (binoculars, telescopes) Carl Zeiss Jena (optical research, astronomical gear) Schott Jenaer Glasswerke Pentacon Part of a Zeiss consortium for electro-optical equipment Schneider-Dresden I don't know what they are doing, now that they have killed camera production Marc msmall@infi.net FAX: +276/343-7315 Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir! - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html