Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/28

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 15mm origins
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 23:11:22 -0500

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
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