Help with old lens identification

MaterDei · Feb 18, 2016

Hi,

Not sure what you guys classify as old so please forgive any misuse of the term. I have a lens that I have had since the early 80s when I was in high school and heavily into photography. I bought it used in Singapore where I went to high school, so I don't know exactly how old it is. I don't think it was very old when I purchased it. I would like to know whether it has any value today and if so, what is the best way to sell it? I no longer have a camera that I can mount it on.

On the front of the lens it has a little logo that looks like a golf hole with a flag (I'm sure that's not what it is but it looks like that to me) and it says "Biometar 2,8/80 7273847 Carl Zeiss Jena"

The aperture and focus rings both have silver and black alternating bars. The aperture range is 2.8 - 22.

The mount, I'm pretty certain, is M42 based upon pictures I see on the web and me measuring the OD at 42mm.

Here is a picture.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

tirediron · Feb 18, 2016

La... ?

480sparky · Feb 18, 2016

Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 2.8 80 for Pentacon Six | Vintage Camera Lenses

MaterDei · Feb 18, 2016

Thanks for the links. I did see that site but the lens there looks a lot different than mine. Can anybody give me more info such as age, value, etc.?

tirediron · Feb 18, 2016

Depends... how much would you pay for a paper-weight?

MaterDei · Feb 18, 2016

Does anybody have a bit more detailed info?

Derrel · Feb 18, 2016

Carl Zeiss Jena BIOMETAR 80mm f/2,8 Lens mount Pentacon six Kiev6 Kiev-60

Not "a lot" of interest in these, and they are common, but I'd say $100 is about the value, for a willing buyer in a nation-wide e-Bay auction. This one at $95 has seven people watching it. Bow that you know it is a Carl Zeiss Biometer 80mm f/2.8 for Pentacon, GOogle that and ytou'll find some good links that show the different variants of this lens, which was made from 1956 to around 1990.

Yours was dressed in the East German "zebra" cosmetic style that was common for some time in that part of the world. Cheap, easy to make, and very durable, and also sort of eye-catching, so it would visually "stand out".

tirediron · Feb 18, 2016

MaterDei said:
Is getting a non-smart aleck response possible on this site??? tirediron, a simple "I'm clueless and can't help you" would suffice.

Forgive me for trying to add a little humour into the equation. The simple answer is, "Not much". Given the variety, type and quality of M42 mount lenses available, these are very far down on the desirablity scale, not necessarily because they're a bad lens, but rather because there are so many better options available. I would be quite surprised if you could actually get $100, cash-in-hand.

MaterDei · Feb 18, 2016

Much appreciated, Derrel. This is very helpful. Certainly more than I would pay for a paperweight.

No worries, tirediron. The vintage camera lens site said that the M42 mount on this lens is only seen on ebay about once a year. Thought this might make it more valuable. Guess not.

xenskhe · Feb 18, 2016

It's a late 60s one. That symbol is referred to as "Q1" (export grade). The Biometar is a slower/simpler (tele-tessar?) lens compared to Biotar, which is a different formula. The Biotar was copied as the Helios 44-2 soviet lens, 58mm f/2, and Jupiter 9? a copy of Zeiss 80mm f2.

Your Biometar is 'zebra' style. Is the focus smooth and the iris snappy? I found the zebra style CZJ lenses more prone to iffy build quality (helicoid) than the earlier or later ones. If it's free of haze, fungus, chips etc and works ok, the euro dealers ask around $120-150 BIN, and it can go at auction for around $100 ebay.